Picture Gallery
The AGEHR Area 1 Festival 2007 took place at the University of Rhode Island. The Ryan Center was absolutely packed to the edges with bell tables. There were over 700 handbell ringers participating this year and it was a smashing success.
Ringing with handbells in front of you, behind you, and everywhere you looked is quite an experience.
We practiced for a few hours each day. Between rehearsals, we attended a multitude of classes, all taught by familiar faces of the New England handbell community. Subjects ranged from beginning ringing to teaching rhythm to origami, cup stacking, boomwhackers, and dancing. Let's just say there was something for everyone.
A poorly executed massed ring can result in nothing less than a cacophany of sound, however through superb direction by Michael Helman and Bill Mathis, that almost never happened.
A sea of ringers, all making beautiful music.