Our team plays on a five octave set of
English Handbells formed and tuned by Schulmerich Carillons, Inc.. We also play on 5
octaves of handchimes made by Malmark,
Inc.. We use a variety of other instruments either owned by the Church or on loan from
members including a two octave set of Malmark handbells, windchimes, glockenspiel,
triangles, gongs, wood blocks. We of course can be accompined by one of our pianists as
well as flutists, an oboeist, our Moller pipe organ or the Churches 25 member choir. We
frequently play music arranged and
designed specifically for our talented musicians. We also play a wide variety of traditional
music that has been arranged for bell choirs.
Handbells are still in their infancy as a musical instrument. While the idea of
handbells has been with us for a couple of hundred years, it has only been since the
mid-1960s that here in the United States, handbells have become common and popular. As a
relatively new instrument, there is plenty of new ground and territory to cover and be
developed. Sounds A'Pealing works on new techniques to accomplish unique and effective
spiritual communications for their audiences. Their use of bells in the traditional
Tibetian technique of "singing bells" has been a recent and exciting addtion to
their repitoire.
Unlike an orchestra where individuals play many notes on many invidual
instruments, handbells are a single instrument played by many individuals. The results of
a well played piece of music are hauntingly simple and sometimes soothing, desguising the
complexity of the musical execution.
