On Friday 19th April 2024 in Cheadle Guild Hall,  our full team of ringers along with the U3A Ukelele Band performed a varied collection of music and song in aid of Cheadle Animal Welfare. Although the two groups of performers out numbered the audience we were very well received.

We opened the evening performing pieces including a Gavot, My Favourite Things from the Sound of Music and Resound and Rejoice which was written specially for handbells.

The Ukelele group played next with a variety of tunes many of which we could sing along to as they had supplied the audience with the words.

After the interval and raffle each group played again, in this half we played pieces including God's Train, My Heart Will Go On from the film Titanic and Shepherd's Hey which is a piece played entirely using mallets to hit the bells which creates a different sound. ...

On Tuesday 9th April we visited The Hermitage Residential Home to play a variety of tunes for the residents.  These included some old time  favourites, some hymns and we finished with  what we refer to as ‘The Proms Selection’ which included Handel’s Royal Fireworks Music and Rule Britannia. This section always seems to be very popular and it was lovely to hear them singing along.

It was a pleasure to ring our handbells to such a lovely and appreciative audience and we thoroughly enjoyed their company.

Beryl Forrester

5th, 6th & 7th April

This year’s National Rally was held at the Hayes Conference Centre at Swanwick in Derbyshire, so pretty close to home.  Seven of us planned to go, including Peter and Hilary – National Rally first timers. We were therefore delighted when we were asked by the West Midlands Region if we would represent the region in the Saturday evening concert.  We accepted, though with some trepidation – playing in front of more than 100 of our peers… Initially there were some problems with the attendance at the concert for those team members who weren’t going to the whole rally, but once that was ironed out, we could start planning our repertoire.

Wendy decided on two pieces that we were very familiar and confident with – Resound and Rejoice by American handbell composer Jason Krug, and Highland Cathedral by Ulrich Roever and Michael Korb, arranged by Julie Turner...