Ozarks Area Handbell Festival with clinician Marilyn Lake
Free concert open to the public
February 15, 2010
Contact: Paul K. Logsdon, Director of Public Relations and Publications (417) 865-2815, ext. 7292
Springfield, Mo — Evangel University will be hosting the 29th annual Ozarks Area Handbell Festival Saturday, Feb. 27, in the Chapel Auditorium.
Clinician for the festival is Marilyn Lake, chairman of Area VIII American Guild of English Handbell Ringers.
“Our clinician will patiently work with our large group of handbell ringers who have never played together before, to prepare us for the concert that evening,” said Beth McLellan, festival coordinator.
The schedule will include a question and answer workshop for handbell directors and choirs, as well as rehearsals for the concluding concert.
The 4 p.m. concert, which is free and open to the public, will include three selections performed by a massed choir, as well as solo numbers by several individual choirs from Springfield and the surrounding area.
The massed choir will be performing Festival Piece on “Nicaea,” by John Dykes, arr. by Benjamin Harlan, and performed with Evangel’s Shantz pipe organ and solo trumpet. The second selection is “Grazioso,” an original composition by Arnold Sherman. The last number, also by Sherman, is “An American Tapestry III: Spiritual.” This arrangement is based on the Spiritual, “Down by the Riverside,” and is taken from a set of compositions featuring the many flavors of American music.
“The festival is a time for handbell ringers to meet other handbell ringers, have fun practicing together and then present an outstanding concert,” said McLellan. “After the concert and the applause are over, everyone packs up in about 15 minutes; then we are on our way home with new techniques, ideas and enthusiasm to take to our own handbell choirs.”
About the clinician
Marilyn Lake is chairman of Area VIII American Guild of English Handbell Ringers. She has been ringing bells for more than 40 years and directs two church handbell choirs as well as the Heartland Ringers, a community handbell choir. Lake also plays the piano, sings and performs on a carillon. She earned degrees in music education and music therapy from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in music education from Emporia State University.
Lake is also an elementary music educator in the Shawnee Mission School District in Kansas City. She directs the only hand chime choirs in Shawnee Mission School District, made up of 5th and 6th grade musicians.
She is a member of AGEHR, Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity, MENC: The National Association for Music Education, and KMEA.
For additional information, contact festival coordinator Beth McLellan at 417-833-1727 or Lynne Hall 417-865-2815 ext. 7212.
02/10/09-Jessica Piñón