What: 22nd Annual Sierra Spring Ring
When: Saturday, May 11th, 2024
Where: Sparks United Methodist Church, 1231 Pyramid Way, Sparks, NV 89431
Fee: $20/person by May 1st, $40/person after May 1st
How to register: Complete the paper form and mail with registration fee(s) OR register online.
Via mail: 2024 Sierra Spring Ring Registration Form (print, complete, & mail with payment)
Online: Registration Form (complete online and pay via PayPal)
Massed Pieces:
Danza by T. Susato, arr. Kevin McChesney, pub. Jeffers, 2-3 oct. JHS9228, 4-6 oct. JHS9422
Hashivenu arr. Brenda Austin, pub. Agape/Hope, 2-5 oct. 3047. Or order both pieces as a set from Heitz Handbells and get a 15% discount.
Director’s Notes for both pieces are located here to help you prepare for the massed ring sessions. These notes are crafted with helpful tips about the history, style, and techniques used in the music and a deeper dive into the musicality of the pieces with information specific how the clinician will be rehearsing the massed sessions. Basically, they’re the Cliff Notes, and equally valuable!
Schedule:
- 8:15 Check in & setup
- 9:00 Warm up & announcements
- 9:10 Massed rehearsal
- 10:50 Break
- 11:05 Class session I
- 11:50 Lunch break & solo rehearsals
- 12:40 Class session II
- 1:30 Massed rehearsal
- 2:45 Break
- 3:00 Sharing (public welcome)
- 3:30 Pack up
Solos: We encourage choirs, ensembles and soloists to favor us with a piece during our public sharing time. There will be substitutes available if needed.
Bring: Tables, pads, bells, gloves, pencils, folders & prepared music (no photocopies, please). We have a limited amount of tables. If you can, please bring your own. Contact us ASAP (no later than April 26) if you need us to provide tables*. There may be a rental fee if we run out of tables and need to use a party supplier. *Please note: we are not able to supply pads.
Session I Classes :
- Articulations Quest: Journey through the different textures and sounds of handbells as we learn how to quickly identify and correctly play handbell articulations.
- 1,000 Measure Tune Up: Give your body and bell ringing technique a top up and refresh. In this class, we’ll consider stretches, body placement and healthy ringing technique with multiple bells and styles to keep us ringing the next 1,000 measures.
- Beyond the Music Stand: Eyeing the Applause: Unleash your inner musician and mesmerize your audience by actually interacting with them instead of just staring at your music. In this class, we’ll use a short piece to learn how to “know” one’s music without necessarily memorizing the whole thing so that we can play it without relying on the page.
Session II Classes:
- Rhythm: It’s All About the Groove: Learn techniques to quickly identify and perform rhythm patterns. Find out how to use your intuitive sense of rhythm to connect with the ensemble groove.
- 4-in-Hand: Learn the basics of the 4-in-hand technique, which truly means just two bells per hand (its inventor wanted to sound really impressive!)
- The Showstopper Showdown: Playing for the Prize: In this follow up to Beyond the Music Stand, get ready to steal the show! We’ll be working with the same piece (so you likely want to attend that first), and now that we know it, we’ll be focusing on how to command the attention of the audience and leave a lasting impression. We’ll be doing a session of quick recordings that we’ll analyze for style and to understand what the audience actually sees. There will even be a prize for the biggest performance, so come and compete to be the best of them all!
Support Sierra Spring Ring and other handbell community outreach events:
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