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St. John's York Mills
Director: Carolyn Martin
The Handbell Program endeavours to:
- Provide music for worship and community service;
- Provide fellowship and support for both youth and adults;
- Teach a skill on a unique instrument;
- Teach young people and adults how to read music;
- Encourage and foster a good life experience - build self-confidence, encourage service to others, develop social skills in a caring and supportive environment.
Our 33 Handbell Ringers welcome new people to any of our groups. The O'Neil Ringers in grades 6-8, are developing their handbell ringing skills. They participate in the worship services at St. John's and have shared their new skill by teaching youth at other churches. The Brass Ringers from grade 9 up, have rung on Global, CFTO and City TV’s Breakfast Television. They play at St. John’s, other churches, senior’s homes and hospitals. In late October 2000 they were chosen to make a TV Commercial for Swiss Chalet’s Festive Season Special. It aired nationally for six weeks over the 2000, 2001 and 2002 holiday seasons. An article detailing our adventure follows below. The Ingram Ringers, adults of all ages, have played afor corporate functions and appeared on CTV’s Canada AM. These ringers take part in the worship services at St. John’s and other churches and bring much joy to seniors in retirement homes and children in hospitals.
All handbell choirs take part in festivals organized by the Ontario Guild of English Handbell Ringers. St. John's Ringers have also traveled to Michigan, Indiana, Maine, Texas, Vermont, Wyoming and New York States for festivals sponsored by the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers.
Would You like to learn how to ring English Handbells?
We are open to people who wish to give ringing a try. St. John's is an Anglican Church; however you do not have to be a parishioner to take part in the Handbell Program. Reading music is an asset and will allow you to progress faster. The technique can be picked up fairly quickly but it takes time and practice to become relaxed and confident when ringing as part of an ensemble.
Youth in grades 6, 7 or 8 practice on a Monday evening from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Teens in grade 9 and up practice on Sunday afternoons from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.. Many in this group have two to four years experience ringing.
The adults practice on Monday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Experience in this group ranges from one to twenty years.
If you would like to come and give it a try, call the director Carolyn Martin at 905-881-1140 to arrange a time to come in
Adult ringers concentrating during rehearsal at the Ontario Guild Festival in Ottawa June 2009
O'Neil Ringers experience their first Handbell Festival with over 300 other ringers at Carleton University, Ottawa, June 2009
Father Drew gives handbell ringing a try between two very experienced ringers,
Shawn and James. On Christmas Eve, alumni return to ring for our
Family Service.
Brass and Ingram Ringers perform at Musicfest 2008
Ingram Ensemble perform at St. Hilda's
Musicfest 2008 On Broadway
Spring Ring Durham College some O'Neil & Ingram Ringers 2007In addition to the ongoing activities mentioned above, the handbell choirs each year prepare for MUSICFEST. This is a concert featuring handbells with Choir, Praise Team, organ, digital piano and handchimes. From time to time other instruments are added such as percussion, trumpet, clarinet, flute and fiddle. Our concert is approximately one and a half hours in length and suitable for all ages with a variety of music and audience participation.
MUSICFEST Outreach has included: Camp Koinonia, The Canadian International Peace Project, Street Outreach Services (SOS), a program of LOFT Community Services, St. Stephen’s Downsview Homework Program, Flemingdon Park Ministry Food Bank and Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW).
Musicfest 2010, 'JUKEBOX MEMORIES' was a big success if you listened to the comments as people left: "Best MusicFest ever" - "Loved the choice of music" - "My favourite part was when I got to ring, Mommy" - "I never would have thought you could ring those kind of pieces on handbells!" (Chicken Dance, Rock Around the Clock, Y. M. C. A.)
Thank you to all those involved in our production. Many willing hands were involved in set up, set construction, bell polishing, bell ringing, singing, tech support, ticket selling/taking, ushuring, advertising, publicity design, slide preparation, videoing etc.
THANK YOU to everyone who had a part. We had approximately 450 people attending our two concerts.Nine of our ringers took part in the 11th International Handbell Symposium in Toronto, August 3-7, 2004. The climax of this event was a public concert at the Air Canada Centre. This event rotates every two years between Japan, Korea, Great Britain, Australia, Canada and the U. S. A. We had an opportunity to interact with ringers from around the world and work under conductors from all the countries represented. It was a truly memorable experience ringing with 600 ringers from such varying cultural backgrounds.
In May of 2004 and 2007 our Brass Ringers traveled to New York City. We played at St. Paul’s Chapel and other venues and then went to New Jersey to play for and with ringers in Morristown and Basking Ridge. This type of activity is very meaningful for those who take part and our young people represent St. John’s very well.
In May of 2006 we went to Montreal, played in the Cathedral and were billeted with wonderful people from St. Lambert United Church. May 2008 we traveled to Quebec City. Playing at Saint Anne de Beaupre was a wonderful experience. We also played in the Catholic Cathedral and were billeted by a wonderful priest and some Jesuit friends of his.HANDBELL MUSIC CD Sales of our handbell CD "Ring in Christmas" with 24 seasonal selections helps provide the funding to run our program. Our CD has been sold through our email connection to many parts of the United States and Canada. It is a timeless, professionally recorded collection of Christmas favourites.
For more information email: musicfest@stjohnsyorkmills.com or call St. John's York Mills 416-225-6611
The Handbell Ringers of St. John's
Carolyn Martin - Director
2009 updateConcerts, Guest Appearances and Services
by our Handbell Choirs - January to June 2010
Oct.-Dec. 2009 Thank you Ringers and Support Staff!
We were very busy in the last quarter of the year. Our outreach concerts were at The Briton House, St. Hilda’s Towers, Amica at Bayview and Fenelon Falls’ Santa Day. We were also guests of the Upper Canada Choristers and the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra, and played for five services at St. John’s.Sunday, Feb. 7/10 St. John's Service 9:30 a.m. O'Neil intergenerational choir Wednesday, Feb. 10/10 Amica at the Balmoral
Valentine's concert7:15 p.m. Ingram Sunday, Feb. 21/10 St. John's Vestry Service 10:00 a.m. Ingram Sunday, Mar. 28/10 St. John's Palm Sunday Services 9:30 a.m.
11:00a.m.O'Neil
BrassSunday, May 2/10 Support St. John's, our Handbell Program and
Sleeping Children Around the World at
"MUSICFEST 2010
JUKEBOX MEMORIES"
All the musicians of St. John's join together in a fun-filled, nostalgic look at the music of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Bring a friend, have fun, come and sing along.
Tickets still just $15 and $5 for children.4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Doors open a half hour before performance timesO’Neil, Ingram, Brass Ringers, Pavlov’s Dogs Bell Ensemble, Choir, Worship Team and guest percussionist Paul Minnoch Friday May 21/10 to Monday, May 24/10 Our Brass Ringers will travel to Montreal and while there will play at the St. Joseph Oratory on Saturday, May 22 at 1:15 p.m.
Further plans to be confirmed.Brass – our teenage/young adult Handbell Ringers Sunday, Jun 13/10 Picnic Sunday 10:00 a.m. Brass
Our Bells Ring at St. Paul’s Chapel, Ground Zero
Sixteen teens and adults packed into three vans, left St John’s May 20th. Our equipment and uniforms left a day earlier in a fourth van. Over 5days and 4 nights, we have many stories - photos at the border, a “lost” credit card, misread maps, 91F weather, high humidity, 5 minute shopping trips, hunt for the cheapest t-shirt and playing a $96,000 piano. Even with all of those, I think I’m safe in saying that the most important stories come from playing at St Paul’s Chapel, Ground Zero.September 11th, 2001 will be a day that many of us will never forget. Hundreds of people, both civilians and emergency personnel lost their lives in the collapse of the World Trade Centre buildings. In what can only be described as a miracle, St Paul’s Chapel was not affected by the collapse – not one single window was broken. It’s amazing because the Chapel is directly across the street from the WTC site.
Playing at St Paul’s was our offering to the residents of New York and the United States as a remembrance not only of the lives that were lost but the lives that continue to be affected today. Music was our way of expressing what words cannot.
The Chapel continues to display the many tributes and messages of love, hope and peace from around the world. Personally, 2 tributes touched me deeply. The first is a collection of origami peace cranes from the families of the victims of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thousands of these cranes have been lovingly draped along a section of a fence that has been moved into the Chapel. The second is a chasuble adorned with hundreds of crests from Fire, Police and Emergency Service departments from all over the world. We were fortunate to add a crest from the Toronto Fire Services.
Although the site has been cleaned up and the city is now preparing for the next stage in it’s healing, the stories of loss and tragedy will stay forever in the minds and hearts of the residents of New York City. I have heard stories of tourists going to New York and finding its residents cold, uncaring and rude. If that’s true, we certainly didn’t meet any of them. Everyone we met was helpful and kind. When they found out we were in New York to play at the Chapel, they were all very grateful. It was a privilege to present our musical offering in memory of those who did not come home September 11, 2001.
Tina Iida
Ringer/Chaperone
Further to our St. Paul’s Chapel experience:
Our visit to New York began with a walking tour to get a feel for the city. In the evening we had a bus tour that gave us a broad overview of a city many were seeing for the fist time. We had a wonderful visit to Steinway Hall and everyone was allowed to play any of the pianos there after having an interesting history of Steinway pianos given by a former concert pianist who played for us. After playing at St. Paul’s we took a boat trip around the harbour and saw the Statue of Liberty up close. We then drove to Morris Plains, New Jersey. In the past I have billeted their touring handbell choir twice and they were very happy to return the favour. We stayed two nights with wonderful families, played for their church service on Sunday morning, watched their excellent choir rehearse and then had some relaxing time shopping!I am very grateful to the chaperones/drivers. Much planning and many hours went into what proved to be a wonderful and meaningful experience for us all.
Carolyn Martin
Handbell Director
Ring in Christmas
(St. John's Handbell Choirs Christmas Music CD)
The Handbell Choirs of St. John's York Mills Anglican Church released their debut CD, "Ring In Christmas", just in time for the 2002 holiday season and to excellent reviews.This CD was beautifully recorded in spite of the practical challenges of an old church's clanging heat radiators, overhead flight path from Pearson airport and the interruption of the Yonge subway running every 5 minutes - in each direction. The beauty and fine recording quality of this CD is also a testament to the abilities of Ed Marshall, recording engineer, formerly of CBC Radio.
For more information about the CD and for sample sound clips, go to the Christmas CD Webpage.
The CD's are available directly from St. John's York Mills for $15 or by emailing ringinchristmas@stjohnsyorkmills.com
CD Reviews upon release in 2002 "Very moving and quite magicaI........ I enjoyed the variety, particularly the selections which used accompanying instruments. I would look forward to a second CD." Rt. Rev. Michael Bedford-Jones, Bishop of York-Scarborough.
"The disc is musically very fine, beautifully produced and recorded, and the unique sound of handbells may be a kind of antidote to the annual avalanche of more standard Christmas recordings" Christopher Dawes, Organist & Director of Music, St. James Cathedral.
"Ring one up, way up, for Carolyn Martin and the St. John's York Mills bell choirs. Ring in Christmas brings a freshness and exuberance to the dearth of Christmas reruns and 'modernized'/ secularized humdrum. The variety of program and texture offered in this CD, truly is a long awaited 'new birth'. Remarkable accomplishments from a most talented group of amateur musicians and a tribute to God and St. John's York Mills" Robin Davis, B.Mus. Church Organist.
Carolyn Martin
Handbell Director
St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church
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