Laura Wahl began her handbell career crawling under the bell tables and building forts out of the extra table pads while her mother (Bells of the Lakes member Kris Koch-Wahl) rehearsed. She’s had ten years of ringing experience with the choirs at Hennepin Avenue UMC and Minnetonka Lutheran Church. She’s rung all positions, but bass bells are her favorites.

Laura plays piano and tenor saxophone. She sang in a choir for fifteen years and enjoys singing as a hobby. She also likes running and hopes to run a full marathon someday. After two years of college, Laura now works for a travel company that coordinates volunteer, intern and study programs in over twenty countries throughout the world. One day she would like to continue her education in the field of physical therapy.

Laura joins Bells of the Lakes in the fall of 2008 as an alternate ringer.

As a child, Julia Brown was fascinated by handbells. At age 14 she joined her church’s bell choir, and she continued ringing at St. Olaf College, where she graduated in 2007 with a degree in chemistry. Julia puts her degree to good use working in the quality control chemistry lab of a pharmaceutical drug company. In her free time she enjoys running, biking, sports of all kinds, piano, choir and reading.

Julia joins Bells of the Lakes in the fall of 2008 as an alternate ringer.

Laurie Pyle is a nationally registered paramedic, employed as an officer for a confined space/technical rescue team. She began ringing in 1976 at Richfield United Methodist Church, under the direction of a friend’s mother. Laurie has been a ringer, youth choir director, adult choir director, and charter member of Twin Cities Handbell Ensemble and Twin Cities Bronze. She has a flute performance major from the University of Minnesota.

Laurie’s handbell performance highlights include the 1999 AGEHR National Directors Seminar opening concert in San Diego, the Jingle Bell Doc concerts with Doc Severinsen at Orchestra Hall starting in 1997, and debuting Hart Morris’ piece “7/8 Lay Them Straight” with Hart at Pinnacle in 2000.

Laurie’s family includes her husband Warren, a musician and roadie, and her five-year-old daughter Nicole, who already has her own set of bells!

Erik Freed has studied piano and double bass since childhood. He played double bass and harpsichord for fifteen years in the Prometheus Academy Chamber Orchestra, which his dad conducted.

He fell in love with handbells and began playing the bass bells for First Baptist Church in Minneapolis in 2005. He attended the AGEHR Area VII festivals in 2006 and 2008, and at the 2008 festival in Sioux Falls he premiered his first composition, Passacaglia in D Minor. The piece is a trio piece for five octaves of bells, and he is looking to have it published. This year Erik is excited to be part of Bells of the Lakes and to aspire to higher excellence in ringing.

Erik works as a software engineer for a defense contractor, and he enjoys kayaking, windsurfing, tennis and tasting fine wine.

Katie Herzberg began ringing bells in second grade. She rang for four years with the handbell ensemble at Concordia College, St. Paul, where she also studied flute and voice. Katie teaches K-6 general music at Footprints Academy in Woodbury. She directs the handbell choir and is also an administrative assistant at St. Stephanus Lutheran Church in St. Paul, where she and her husband are co-worship and music directors. Outside of ringing, she enjoys gardening, running, biking and rock climbing. She and her husband are awaiting the arrival of their newest family member in January 2009.

Need a colorful pair of handbell gloves to perk up your rehearsals or performances? Bells of the Lakes offers 100% cotton gloves, hand-dyed in a variety of colors, in sizes S, M, L and XL. Both dot gloves and no-dot gloves are available. Gloves may be machine washed separately and machine dried. Color availability varies, so check for updates.

Glove Prices

Dotted Gloves:

No-dot gloves:

Plus tax in Minnesota

Shipping/Handling:

1-6 pairs — $2.50
7-12 pairs — $5.00

Below is our current inventory of gloves. Please order accordingly.

Jan Rasmussen started playing handbells in 1970 when her best friend talked her into joining a youth choir. In 1990 she was asked to join Steeple Bells at her home church, Woodbury UMC, and in 1992 she attended her first handbell festival. The addiction began!

Jan organized and directed The Bells Angels, a youth choir at Woodbury UMC, for six years. Her experience as a ringer includes being a charter member of both Twin Cities Handbell Ensemble and Twin Cities Bronze. Besides Bells of the Lakes, she currently rings with Ringers of Peace at Peace UMC, Shoreview and the Carillon Choir at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in East Bethel.

Jan is married to a wonderful groupie, Christopher, and has transplanted to Cambridge, MN, where she is able to work on her solo ringing. She has a daughter, RaeAnn (a former Bells Angel), a stepson, Thomas, and two spoiled Siamese cats, May Ling and Pyewacket.

Jan has been employed at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview for 26 years in the pharmacy department. In her spare time, she collects unicorns and gnomes and enjoys reading science fiction and watching movies.

Returning home to the Twin Cities, Christina Olson is new to Bells of the Lakes this year. She started ringing at her local parish when she was in 5^th grade and will not give up! When she moved to Winona to attend college at Winona State University, she sought out a bell choir to join and participated in a Methodist bell ensemble. After graduating with a degree in computer science, she decided to escape the states and live abroad for a year. Dublin was her home for three months, followed by a stint in York, England for five months, and she finished the trip with a six week tour of Europe. She returned to Winona and landed a job in the IT department for Fastenal, a rapidly growing industrial supplier. Unable to continue with the Methodist group, Christina worked with a Catholic parish to get two octaves of bells and started her own group. She has a new appreciation for directors! When she heard about the Bells of the Lakes audition, she knew she had to try out. Ever since she saw them at the very first BellFest! she attended, she always wanted to be part of that group. And now she is!

Amy started ringing handbells in fourth grade and has been hooked ever since. She rang in choirs under the direction of her mom, Patty VanLandschoot, through college. Amy has a Bachelors Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and a Master of Sacred Music Degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul. She is currently Director of Music Ministries at White Bear Lake United Methodist Church where she is the organist, directs two handbell choirs, the cherub choir and does worship planning. In her free time, Amy enjoys gardening, baking, eating and parenting her two young children with husband, Matthew.

Jennifer started ringing at Christ UMC in Rochester under the direction of her mom in 1987 and has since been ringing in ensembles in Des Moines, St. Louis, and Northern California. She attended Drake University in Des Moines and received her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance. She then received her Master of Music in Piccolo Performance at Webster University in St. Louis. Jennifer is also an active vocalist performing as a soloist and in ensembles. Currently, Jennifer is the Director of the Handbell Program at the University of St. Thomas, she also has a flute studio in her home where she teaches private students. Jennifer and her husband, Jeff, recently relocated to Minnesota from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Scott is a founding member of Bells of the Lakes and has been ringing handbells since 1985. He is an Electrical Engineer and works in the IS department of a defense contractor. He and his wife, Deb, can trace their life milestones via AGEHR Area VII Festivals. They met in 1986 at the Fargo Festival’s opening night mixer. They were engaged before the 1988 Festival in Mankato, married before the 1990 River Falls event and moved into their house before Sioux Falls in 1992. Deb was pregnant for the 1994 Festival in Bemidji and their daughter, Elizabeth, has been attending bell rehearsals ever since.

Scott played in the Festival Conference Choir at the 1996 Eau Claire Festival. The 1998 Festival marked yet another Conference Choir and the purchase of his first motorcycle, a 1982 Honda CB750K. At the 2000 St. Cloud Festival, Scott played in both the Conference Choir and the Bells of the Lakes Showcase concert. He played in the first Area VII Bronze Plus Choir in 2002 at La Crosse and records the purchase of his current motorcycle, a 1981 Honda CB900C. At the 2004 Duluth Festival, Scott was again a member of the Bronze Plus Choir. He and Deb both play with the Beautiful Savior Adult Handbell Choir, JuBELLation, and they adjust schedules to attend Area VII festivals each year. Scott plays in the Honeywell Concert Band and the Beautiful Savior Woodwind Ensemble, playing the flute and piccolo. He is also a video director for the community rebroadcast of Beautiful Savior’s Sunday morning cable services.

Deb has been ringing handbells since 1990 and directing handbells since 1994. She was a charter member of Twin Cities Handbell Ensemble and Twin Cities Bronze, and has been ringing with Bells of the Lakes since 2004. Deb is Director of Children’s Choirs at Centennial United Methodist in Roseville, which includes three handbell choirs for grades 2–12 and a children’s vocal choir for grades 2–6.

Her favorite handbell experiences have been ringing for Doc Severinsen’s “Jingle Bell Doc”, playing outside the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska and performing the opening concert for the 1999 AGEHR National Directors’ Seminar in San Diego, CA. Deb and her husband, Ron live in Mounds View where they enjoy gardening and tackling landscaping projects. They have two children (who both ring handbells): Amanda, a graphic designer in California and Ryan, a student at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Kris Koch-Wahl was born and raised in Iowa, where she first played Whitechapel bells at the First Presbyterian Church in Davenport, Iowa when she was in junior high school. She has been a member of Hennepin Chime since 1990 and has been ringing with Bells of the Lakes since 1997. She finds the biggest thrill in her life is international travel, having been to India twice and to England with Bells of the Lakes in 2000. Kris is a true roadie/ringer for the group, often using her van for transporting equipment. Kris lives in Minnetonka, MN with her husband and two children.

Sarah played as a substitute ringer for a year before joining Bells of the Lakes in the fall of 2005. She started ringing in Park Rapids under the direction of her mom in 1980 and was the “last minute ringer” for the adult handbell choir for many sunrise services on Easter. She attended North Dakota State University in Fargo and received her degree in Vocal Music Education. Sarah teaches music part-time in the St. Anthony school district, working with kindergarten and first grade classes. Using her degree in music education to its fullest, she also teaches private piano and voice lessons, maintaining a studio of 40 students. In her spare time Sarah and her husband enjoy traveling and training for triathlons.

Kate is a founding member of Bells of the Lakes. She starting ringing at River Hills United Methodist Church in Burnsville and toured with that group to national and regional festivals. Kate is a former ringer and director of the Hennepin Chime, Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis. Currently Kate is the handbell ensemble director at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in St. Paul. Having rung bells for more years than she will reveal, Kate is no stranger to hauling bells, music, tables, and foam around the region. When not ringing bells, scouring files for bell music, participating in bell events and just plain thinking about bells, Kate is a Business System Analyst for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Nancy began as a substitute ringer in 1998 and has been a ringing member of Bells of the Lakes since 2000. She has been ringing and/or directing handbells since 1985. Nancy studied accordion at Johnny’s Music in Duluth while growing up and played in the Duluth Accordionaires under the direction of John Copiskey for several years. She traveled with the Accordionaires to Finland, Romania, and across most of the U.S., and was involved with two of their recordings. Nancy was a member of the Minnesota Accordion Orchestra in Minneapolis in 2003. She is also an artist when it comes to creating the Bells of the Lakes dyed gloves and she keeps the group on track by keeping the calendar current, expertly weaving the calendars of all the members into one. She plays handbells with Faithful Ringers of Faith Lutheran Church in Coon Rapids. Nancy and her husband, Tom, have two children at home–Joey and Kelsey.

Marilee is a founding member of Bells of the Lakes and has been directing handbells since 1982. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from UW River Falls and is Director of Music Ministries at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Hastings, MN, where she plans worship, directs three adult handbell choirs (one of which has over 200 years of cumulative ringing experience), accompanies the choir, leads the worship band and an orchestra, and administrates the Music Department. She has directed massed ringing festivals and has served as a handbell clinician for festivals. Marilee also plays flute and organ. In her spare time Marilee loves to bike ride, golf, and work on her computer, teaching herself graphic design, web design and digital darkroom processing. She is creating a website of her photo creations (www.photocreationsbymarilee.com) and has done most of the photography for the Bells of the Lakes website.

Welcome!

Bells of the Lakes is a community handbell ensemble representing the Twin Cities of Minnesota and is directed by William H. Mathis, nationally known conductor and arranger of handbell and choral music. Bells of the Lakes maintains a membership in the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers and supports the work and activites of AGEHR Area VII. www.AGEHR.org and www.areaviiagehr.org

Performances
See our 2008-2009 concert schedule.

Seminar for Ringers and Directors

The annual Seminar for Ringers and Directors will be held on Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23.  Click the Seminar link on the menu for more information.

BellFest! 2009

The repertoire list for BellFest! 2009 is available now.  Click the BellFest! link on the menu for more information.

Thank you for your request, we’ll take care of it soon

American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR) www.agehr.org

AGEHR Area VII www.areaviiagehr.org

Schulmerich Handbells www.schulmerichbells.com

Malmark Handbells www.malmark.com

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church www.haumc.org

Thrivent Financial www.thrivent.com

Bells of the Lakes
PO Box 3907
Minneapolis MN 55403

Bells of the Lakes appreciates the support it receives from family, friends, listeners and the community. If you are interested in making a tax-deductible contribution or in commissioning a piece of music, please email us or write to P.O. BOX 3907, Minneapolis, MN 55403.

Thank you for your support.

A Bells of the Lakes handbell concert could be the perfect addition to your music series, choral concert, orchestra program, holiday tea or festive occasion. This ensemble has performed at corporate parties, the Governor of Minnesota’s open house, festivals, cathedrals, weddings and many concert stages.

Would you like to host a concert featuring Bells of the Lakes at your church, school or concert hall? Please contact us by email or at P.O. Box 3907, Minneapolis, MN 55403.

Bells of the Lakes ringers are experienced at leading workshops and seminars. If you are a ringer or director who would like to have a little help with your handbell program, consider a Bells of the Lakes workshop specifically tailored to your needs. We would be happy to come to your rehearsal space where you can ring in familiar surroundings on your own equipment.

Some of the topics we can offer assistance with are:

· Beginning handbell technique
· Bass handbell technique
· Treble handbell technique/shelley/four-in-hand
· Handbells in worship
· Handbell maintenance and repair
· Assignment issues
· Musicality
· Change ringing
· How to start a handbell program

Pricing for workshops varies depending on the number of instructors needed and the length of the session. To schedule a handbell workshop, please email or write to us at P.O. Box 3907, Minneapolis, MN 55403.

Background Information

Bells of the Lakes is always seeking individuals with experience and interest in promoting the art, skill, performance and educational aspects of handbell ringing. Membership in Bells of the Lakes is by audition. In addition to active members, Bells of the Lakes maintains a list of substitute ringers, who are called on for rehearsals, performances, or tapings as needed. Getting to know someone over a long time is a great way to have a “gradual audition.” With an ensemble like this, it’s helpful to know that someone fits into our community personally, as well as musically.

Members of Bells of the Lakes are expected to attend rehearsals and concerts, arrange for substitutes when necessary, learn individual parts outside of rehearsal, participate in workshops and festivals, load or unload equipment for each event, provide their own formal and informal dress, and help with other organizational chores as specified by the group’s officers.

Bells of the Lakes auditions are held annually during the summer months and are scheduled by the music director. Notices about audition dates are posted in the AGEHR Area VII newsletter, Clapper Chatter. To express interest in subbing or auditioning, please send e-mail to info@bellsofthelakes.org.

Open Auditions

Bells of the Lakes will hold auditions again in the summer of 2009 at:
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
511 Groveland Ave
Minneapolis MN 55403
map

Bells of the Lakes is a community handbell ensemble that performs approximately five or six concerts per year, hosts the BellFest! handbell festival in March, and teaches Seminar for ringers and directors in August of each year.

Bells of the Lakes rehearses on Monday evenings, 5:30 to 7:00 PM, from late August until May or June, at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis.

If interested in auditioning, please contact William Mathis via e-mail at info@bellsofthelakes.org or snail mail at PO Box 3907, Minneapolis MN 55403.

Any music ensemble relies on many people who work behind the scenes to ensure that rehearsals and performances can take place. Bells of the Lakes is very grateful to those volunteers who help us by moving equipment, driving vehicles, loaning instruments, doing paperwork, arranging schedules, selling products, ushering, providing refreshments and doing the multitude of tasks that must be done in order for this organization to exist.

Special thank you to:
Carolynne Mathis
Hennepin Chime
Rob Onan
Deb Ward
Neil Jeddeloh
Jim Wahl
Lance Zarimba
Karyl Frye
Tom Einertson
Ron Olsen
Ken Kerns
Cammy Carteng

If you would like to be a volunteer for Bells of the Lakes, please email us or write to us at P.O. Box 3907, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Bells of the Lakes is a fully qualified charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and as such accepts tax deductible donations. If you wish to make a donation, please contact Marilee.Anderson@gmail.com, or P.O. Box 3907, Minneapolis, MN 55403.

Bells of the Lakes would like to thank the following persons and organizations for their financial contributions, sponsorship and support:

Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, Minneapolis, MN – rehearsal space, equipment, recording space, mailing assistance
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans – matching grants in 1996-2002, recording space, equipment
Minnesota Historical Society – recording space
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Brooklyn Park, MN – recording space
Norman Heitz – handbell music
Jim Wahl – legal counsel
David J Photography – PR photograph
Cindy Hoffman, McGoon Photography – PR photograph
Marilee Anderson (photocreationsbymarilee.com) – website and brochure photography, brochure design
Tim Almen – recording assistance
Minnesota Region Arts Council – grants in 1998 – 2000
Jerome Foundation – grant in 2000
Piper Jaffrey – matching grant in 2000
Tapemark Inc. – grant in 1998
Jack and Abby Graber

Click on the button to order, click on the links to hear an mp3 sample

10 Year Anniversary CD Prisms - William A. Payn Morning - Edvard Grieg, arr. Arnold M. Sherman Canticle - Arnold M. Sherman Ancient Airs and Dances [1] [2] [3] [4] - Ottorino Respighi, arr. William H. Mathis Canticle of Creation - Hart Morris Song of Peace - Arnold M. Sherman Toccata Ritmica - Michael Joy By the Lakeside - Michael Helman Pinnacle - William A. Payn Sonata in C [1] [2] [3] [4] - George Frederick Handel, arr. William H. Mathis Classical Gas - Mason Williams, arr. Sondra Tucker March of the Dwarves - Edvard Grieg, arr. Betty B. Garee Waiting for the Robert E. Lee - L. Wolfe Gilbert and Lewis F. Muir, arr. William H. Mathis

Bells of the Lakes Pie Jesu (from Requiem) - Gabriel Faure, arr. W. H. Mathis Good Christian Friends, Rejoice - J. S. Bach, arr. Fred Gramann Elegy - William A. Payn Materna - Samuel A. Ward, arr. Betty B. Garee Takeda Rhapsody - Tomoko Kanzaki Joseph Dearest - German carol, arr. Donald E. Allured Froelich Tanze - Karen Lakey Buckwalter Georgia on My Mind - Hoagy Carmichael, arr. Hart Morris Spring Sea - Michio Miyagai, arr. Hirotaka Arai Sleigh Ride - Sergei Prokofiev, arr. Kevin McChesney For as the Rain Comes Down - Lee J. Afdahl Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love - Ghanian song, arr. Kevin McChesney Beside Still Waters - Howard F. Starks March of the Dwarves - Edvard Grieg, arr. Betty B. Garee God With Us For All Time - Betty B. Garee

Ring the Bells of Christmas A Ringing Christmas - Ukrainian and French carols, arr. D. Linda McKechnie Good Christian Friends, Rejoice - J. S. Bach, arr. Fred Gramann Joseph Dearest - German carol, arr. Donald E. Allured Up On the Housetop - traditional, arr. Mary Kay Parrish It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Richard S. Willis, arr. John Bartsch Jingle Bells - J. Pierpont, arr. William H. Mathis Greensleeves - English carol, arr. Cathy Moklebust Lo How a Rose - German carol, arr. William H. Mathis Troika - Sergei Prokofiev, arr. Kevin McChesney Stille Nacht - Franz Gruber, arr. Betty B. Garee Frosty the Snowman - Nelson and Rollins, arr. Douglas E. Wagner Sleigh Ride - Leroy Anderson, arr. Robert Ivey God With Us for All Time - Betty B. Garee We Wish You a Merry - English carol, arr. Sharon Cheek O Tannenbaum - German carol, arr. John Bartsch

Click on the links to hear an mp3 sample

10 Year Anniversary CD Prisms - William A. Payn Morning - Edvard Grieg, arr. Arnold M. Sherman Canticle - Arnold M. Sherman Ancient Airs and Dances [1] [2] [3] [4] - Ottorino Respighi, arr. William H. Mathis Canticle of Creation - Hart Morris Song of Peace - Arnold M. Sherman Toccata Ritmica - Michael Joy By the Lakeside - Michael Helman Pinnacle - William A. Payn Sonata in C [1] [2] [3] [4] - George Frederick Handel, arr. William H. Mathis Classical Gas - Mason Williams, arr. Sondra Tucker March of the Dwarves - Edvard Grieg, arr. Betty B. Garee Waiting for the Robert E. Lee - L. Wolfe Gilbert and Lewis F. Muir, arr. William H. Mathis

Bells of the Lakes Pie Jesu (from Requiem) - Gabriel Faure, arr. W. H. Mathis Good Christian Friends, Rejoice - J. S. Bach, arr. Fred Gramann Elegy - William A. Payn Materna - Samuel A. Ward, arr. Betty B. Garee Takeda Rhapsody - Tomoko Kanzaki Joseph Dearest - German carol, arr. Donald E. Allured Froelich Tanze - Karen Lakey Buckwalter Georgia on My Mind - Hoagy Carmichael, arr. Hart Morris Spring Sea - Michio Miyagai, arr. Hirotaka Arai Sleigh Ride - Sergei Prokofiev, arr. Kevin McChesney For as the Rain Comes Down - Lee J. Afdahl Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love - Ghanian song, arr. Kevin McChesney Beside Still Waters - Howard F. Starks March of the Dwarves - Edvard Grieg, arr. Betty B. Garee God With Us For All Time - Betty B. Garee

Ring the Bells of Christmas A Ringing Christmas - Ukrainian and French carols, arr. D. Linda McKechnie Good Christian Friends, Rejoice - J. S. Bach, arr. Fred Gramann Joseph Dearest - German carol, arr. Donald E. Allured Up On the Housetop - traditional, arr. Mary Kay Parrish It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Richard S. Willis, arr. John Bartsch Jingle Bells - J. Pierpont, arr. William H. Mathis Greensleeves - English carol, arr. Cathy Moklebust Lo How a Rose - German carol, arr. William H. Mathis Troika - Sergei Prokofiev, arr. Kevin McChesney Stille Nacht - Franz Gruber, arr. Betty B. Garee Frosty the Snowman - Nelson and Rollins, arr. Douglas E. Wagner Sleigh Ride - Leroy Anderson, arr. Robert Ivey God With Us for All Time - Betty B. Garee We Wish You a Merry - English carol, arr. Sharon Cheek O Tannenbaum - German carol, arr. John Bartsch

Additional Sound Clip

Waiting for the Robert E. Lee

Toccata No. 3, by Kevin McChesney in 2007. This piece will be premiered in fall 2007.

Jalousie, for handbells and accordion, by Hart Morris in 2006.

Vision Quest by Cathy Moklebust in 2005 in celebration of the tenth anniversary of Bells of the Lakes.

Ancestors Walk by Marc Anderson in 2002 through the American Composers Forum and the Jerome Foundation.

By the Lakeside by Michael Helman in 2001.

Froelich Tanze by Karen Lakey Buckwalter in 1999 in honor of Su and David Southwick’s 40th wedding anniversary.

The list includes pieces performed by the ensemble. This list does not include the demonstration recordings for Augsburg Fortress, festival, or workshop literature.

A Ringing Christmas – McKechnie
All-American Hometown Band – Wood
Alleluia – Bach/Thompson
Allegro Glorioso – Sherman
An English Carol – Sherman
Ancestors Walk – Anderson
Ancient Airs and Dances – Respighi/Mathis
Annie Laurie – Allured
Antiphonal Flourish – Payn
Arabesque I – Debussy/Kodama
Aria for Handbells – Wood
Beside Still Waters – Starks

Blessed Assurance - Dobrinski
Blue Rondo a la Turk – Brubeck/Benton
Brazil – Morris
By the Lakeside – Helman
Canticle – Sherman
Canticle of Creation – Morris
City Limits – Hilty
Classical Gas – Williams/Tucker
Coventry Carol – Bartsch
Crosswind – Moklebust
Danza Festivo – Sherman
Ding Dong Merrily on High – Dobrinski
Elegy – Payn
Entrata Esultante – Hart Morris
Fantasia for 2 flutes and handbells – Dobrinski
Fantasy No. 1 in F minor – Sherman
Fantasy on an American folksong – Wagner
Fantasy on KING’S WESTON – Gramann
First in my Heart – Morris
Five Inscriptions – Moklebust
For as the Rain Comes Down – Afdahl
Fröhlich Tanza – Buckwalter
Frosty the Snowman – Wagner
Gaelic Blessing – Rutter/Parrish
Georgia on my Mind – Morris
Gershwin – Gershwin/Wagner
Gift of Finest Wheat – Helman
God Rest Ye Merry – Bartsch
God with us for all time – Garee
Good Christian Friends, Rejoice – Bach/Gramann
Gloria – Callahan
Greensleeves – Moklebust
Hoedown for Handbells – Tucker
Holy Manna – Morris
How Brightly Shines the Morning Star – Mathis
Hungarian Dance #5 – Brahms/Thompson
Hungarian Dance #5 – Brahms/Arai
I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light – Tucker
Illumination – Payn
In the Hall of the Mountain King – Grieg/Keller
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear – Bartsch
Jalousie – Morris
Jesu, Jesu, Fill us with your Love – McChesney
Jingle Bells – Mathis
Josef Lieber – Allured
Laudation – Sherman
Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ – Mathis
Lift High the Cross – Dobrinski
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming – Praetorius/Mathis
Lullaby of the Iroquois – Thomson
Make Me An Instrument – McChesney
March of the Dwarves – Grieg/Garee
Materna – Garee
Morning – Grieg/Sherman
Music for the Royal Fireworks – Handel/Mathis
Nocturne in C Minor – Helman
Nocturne in E Minor – Dobrinski
Now the green blade Riseth – McChesney
Now thank we all our God – Harlan
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel – Mathis
O God, beneath thy guiding hand – Payn
O Tannenbaum – Bartsch
Otemoyan – Kumamoto-ken
Passacaglia – Handel/Griffin
Pick a Winner – Gillis
Pictures at an Exhibiiton — Moussorgsky/Mathis
Pie Jesu – Fauré/Mathis
Pinnacle – Payn
Pizzicati – Delibes/Griffin
Polkafest – Buckwalter
Prelude on HERZLIEBSTER JESU – Gramann
Prelude No. 2 – Gershwin/Mathis
Prisms – Payn
Procession of Praise – Sherman
Processional – Jenkins/Mathis
Processional – Mathis
Processional in Eb – Semmann
Rejoice in God’s Saints – Afdahl
Reunir – Payn
Ring to the Lord a New Song – Moklebust
Riu Riu Chiu – Moklebust
Rustic Dance – Tucker
Savior of the Nations, Come – Moklebust
Serenade for a Picket Fence – Parrish
Seven, Eight, Lay Them Straight – Morris
Shelter in the Storm – Fortin
Siyahamba – Hopson
Sky-Tinted Waters – Moklebust
Sleigh Ride – Anderson/Ivey
Soliloquy for Bells – Buckwalter
Sonata in C – Handel/Mathis
Song of Peace – Sherman
Song of the Bells – Mozart/Downey
Spring Sea – Arai
Stars and Stripes Forever – Sousa/Shull
Stille Nacht – Garee
Takeda Rhapsody – Kanzaki
Te Deum — Wagner
The Strife Is O’er – Starks
Thorncrown Chapel Portrait – Tucker
Three German Carols – Mathis
Toccata in D Minor – Bach/Mathis
Toccata #3 – McChesney
Toccata Ritmica – Joy
Transfiguration – Keller
Trio in the Style of Bach – Nalle/Mathis
Troika – Prokoviev/McChesney
Up on the housetop – Parrish
Vision Quest – Moklebust
Waiting for the Robert E. Lee – Mathis
Waltz – Tschaikovsky/Griffin
We Wish You a Merry – Cheek
We Wish You a Merry – Helman
Wedding Day at Troldhaugen – Greg/Garee
White Christmas – Berlin/Dobrinski

Bells of the Lakes BellFest! is an annual ringing festival for handbell ensembles. It’s a terrific way to perk up a long Minnesota winter. As many as forty handbell ensembles and all of their ringing equipment gather on a chosen Saturday to ring under the direction of a guest clinician. The repertoire, learned ahead of time, is rehearsed in this massed setting, and a concert for the public is performed in the afternoon. Participating groups are encouraged to ring a solo piece at the concert. Refreshments are offered at the mid-morning break and a lunch option is offered.

Bill Mathis, Director of Music at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church and director of Bells of the Lakes, is the director for Bellfest! this year.

Food, bells, fun, a guest clinician and a concert for the public……BellFest!

BellFest! 2009 will again be held at North Heights Lutheran Church at the Arden Hills campus (www.nhlc.org) on Saturday, March 7, 2009.  Mark your calendars!  Rehearsals will begin at 8:30 AM, there will be a morning break, lunch, and an afternoon concert at 3:00 PM.  Expect a full day of fun ringing!  Registration forms are available below.

The repertoire chosen for BellFest! 2009 is:

Glad Adoration, McChesney; Agape 2426; 3-5; opt. flute; L2

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded, Sherman; Agape 1732; 3-5; L2

Joy and Elation, Dobrinski; Agape 2457; 3-5; flute; L2+

Cantabile, Li; AGEHR AG35244; 3-5; L3

One Star, Hakes; Choristers Guild MCGB548; 3-5; narrator, soloist; L2

Down by the Riverside, Waldrop; Alfred MAP27055; 3-5; L3-

Download the rehearsal notes (.doc)

Download the registration form for groups of five or more

Download the registration form for individuals (four or fewer)

Each August, the Bells of the Lakes Seminar for Ringers and Directors is held for handbell directors and ringers. The Seminar includes music reading sessions and classes on ringing techniques, conducting, and musicality.

Seminar 2008

Site
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
511 Groveland Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
map

Schedule
Friday, August 22: Registration 5:30 PM, classes 6:00 to 8:45 PM
Saturday, August 23: Registration 8:30 AM, classes 9:00 AM to 3:15 PM, closing concert and refreshments 3:30 to 4:30 PM

Cost
Friday only - $35; Saturday only - $55; both days - $75.
Note: There is a $10 late fee for registrations submitted after July 1, 2008.

Registration
The registration form can be downloaded here

There are two ways to register & pay:

• Electronically: e-mail your completed registration form to info@bellsofthelakes.org and pay via PayPal (an electronic payment service that allows you to pay via credit card without creating an account)

• Mail your completed registration form with a check payable to Bells of the Lakes to:
Bells of the Lakes
PO Box 3907
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Sunday, October 12, 2008
3:00 PM concert
Lyngblomsten Health Care Facility
Newman-Benson Chapel
1415 Almond Ave.
St. Paul, MN

Saturday, October 25, 2008
9:00 AM workshop
7:30 PM concert
Epiphany Catholic Church
1900 111th Ave. NW
Coon Rapids, MN 55433
Tickets $15 in advance, $18 at the door
Ticket information available at www.epiphanymn.org

Saturday, November 8, 2008
7:00 PM concert
First United Methodist Church
201 E. Nebraska
Algona, IA 50511

Sunday, January 25, 2009
4:00 PM concert
White Bear Lake United Methodist Church
1851 Birch Street
White Bear Lake, MN 55110

Saturday, March 7, 2009
BellFest!
3:00 PM concert, open to the public
North Heights Lutheran Church
1700 W. Hwy. 96
Arden Hills, MN 55112

Saturday, April 4, 2009
4 Community Handbell Choirs in Concert
Bells of the Lakes, Minneapolis, MN
River Bend Bells, Mankato, MN     www.riverbendbells.org
Strikepoint, Duluth, MN    www.strikepoint.com
Twin Cities Bronze, Minneapolis, MN   www.twincitiesbronze.org
Center for the Arts
1800 W. Old Shakopee Rd.
Bloomington, MN
7:00 PM
Tickets $25.00 and $20.00
Will be on sale soon.

Saturday, April 18, 2009
Time to be announced
St. Edwards Catholic Church
804 7th Ave S
Princeton, MN 55371
Phone: (763) 389-2115

BellFest!

Bells of the Lakes and Camarata Brass, May 18, 2008

2005 Promotional Photo

Click here for the printable version (.tif)

2000 Promotional Photo

Barbershop and Bells

Bells of the Lakes was founded in 1996 to promote musical excellence through the medium of handbells. It also provides an opportunity for highly skilled English handbell ringers to perform advanced level music. Membership is by audition and is community wide. The conductor, William H. Mathis, Minister of Music and Fine Arts at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis, is a nationally known conductor and arranger of handbell and choral music.

Bells of the Lakes performs public concerts, records demonstration CDs of newly published handbell music and organizes local educational events. The ensemble commissions original compositions for handbells from known and emerging composers and offers premiere performances of new musical arrangements for English handbells. They have produced and recorded three compact discs. The first, BELLS OF THE LAKES, features classical and contemporary handbell music ranging from “Pie Jesu” from the Fauré Requiem to “Georgia on my Mind” by Hoagy Carmichael. RING THE BELLS OF CHRISTMAS features familiar arrangements of Christmas repertoire.

The third CD, BELLS OF THE LAKES CELEBRATES 10 YEARS, features favorite pieces from our first decade. Highlights include a Handel Sonata with oboist John Snow of the Minnesota Orchestra, “Classical Gas” by Mason Williams, and “Waiting for the Robert E. Lee” with BOTL’s own Nancy Einertson on accordion. Each CD is for sale for $15.00 at concerts and from our website.

Bells of the Lakes performed at the International Symposium of English Handbell Ringers in Birmingham, England in 2000. The group was also a featured concert ensemble at Pinnacle, a symposium of community handbell ensembles, in Orlando, Florida in 2002. In July, 2006, Bells of the Lakes performed the closing concert at the AGEHR Directors’ Seminar in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

To fulfill its commitment to education, Bells of the Lakes organizes two major educational events each year. Bells of the Lakes Bellfest! is a one day massed ringing event for over thirty handbell ensembles. Held each winter, it features nationally known and local guest conductors. The Seminar for Ringers and Directors is a summer event featuring classes to encourage and educate new handbell ensemble directors and ringers.

Bells of the Lakes is a fully qualified charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and as such accepts tax deductible donations.

The Music Director

William Mathis is Minister of Music and Fine Arts at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis. In addition to his work at church, Bill is an active clinician in both the choral and handbell fields, giving special emphasis to teaching rehearsal technique and musicianship. He has been the conductor of AGEHR’s National Festivals and taught at the Directors’ Seminars, as well as many events at the local and Area levels. He has served the Handbell Guild in several capacities: Area V education coordinator, Area XII Board member, Area IX Board member (several roles, including Chair-Elect), National Music Chair, and many committees and task forces. His current office is Director of Educational Events. With Su Southwick, Bill founded Bells of the Lakes in 1996. His compositions are found in the catalogues of fourteen publishers.

Click here for the printable version (.tif)

Click here for the printable version (.tif)

Bells of the Lakes performs and rehearses on Schulmerich bells, with nearly six octaves in one bell set and five octaves in another. The group also uses five complete octaves of Malmark chimes and the bass chimes down through the 7th octave. Most of the ensemble’s equipment is owned by Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church. Special thanks to the church and to Hennepin Chime for use of their equipment: bells, chimes, tables, foam, stands, music and more. The bells are stored and carried in 9 cases for the 5 octave set, 14 cases for the 6 octave set, and 8 cases for chimes.

* Founding member of Bells of the Lakes

Su Southwick 1996-2000*
Dan Copher 1996-1997*
Paul Christensen 1996-2000*
Pam Buska 1996-1998*
Mary Yerks 1996-1997*
Jan Doudiet 1996-1997*
Dori Berg 1996-1997*
Carolynne Mathis 1998-1999
Kristen Hammond 1999-2000
Chris Lange 1997-2002
Kara Heyboer 1997-2002
Cheryl Greene, 2003
Sharon Carlson 1996-2004*
Paul McKenzie 1996-2007*
Joanne Kerns 1998-2007*
Kristen Haakenson 2000-2007
Rebekah Schulz 2006-2007
Kyle Wiese 2002-2007
Kevin Shull 2002-2007
Angie Kinser 2007
Gail Onan 1997-2008
Anne Jeddeloh 1996-2008*

Music Director, William H. Mathis - info@bellsofthelakes.org

Bill Mathis is Minister of Music and Fine Arts at the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis, where he oversees a varied program of singing and ringing choirs and the acclaimed Music at Hennepin Series. Before coming to the Twin Cities, he filled similar positions in Ohio, Michigan, California, and Oklahoma. In addition to his work at church, Bill is an active clinician in both the choral and handbell fields.

As Chair of Director Education for the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, Bill has responsibilities for events and policies serving this end. As a festival conductor and workshop clinician, he leads local, Area, and National AGEHR events, giving special emphasis to teaching rehearsal technique and musicianship. He has been the conductor of the Guild’s National Festivals and the annual Directors’ Seminar, as well as the Handbell Exploration.

His compositions can be found in the catalogues of fourteen publishers.

* denotes founding members

Music Director, William H. Mathis*
Marilee Anderson*