PRESDALES HANDCHIME TEAM

For the past few months I have been ringing with Presdales handchime team for about half an hour a week. I have just joined the year 11s on Fridays, which means I can play then as well as on Tuesday, so now I play for about an hour each week.

Miss teaches us a lot of different things like how to read music, damp, vibrate and many other things. I have now almost reached my second certificate. Miss even colours the notes red and blue for us so that we know which hand to use and when to play. She also counts the beats and, when we get stuck, she shows us where we are.

Just before Christmas break I had the opportunity to play at our local church. It was amazing. We got there a few hours before it began and we practised. We had to wait a long time after that because others were practising. When we got on the stage to perform I was so scared I was going to mess up, but I didn’t. Our whole team played beautifully and when we were done everybody in the church clapped. I hope to have another opportunity like that.

Miss has made playing handchimes fun and easy to learn. I am so pleased I happened to enter the right classroom at the right time.

Cynthia (Year 7)

(Note from ‘Miss’: the certificates mentioned are for the Crescendo scheme, run by the Handbell Ringers of Great Britain. 4 certificates are available as the ringers gain more skills. pp,mp,mf & ff)