Thursday, November 15, 2012

Linked 52 - Music...

Music has been an important part of my life since 1st grade, where I can remember sitting on the small wooden bleachers inside of our small gymnasium and learning the words to Edelweiss. I loved that song, still do. How can something that happened so long ago, seem like it was only yesterday?
Throughout my school years I always sang in choir, even in high school where it was a choice. I stopped after graduation because I went on to a vocational school for medical technology, which didn't have a choir and I stopped going to my old church (they did chanting, not singing, and I wasn't interested in chanting) so I had a few years off before I started singing again.
Soon after I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, the father of a good friend and co-worker died and his funeral took place at a small church a block from the hospital we worked at. My hubs and I both liked the church, it was the same religion my hubs grew up in and we felt very comfortable there.
We started visiting on Sundays and soon joined the choir, I was once again happily singing.
Kira made her appearance in September and in May, we chose to sing a song to each other at our wedding.
The next day we had Kira baptised and dedicated a song to her. We dedicated a song to each of our boys at their baptisms also.
Several years later, our bell choir was in dire need of new members, so my hubs decided to join them (I couldn't because of working every other weekend). They are a small but mighty group that makes beautiful music with beautiful, shiny gold bells.
My hubs works with a man that plays bells with a group called Bells of the Lake http://bellsofthelakes.org so they naturally when they got around to talking bells, he invited us to one of their concerts, and all I can say is...Wow, they are amazing. We've been to a few concerts by Bells of the Lake, and if you live in Minnesota and have never been to see them, I suggest you do, they are superb. I just went to their website and I see they have fewer members than they used to, which means they each play even more bells than before. 
It's like a choreographed dance between their arms and bells and hands turning music pages. Two people will share a music score and even share bells, so at times, a member will be playing three bells with their right hand and reach in front of the member on the left and grab a couple of her bells, ring them, put them back, turn the page and pick up her own bells. Very exciting!

I brought my camera to church last Sunday and was able to get some shots of our bells.








I also cornered Dan and got a couple of shots while he was warming up. He is an amazing musician, most people like his organ playing, which is wonderful, but I prefer his piano playing...I could listen to him play all day. The day he and our choir director Bonnie leave, well, I guess it's the day I leave too.






Stop and see what Music is like for these wonderful ladies....make sure you LEAVE A COMMENT too. 

5 comments:

Hanne said...

music for sure is a part of you Janet and your family, too! never heard about a bell group like the one your husband takes part in! it must be fantastic to listen to!! didn't find anything on youtube....so all I can do is to try to imagine the beautiful sound of it! some very nice photos, too! well, I'll put some music on and get started to clean up the house! have a nice day and weekend, too!

Jean said...

Awesome! Bells of the Lake is something Brady and I will have to check out! :)

Yeah -- the kids love the drums, it's more easy to let them play that than the guitars (eeks).

Tracey said...

I love bells! I love that music is so important to you too. And I smile that we both shared photos of bells.
Aaaannnd, I love your new blog lay out! I think I said that last week. Just saying it again. :)

Just Rhonda said...

Oooh i love bells too!!! Great shots!!!

Heather M. said...

beautiful photos! the bells are so beautiful to listen to. so cool that you play them.