[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Great Excitement! Bells in Orleans!



I just had a long phone conversation with a woman at the Church of the Transfiguration in Orleans, MA. The bells have arrived from Whitechapel and are awaiting customs clearance through Boston harbor. The tower is just being finished this week. The bellhanger will arrive on August 3rd. Before he comes, the bells will be in the atrium of their building and will be blessed in a service on August 2nd. They have 30 people signed up hoping to become ringers and she got my email address from the Old North site to find out about how to get someone to teach all those people. At least some of them will be able to come to Boston for initial instruction. Two of their members lived in England for a while and she thinks they may have had handling lessons at some point, but she was unsure. About half of the people on the list are members of their hand bell choir, some of whom would like to learn changeringing on handbells in the meantime, possibly with hopes to ring for the blessing service. I asked whether they had done anything about sound control in the new tower, and she doesn't know, but will try to find out. It seems to me that the ideal thing would be for us in the Boston area to have some sort of intro course for them here and then figure out who can go down there for follow-up lessons once the bells are in, but I didn't say that or promise much. I told her I'd get back to her tomorrow. Suggestions? Offers of help or advice?
Laura Dickerson