Welcome to HRGB
The aim of the Society, which was formed in 1967, is "To advance, provide and encourage for the public benefit the art of handbell tune ringing in all its forms." It is the only national organisation supporting handbell, handchime and Belleplate players. The Society presents to its members a wide range of activities and music designed to show the many aspects of handbell tune ringing.
The Society is organised into 8 regions giving access to a nationwide network of handbell ringers from all walks of life and of varying abilities. Each region holds rallies where teams have the chance to ring individually or to combine to ring the same piece of music in 'massed' ringing. Workshops are also organised in the regions for teams to try out other ringing methods or techniques.
A National Rally is hosted by a different region each year. This may be either a one-day or a weekend event, which culminates in a concert by some of the participating teams.
HRGB is one of six countries to host the International Handbell Symposium which is held every two years giving members the chance to visit Japan, Korea, Australasia, Canada and America to meet and ring with handbell teams from these and other countries.
Northern Bell Orchestra Concert
NRRW 2013
9th National Residential Ringing Week
The Edge, Sheffield University, South Yorkshire
Monday 29th July – Saturday 3rd August
For the 9th National Residential Ringing Week the location will be Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on the edge of the Peak District. The venue has changed but the aim of the week is still the same - to ring with like-minded ringers and to enjoy a few challenges along the way. There will be two conductors from overseas – John Hooper from Canada and Michael Glasgow from the USA together with our own Malcolm Wilson from Scotland. The music will be varied and workshops will also be included in the evening giving a fun end to the day’s ringing. A break from ringing will come on Wednesday afternoon with a chance to visit Chatsworth House, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and the setting for the BBC’s series Pride and Prejudice - or other interesting locations of your choice.
25th Anniversary Ring in Praise Seminar
Details for the sessions on offer at the 25th Anniversary Ring in Praise Seminar are now available. Everyone is welcome and your assistance in sharing this with others is much appreciated.
This event will be on Saturday 8th June 2013. It provides hands-on opportunities to develop skills, ring through a variety of music, and work under the coaching of experienced ringers and directors in a friendly and welcoming environment. So whether you are looking for new ideas, wishing to be inspired, seeking the stimulus of others, or just want to enjoy the unique experience that is the Ring in Praise Seminar, then sign up now for this event.
16th International Handbell Symposium
August 5th to 9th, 2014
ICC, JEJU. KOREA
The Korean Handbell Association (KHA) is pleased to invite handbell ringers from around the world to the 16th International Handbell Symposium to be held in Jeju, Korea from Tuesday, 5th August to Saturday, 9th August 2014.
The Symposium theme is: “Ring for Beautiful World"
The venue will be ICC Jeju, a purpose built Resort and Convention Centre in the south of the island of Jeju.
Yorkshire Dales Handbell Gathering - 27th-29th September 2013
Hardraw Scaur, Hawes, North Yorkshire
from Don and Philip Bedford
We have booked the Green Dragon Inn and Heritage Centre at Hardraw in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park for a Handbell Gathering next September - just basic fun handbell stuff that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. The landlord has agreed to let us use the heritage centre, conference facilities and workshop rooms free of charge which is nice. Obviously many of the ringers are likely to be staying and eating at his Inn anyway. However he also has a lovely camping site behind the pub (with the Hardraw Scaur Waterfall behind that) at about £8 per person per night, and also bunk bed accommodation at £10 per person per night, and there is a house next door owned by one of the Manchester grammar schools which provides more of a hostel style sleeping and eating facility. We have asked the school if we can hire that for the weekend too. The Gathering will certainly be a very low cost event.
Read more: Yorkshire Dales Handbell Gathering - 27th-29th September 2013
Ringing for Gold
Ringing for Gold is a hardback book about the Annals and development of handbell tune ringing From its birth in the mid 1500's
Written by Peter Fawcett (Edited by Philip Bedford)
“For thirty years my brother Don and I have produced and published hand bell music, mainly for the UK and the Australian markets. Some time ago we were approached and asked if we would edit and publish a book on the history of hand-bell ringing wrttern by Peter Fawcett, which he had been researching for 35 years. Normally Don and I only publish music, but when we read Peter’s manuscript we could not refuse. The book just has to be Published”
“Peter has written a most remarkable and readable historic account of the origins and development of tune ringing on hand bells. For example, in fascinating detail he portrays the traumas and celebrations of the great tune ringing contests held at Belle Vue, Manchester in the 1800s and early 1900s. (He even takes us for a ride on one of the special trains with the loyal supporters of one of the competing hand-bell bands.) He gives us what is probably the earliest written hand bell music – a tune (eminently playable) jotted down in a 1734 gentleman bell ringer’s diary. He has found the prestigious Mears Challenge Cup for which bands competed at the British Open Championships at Belle Vue, Manchester. He has found the original music from several of the ‘long set’ hand-bell bands of the 1800s, some dating from before 1855. He has found, and has arranged for them to be held in trust, many of the ‘long sets’ of 156 or more hand bells of those same bands. One of them, Clifton Hand-Bell Ringers, is ringing again, thanks to Peter, after a half-century’s rest.”
‘Ringing for Gold’ is a hard-backed, 350-page book with 150 historic photographs and illustrations. It will be published this summer at a price of £38 plus £4.90 postage (UK)
To Order, please visit our shop: http://hrgb.org.uk/shop