Bells are ringing; St. Paul's Music Festival emerges in terms of artists, audience.

Byline: Richard Duckett

They'll be ringing in the fifth St. Paul's Music Festival when they perform June 3.

After all, they are the New England Ringers.

The 13-member handbell choir will put on the opening concert of the festival at 7 p.m. June 3 in St. Paul's Cathedral, located at the corner of High and Chatham streets in downtown Worcester. The program will consist of arrangements of familiar works from classical to modern, as well as compositions specially written for the handbell, said the group's director, Edward G. Henderson Jr.

The ringers will each use four to 12 handbells of different pitches and octaves depending on the piece being played, as well as handchimes.

In the nicest possible way, Henderson would like to make some noise concerning the unique art of ringing tunes on handbells and handchimes.

"We're looking forward to going to St. Paul's. That's exciting to us," Henderson said. "Hopefully, it will give us exposure to people who wouldn't see a handbell choir. It will hopefully open eyes. Who knows what can come from that?"

Henderson would like to see handbell choirs get "greater acceptance." In particular, "I want to get our group on stage at Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops. Why not?"

Despite the quaintness of watching people ring handbells that look like they maybe came from medieval times - or at least from a Victorian church - handbell music is relatively new in the United States. Over the last few years its appeal and the number of people performing has been steadily growing.

Henderson noted that Margaret Shurcliff of Boston started to get the bells rolling. She became an accomplished handbell performer while living in England for a while at the beginning of the last century. On Shurcliff's return to the U.S. she took back a set of eight Whitechapel English handbells that had been presented to her. She began sharing the musical joy - and the handbells. In the 1920s she formed a group called the Beacon Hill Ringers. Soon handbell choirs started ringing up across the country.

"We're very proud of the fact that it began right here," Henderson said.

Meanwhile, out in the community right now, children have been taking to handbells and the instrument has been introduced to a number of schools. "We're very excited about the growing use of handbells in the classrooms," Henderson said.

The attraction of the music isn't that hard to figure out - but there are also subtle resonances.

Ian Watson, director of music at St. Paul's as well as the man in charge of the festival, said, "It's a wonderful sound. It's a simple sound, but it has a significance."

The New England Ringers started getting nicely into tune in 2000 when some handbell ringers formed an ensemble to attend a national ringing event in Buffalo. Afterward, some of the ringers discussed continuing their association. The core group held auditions for others who might be interested in joining.

The group has ringers from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont. One of the performers is Gail Granum of Worcester, who is also a barbershop singer with two Sweet Adelines choruses.

The New England Ringers rehearse twice a month in Greenfield, a spot chosen because of its "central" location, although many members have two-hour drives each way. Henderson lives in Tewksbury.

He was introduced to handbell ringing in 1962 - "when, as we say, I was very young." At that time he lived in Boston.

"The church I was attending in Newton purchased a very small set of handbells to keep a bunch of rebellious boys out of mischief. As it turned out, we were one of the first youth handbell choirs."

The group performed at the church and also at locations such as nursing homes. For Henderson the attraction was also simple to explain.

"It was fun," he said.

"Now I've gone to the other side of the table." He directs handbell choirs at his church as well as leading the New England Ringers. "Now, it's purely my love."

Sometimes, he said, he regrets not pursuing music professionally. "I went where the money was." He is an electrical engineer who manages the customer support operation for a company that produces analyzers used to measure levels of gaseous oxygen. He is also an antique car enthusiast, skier and snowmobiler.

A man for all seasons?

"I love the music side of it. It just stretches the other side of my brain."

As a handbell choir director he remains fascinated by "the unique instrument and the sounds that can be made from it." Furthermore, "the people side of it is rather interesting," he said.

Being a member of handbell choir requires great concentration, coordination and cooperation. "The teamwork is beyond belief. We are essentially playing one instrument. Every person has a very specific and unique role with specific pitches that they ring."

But these aren't instruments for couch musicians.

"It's a very aerobic experience," Henderson said. The larger bells that performers ring can weigh as much as 25 pounds. "It's extremely exhausting. When we are done with a 90-minute performance, we are completely wiped."

It is all a labor of love. The ringers and director are not paid and expenses are covered through membership fees, donations, and ticket and concert sales. In 2004 the group received a five-octave set of Schulmerich handbells from an anonymous donor. The New England Ringers have about 70 handbells altogether - which Henderson said is one of the largest sets in the country.

Although many handbell choirs are related to churches, Henderson stressed that the New England Ringers are not affiliated to any church.

"We are a community choir," he said.

The New England Ringers

When: 7 p.m. June 3

Where: St. Paul's Cathedral, 38 High St., Worcester

How much: $10; $5 students and children

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: The New England Ringers handbell choir will open the festival at 7 p.m. June 3 in St. Paul's Cathedral.