Lansing Area Ministry of Bells LAMB

History

The Lansing Area Ministry of Bells (LAMB) was founded in 1984 by Jane C. Wright to promote the art of handbell ringing and to provide a structure to support the Spring Ring, a local massed ringing event held in the Lansing, Michigan, area each year in the late winter or early spring. Jane also founded the Capital City Community Ringers (now the Capital City Ringers, Inc.) in 1984, and still directs this group. The Lansing Area Ministry of Bells and the Capital City Ringers are officially sister organizations. Jane, who is currently the Minister of Music at Westwood United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo, was for many years the Minister of Music at Mt. Hope United Methodist Church in Lansing and directed the handbell choir there.

Spring Ring

The major event sponsored by the Lansing Area Ministry of Bells is the Spring Ring, a gathering of about 250 ringers from about 25 churches each year. We have had many well-known handbell directors and composers/arrangers as guest conductors of the Spring Ring, such as Arnold Sherman, Tim Waugh, Douglas Wagner, Hart Morris, Susan Berry, Lee Afdahl, Bill Griffin, and Carl Wiltse, to name a few.

24th Annual Spring Ring - 2008

Next Spring Ring: Saturday, March 15, 2008

Location: Waverly High School, Lansing, MI

Guest Conductor: Susan Berry

In her 30+year music career, Susan Berry has developed her expertise to become a leader in the handbell field. Known internationally for her work with proper ringing, Susan is a featured clinician at music conferences and reading clinics throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, teaching workshops or directing mass ensembles at all levels from beginning choirs to accomplished ensembles. Susan has often taught at AGEHR national and area events, including Pinnacle, Director and National Seminars, and was one of the three conductors for the 2005 National Festival conference in Springfield, MO. She is a well-known author having written a major curriculum (Learning To Ring), a basic training video (Bell Basics), and a comprehensive book on health and ringing (Healthy Ringing®), all considered pillars of ringing education. Since 1991 Susan has been co-owner of Handbell Services, Inc. Dearborn, Michigan, a company that services the ringing community internationally through products, services, and educational opportunities. As a Malmark representative for over 30 years, Susan has worked with hundreds of directors to launch handbell and handchime programs in churches and schools throughout Michigan. Susan is a past-president of the Detroit Chapter of Choristers Guild, founder and past director of Classical Bells, and currently founder and director of the Detroit Handbell Ensemble. She has also been an organist, choir director, Orff-certified instructor, and a university adjunct instructor.

The following Spring Ring publications are available for download; most are in .pdf format:

Newsletter - Winter 2008
Registration Form - for Spring Ring 2008 now available
Repertoire for 2008

Publicity Article - for 2008
Map to Waverly High School - MapQuest map with directions
Map to Waverly High School - in .pdf format
Restaurant Guide for Waverly HS area - in .pdf format

Rehearsal Notes from Susan Berry
Confirmation Letter
Director's Choir Assignments and Info
Quick notes
Schedule for Saturday
Floor Layout (know where your group will be)

Capital City Ringers newsletter: "Ring Tones"

NEW !!!     Frequently Asked Questions Page is here...

Beginning Ringers and Beginning Directors Workshops

LAMB also sponsors a Beginning Ringers Workshop and Beginning Directors Workshop in late September each year. These sessions help new ringers and directors gain confidence in their ringing ability and learn the various handbell techniques commonly found in handbell music. Barbara Fuller, former Music Director at Mayflower Congregational Church in Lansing, Michigan, leads the Beginning Ringers Workshop and Jane Wright leads the Beginning Directors Workshop. Kim and Lorraine Finison demonstrate basic handbell techniques as well as advanced treble bell and bass bell techniques.

Next Workshops: September, 2008 (Date to be confirmed - check back soon, usually it's the third Saturday)
Location: Mayflower Congregational Church
2901 W. Mt. Hope Ave., Lansing, MI 48911 [click here for map and directions]

Registration forms are available for download in .pdf format:

Ringers Registration Form

Directors Registration Form

Map and Directions to Mayflower Congregational Church

Links

American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR)
Area V - AGEHR (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia)
Capital City Ringers - Lansing area community handbell ensemble & sister organization of LAMB

LAMB Board

The current members of the LAMB Board of Directors are:

President - Shelia Conrad, handbell director, First Presbyterian Church, Lansing.

President-Elect - Jennifer Scholes, handbell director, University United Methodist Church, East Lansing.

Past President - Chrisann Lowe, music director, Mayflower Congregational Church, Lansing.

Treasurer - Eileen Ellis, handbell director, South Church, Lansing.

Secretary - Lorraine Finison, ringer, Capital City Ringers and Mayflower Congregational Church, Lansing.

Member-at-Large, Webmaster, Go-fer - Kim Finison, ringer, Capital City Ringers & Mayflower Congregational Church.

Any questions about the Lansing Area Ministry of Bells and the events it sponsors should be directed to Secretary Lorraine Finison at BellGoddess (at) hotmail (dot) com or by calling 517.321.3221.

Last update: 03/12/2008

Lansing Area Ministry of Bells
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