Bell Ringer
By Marty AdlerI have previously commented on the apparent correlation between mathematical and musical ability. One of our Fellows is a notable example of this. Ruth Howald is a devoted handbell ringer, ringing in her church's handbell choir and in a community choir. She also sings in her church's voice choir.
Ruth first sang in a church choir in Hartford. However, when she moved to St. Paul in 1986, her new church didn't need another alto in the choir. She then applied, and was accepted, as a permanent substitute in the handbell choir. She enjoyed it so much that she's been ringing ever since.
After moving to Maryland in 1990, Ruth joined the handbell choir at Glyndon United Methodist Church. In 1997 she became director when their director moved away. Then in 1999 she was transferred to Farmers' home office in Los Angeles, where, along with her husband, she helped start a bell choir at their new church. She returned to Maryland in 2002 and rejoined the Glyndon bell choir, though not as director.
In 2003, Ruth auditioned for the community ensemble, the Westminster Ringers, which rehearses at the Westminster Church of the Brethren. Interestingly, when she first auditioned for a handbell ensemble, she had to do so by candlelight because of a power failure. With her prior experience, that proved to be no problem. She never had to audition for a church handbell choir, however, because (a) they generally take all comers and (b) she has usually been one of the best ringers in the church group.
The church choir rings in a typical range of two to three octaves. The Westminster Ringers, however, play in up to six octaves. They actually have 72 bells available. They also have five octaves of hand chimes (think big tuning forks) that give a different, more mellow sound.
A choir member will usually be responsible for at least four bells but sometimes up to nine. Ruth's "home" position is F, F sharp, G, and G sharp above middle C. It can get tricky when a neighbor choir member needs to ring some of the same bells. For example, Ruth's home G sharp is also an A flat that her neighbor might ring. There are 15 members of the choir. As some of the bells are small enough to keep two in one hand, they could ring as many as 40 bells at one time, though not often.
Being a Westminster Ringer requires a major time commitment. They rehearse every Thursday for two hours and give two major concerts each year-a winter concert in a refurbished theater in Westminster and a spring concert in a local high school auditorium. They also sponsor festivals and workshops where they give mini-concerts. Each year, they sponsor a children's festival in the spring, an adult festival in the fall, and a "ringer's workshop" in early fall. At a festival, full choirs participate, whereas for a workshop, individuals or partial choirs can come and get full benefit. Additionally, the level of prior preparation differs. At a festival, all participating choirs work on the music, usually three or four pieces, ahead of the event. At a workshop, one alternates between working with a conductor on two pieces assigned that morning and attending classes that members of the Westminster Ringers teach.
As a community choir, they play wherever people will have them. They have been part of other churches' "music series" or concert series; they have rung church services; they have performed at American Guild of English Handbell Ringers directors' events; and they gave a concert with the Carroll County Children's Chorus last spring. As many as 100 people have attended the concerts. Once, when someone forgot to put out any publicity, only six people showed up. They decided to let that unpublicized concert be a dress rehearsal for their concert at the theater a week later. Ruth says, "We've probably never rung better!" Ruth's church's handbell choir only plays for their church services.
The music director makes sure there is plenty of variety. The winter concert will have arrangements of familiar seasonal music ("Sleigh Ride," "White Christmas"), Christmas carols, classical or semi-classical music (this past year the "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers"), and original compositions for handbells. They also had a storyteller who tied the music/program together, an experiment that went very, very well. This spring their concert title is "Let's Dance." They're working on 14 or 15 pieces, including a waltz, a polka, a farandole from Bizet's Carmen, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," and an original bluesy piece. In the past they did a concert of all original pieces-no arrangements of familiar tunes.
Ruth especially liked an original piece by William Payn called "Elegy," which was very emotional. One could hear all the stages of grief from the diagnosis of a terminal illness to acceptance and peace. Currently she is enjoying the "swing" pieces they're working on - light, fun and different.
One reason she likes doing this is that everything is a challenge in some way. Handbell music is rated on difficulty, from Level 1 (no bell changes, 4/4 time, quarter notes) to Level 6 (mixed meter, multiple key changes, sixteenth notes, and fast!). Mastering Level 6 material is by far the most personally satisfying, but ringing Level 3 music with emotion and musicality is rewarding, too.
The commitment puts pressure on her career and personal life. Ruth is director of fire product management for Farmers Insurance Group in Baltimore. She strives very hard to be in town every Thursday evening when the choir rehearses, and that isn't always understood by her work associates. On the other hand, she usually stays late at the office, changing there and going directly to rehearsal, so there is a benefit to her company. As for her personal life, she spent her 15th wedding anniversary at a handbell event rather than somewhere romantic with her husband!
The ensemble's Web site, westminsterringers.org, identifies the ringers. About Ruth it says, "Naturally, as an actuary (insurance statistician), she lives in Boring, MD.
