Julianne Lane is the youngest ringer at 14. Her motion blurs as she scoops her bell upward while she rings the largest and heaviest bell. She says she has been playing for about two years. Lane is responsible for the C, D and E bells. Photo by Shirley Ruhe.
A black gloved hand scoops upward with a shiny brass bell. The white gloves are saved for performance to keep fingerprints from damaging the surface of the bells. Linda Cancellieri, director of Music at Trinity United Methodist Church on Cameron Mills Road says, "The sound waves travel out of the top of the bell in a horizontal position. To stop the sound, you clamp the bell against your body."
It is Thursday night handbell practice for the Trinity Ringers. They are getting ready for the special Christmas concert on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 10:45 a.m. "Every year I have a different theme. One year it was Appalachia; one year it was Celtic."
This year the theme is A Medieval & Renaissance Christmas with the choirs accompanied by professional musicians from area bands and orchestras. She says all of the church’s choirs will also participate in the program.
Cancellieri directs four different choirs at Trinity. "K-5 is the Trinity Trebles. The teen choir is from 5-12, and then there is the Chancel Choir and the handbells." Cancellieri says she has been working on this Christmas program since July when she began hiring the professionals, and the church choirs have been practicing since September.
Eight handbell ringers are lined up at two tables in the front of the church, bells in front of them. Cancellieri says, "We have a three-octave set of handbells and of chimes. They are arranged like a piano keyboard with most players responsible for two notes. See the handbell music looks very similar to piano." She continues, "the smaller the bell, the higher the pitch."
Julianne Lane is the youngest member of the group at 14. "I have been playing for about two years since I was 12." Lane has the largest and heaviest C, D, and E bells.
At the other end of the scale is Mary Gillman who has two small bells in each hand — E and F in her left and G and A in her right. "I used to be at the other end with the big bells but when someone left this position I thought it would be interesting to play two bells in each hand, a new challenge." She says she has been playing about 8 years.
Cancellieri steps to the front of the group, arms in the air. "OK, are we ready?" She nods her head and counts 3 and 4 and 1 — to give the ringers a cadence for when it is time for their bell to be played. The melody resonates to the back of the sanctuary. Gillman says, "My b and b flat were mixed. Can we pick up at 13 so I can do that?" They start again. Cancellieri says, "OK. Stop. You're a measure ahead." She says she is constantly looking in the neighborhood for more ringers. "You don't have to be a member of the church to be in any of our choirs. It is easy to do, and it's fun."
Cancellieri got interested in playing the organ "back when we had those school assemblies in Clifton, New Jersey. The music teacher was a professional organist and invited anyone interested to study with her." Cancellieri went on to graduate from Middleburg College and to take subsequent further training in special techniques including with the German contralto Frauke Haasemann "who influenced my organ training."
She has been at Trinity for almost 15 years after serving in a number of interim church music positions. Cancellieri adds that she enjoyed moving around because it was a fun opportunity to explore the instruction and liturgies of different churches. “I love the change.” She says Trinity is the oldest Methodist Church in the state dating back to 1774. She points to the original stain glass in the windows.
Handbell practice is nearly over with Chancel Choir practice to follow. One bell booms above the rest. Everyone laughs as Cancellieri explains that you can adjust the volume of the bells. "Guess we better do that.”