Saturday 14th October 2023

Cheadle Arts Festival

Alton Handbell Ringers were invited to ring at Cheadle Arts Festival at their Afternoon Tea event in the Guild Hall from 2pm.

We were only able to provide enough members to ring 12 bell pieces. However, what we lacked in numbers we made up with enthusiasm.

Cheadle U3A Ukulele Band played 3 sets with a very varied and lively programme. There were sea shanties, 1920s songs and a Cliff Richard medley to name but a few.

Cheadle Community Choir also performed 2 sets of beautiful singing. It was lovely to see a very wide age range amongst their members, all performing really well. They sang a wide range of songs with some amazing harmonies.

Alton Handbell Ringers’ pieces were enthusiastically received. We rang a mix of tunes from Shepherds Hey to Pomp and Circumstance, finishing with Rule Britannia.

There were delicious cakes...

Handbells Report October 6th 2023.

We played our first full team concert of the Autumn season at St Johns Church hall in Ashbourne, for the Dovedale Women’s institute on Thursday October 5th.

The hall was warm and welcoming, and there was a large and appreciative audience. We were a little depleted in numbers – 5 members down, so we played a selection of pieces chosen for 3 octaves… some of which we had not played for some time. However, we settled quickly, and acquitted ourselves well.

We began with Ode to Joy, and varied the programme by playing the chimes (Chime Lullaby) and demonstrating various techniques in God’s Train and Shepherd’s Hay. We ended with one of our favourites – a rousing rendition of Resound and rejoice.

We also demonstrated some of the 12 bell pieces using the Haythorne Bells which we have borrowed.

The evening ended with a...