Patrick Gagnon, chair

Massed Repertoire - Monica McGowan

1. With a Bold Voice - Michael Mazzatenta (2009 Area I Contest Winner)  AGEHR AG35283, 3-5 oct, L2
2. On This Day Earth Shall Ring – Cathy Moklebust, Choristers Guild CGB461 (Ringer Part) 3–5 oct., L3, [Choristers Guild CGB460 (Full Score)]
3. What Wondrous Love is This – arr. Arnold Sherman, Agape 2392, 3–6 oct., L3-
4. Celebration – Fred Gramann, Lorenz 20/1397L, 3–5 oct., L2+

Rehearsal Notes

On This Day Earth Shall Ring arr. Cathy Moklebust, Choristers Guild CGB461 (Ringer Part) 3–5 oct., L3, [Choristers Guild CGB460 (Full Score)]

• It would be best if all those playing with mallets have two mallets available per ringer. To achieve the drive and motion this piece deserves, malleting with a single mallet will be uneven and exhausting forthe ringers. Don’t waste your energy – share the load by using two mallets. What an opportunity topractice your sticking technique!!!
• Trebles be aware: you do not carry the primary melodic line beginning in m. 29. Please, please, please play this at the dynamic indicated in the score: p.
• Be ready for and observe the eighth note rest, m. 38! A very clean damp is required!
• m. 61: caution bass – not too much energy and force for those off-beat marts! Yes, I know the dynamic marking is ff but martellato articulations carry through more powerfully than ringing.
• m. 70 – 71 Trebles: please start your shake softly and add crescendo where it is indicated to add drama to the end of this piece!

What Wondrous Love is This arr. Arnold Sherman, Agape 2392, 3–6 oct., L3-

• Even though it will be tempting to rehearse this piece in four, please conduct it in 2.
• The challenge will be in beginning this piece soft enough and getting all the bells to “speak” when they should.
• Be diligent in the execution of the echoes in m. 30 – 33 with special attention to the change in dynamics between the repeated sequences.
• Strive to be very familiar with the passages between mm. 36 – 45. This will allow for greater flexibility and execution, giving the conductor the ability to truly conduct the accel., rit., accel. for greater musical interest to introduce the restatement of the melodic line which begins in m. 44, beat 2.
• Closely watch for the individual cues for the quarter notes in the last two measures of the piece. Treble bells: have your mallets at the ready long before you arrive at m. 83.

Celebration Fred Gramann, Lorenz 20/1397L, 3–5 oct., L2+

I was lucky enough to get to ring this piece at the 30th Celebration of the Bay View Week of Handbells in 2007. It is a great piece and it really moves. From our rehearsals at Bay View, I would like you to add the following additional notations:

• Bass and Battery: remove the swings in mm. 24 – 26.
• Trebles: be sure to maintain your dynamic marking of p at m. 32. It is only the bass that ring mf. The same is true at ms. 36 and 40.
• m. 44: trebles add the dynamic marking of p; bass add the dynamic marking mf.
• m. 46: C6 – add an accent to bring out the entrance of the inner melodic line.

Monica McGowan

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