[Dixielandjazz] Hand Bells????

[Stephen Barbone]

Margaret:

If you ever come East, I've got a gig for you. ;-)

8 OKOM tunes, total about one hour, along with our band. Chimes Blues sounds
like a natural for one of them. Sideman pay $150, plus beautiful Amish Farms
area and Horse Country living.

I'll bet ringing is tougher than most folks think and I doubt if I could learn
them.

Besides, one day some client might ask me to perform in a Quasimodo (spelling?)
costume and you know how I detest uniforms.;-)

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

Margaret Squires wrote:

> Steve,
>
> I'm a ringer.  Have been ringing in groups for over 20 years.  Dad says that
> the reason I'm such a good ringer is because I'm a natural born ding-a-ling.
> Thanks Dad!
>
> You would be surprised the broad range of literature published for
> handbells.  I have played arrangements of Alexander's Ragtime Band, Boogie
> Woogie Bugle Boy, The Billboard March,  The Great Gate of Kiev (from
> Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition), Morning Has Broken (by Cat
> Stevens), Selections from the Nutcracker Suite, Hava Nagila, and a bunch
> more.
>
> In southern California is a handbell group called Campanile.  Six people in
> the group riniging five octaves of bells.  The ringers look like a rock and
> roll band.....guys with long hair, dressed in leather, gals dress in
> leather, gold lame, fishnet nylons and high heels.  They play a VERY wide
> range of music, including an arrangement of "Hells Bells" by AC DC.
>
> Steve, if you're planning on taking up ringing I have a word of
> warning....handbell ringing is NOT as easy as it looks!!!
>
> Margaret
> in Modesto, CA
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Stephen Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
> To: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2004 6:51 PM
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Hand Bells????
>
> > List Mates:
> >
> > Maybe I should quit pushing beads and start playing hand bells. It seems
> > that no matter how much promotion and actual playing one does, some
> > people still get confused. See below mail just received this evening.
> > Any bands doing hand bells OKOM? Any hand bell players out there?
> >
> > If so, check out the latent demand (from old folks) for this style. The
> > note is from an upscale Retirement Facility about 50 miles away that
> > I've been trying to crack for 3 years. They have been reluctant to pay
> > our usual fee, but adding a hand bell player might just tip them over
> > the edge. ;-)
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Steve (Hand Bells) Barbone
> >
> >
> > "Dear Steve Barbone:"
> >
> >         "Your name has been given to me by may (sic) brother who heard
> > your group perform last summer. I understand that your group uses
> > handbells to perform jazz music. That sounds like something different."
> >
> >         "Please send me some information about your group, a typical
> > program, and what fees you charge to come here and perform. We are
> > located about 3 miles south of  Lancaster in Willow Street"
> >
> >
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> >
> >