Handbell Ensemble

The bell choir makes a lovely, unique addition to our worship. We’re proud and grateful to have a handbell ensemble at Good Sam.

The ensemble usually plays during one Sunday service per month through the school year, rehearsing on Mondays from 7pm to 8:30pm. We have a nice library of bell music to choose from, which follows the rhythm of the Christian year.

About the Ensemble

Ours is a three-octave choir, which takes 11 players to be fully staffed — and every single one of those players matters.

Unlike a vocal choir, which assigns multiple voices to each part, a handbell ensemble assigns only one bell to each note. This means that if someone isn’t there, the bell they hold is silent, and you can really feel its absence. On the flip side, there’s nothing like playing in a full handbell choir. Even if your own note is rarely struck, you’re participating in something larger than yourself, where your individual role is integral to the whole.

Not surprisingly, the companionship among this group is really strong. We’ve found it’s hard to give up handbells once you start.

How to Join

If you want to ring the bells and take your part among a friendly, loyal group of folks with an offbeat sense of humor, come try it out. Don’t worry if you’ve never done it before: while some of us were already experienced musicians when we started ringing, others had never touched an instrument before they joined.

We’ll start you off on the upper or lower end of our scale so you won’t have too many notes to play at first, and let you explore new positions as you get more comfortable.