Handbell Choir, Shoreline Ringers

Testimonial

Handbell

"People are still talking about the concert. It's hard to put into words the universal enjoyment of and appreciation for the concert, but here is a sample:

The concert was a historic for our church, the best attended and most positively received event we have ever had. Immediately after the concert, one person asked "How soon can we book this group again.?"

Another asked, Where can I find their schedule so that I can hear them again"

A member of the church wanted to book them for a concert at a church in Hartford.

People were deeply impressed by the group's skill, enthusiasm, and friendliness. People loved being included through the sing along with Silver Bells and the question and answer time. It was a night when not only the church but the whole community seemed to feel closer as a result of your program."

- Bill Kirkpatrick

Somers Congregational Church

Somers, CT

Our Handbell Choir

Shoreline Ringers, Inc. is a community handbell choir formed as a Connecticut non-profit corporation in September 2006. Our goals are to support the continued development of the art of handbell ringing and promote the ringing of handbells as a legitimate musical art form while educating audiences and increasing their knowledge and appreciation of handbell music through our concert performances. Our handbell ringers, some of whom direct other handbell choirs, have a breadth of ringing experience, and have come together to learn a more advanced repertoire.

Shoreline Ringers is not associated with a church congregation and therefore, our repertoire is secular and popular in nature. We highlight a variety of techniques and rhythms in our ringing and promise fun for all. Our group strives to educate audiences in the beauty of handbells as we perform a wide variety of challenging music. The choir rings 5 octaves of Malmark handbells and 5^1/2 octaves of Malmark hand chimes.

A True Story

by Jean Degan and Kristen Russo

Really, I can't make this stuff up

The story of why J & K were late for rehearsal on Wednesday Flashing lights and non-existent highway ramps.

Kristen arrived at Jean's house and we were ready to leave by 4:15. Perfect timing for a leisure ride to Ledyard. Jean says, "Oh good, we can drop off Bill's car at the car dealer on our way down since it's on the way." Jean takes off and Kristen follows to the car dealer. Jean goes in to drop off the key and comes out 20 minutes later! So there were a few things that needed to be dealt with while I was there.

We drive to get back on the highway and discovered you cannot get back on the highway in the same direction that we needed to go. So, no problem, we get on the highway the "wrong" way, make a U-turn at the end of the ramp and now go back the "correct" way! This only brought us out of the way about a mile and a half. At this point, we are in New Britain at 5 PM. We are now not on the leisure schedule we thought we had. As we continue around Hartford, the traffic (Thank God) was moving fairly well. Kristen said that she needed gas and would stop in Colchester where she knew there was a station just off the highway. Things were good. We got off the highway and found the gas station--closed. We continued on the same road and found another (very expensive) gas station--open. Kristen was able to fill up and then we turned around to head back to the highway.

Here's the fun part...
I'm playing with my phone and not watching until Kristen says "HARTFORD! No!" (well she said something similar to that) At this point I look up and realize we are on the ramp heading for Rte. 2 north to Hartford. So in my infinite wisdom, I say "Just back up. There's no one coming." Kristen decides to do this although she was not comfortable and was reviewing the rules of the road in her head about backing up on a highway ramp etc. Things were OK until a truck started coming onto the ramp. The truck couldn't get by so Kristen moves forward to the side of the road. Then the truck puts on his flashing lights!!!! At this point, we both used words that we don't use in church (often). The nice young man pulled along side Kristen and asked if she were OK. When Kristen reassured him she was and that she knew what she was doing, he told her to be careful -- with whatever she was doing that night!!! (safe ringing?) So we laughed for quite some time as she continued to back off the ramp. We then continued to where we thought the entrance ramp should be for the opposite direction and just like New Britain, there was no entrance ramp. A few more words were spoken of the not-so-churchlike- vocabulary. We turned around again, continued past both the closed and open gas stations, through downtown Colchester around 5:30 now with a few other cars(!). We got to the highway and finally felt that we were on our way. We'll be a little late but it won't be too bad.

We get on Rte. 2 and....now what? Down to one lane for paving. We sat on Rte. 2, looked at each other and said, we are NOT going to make it!

When we walked in to rehearsal at 6:30 instead of 6PM, it was not the time to regale you with our latest adventure. Remember, we are the ones who couldn't find Camp Wightman either. If you're ever looking for an adventure, be sure to hook up with us. It's never dull.

Sorry Robin and Michael. We'll try again next week. I think we'll leave Bristol at noon for the 3 PM rehearsal on Sunday.

Hope to see you there on time!

:-) Jean (and Kristen)