The Ouachita Baptist University Handbell Ringers concert, “Ringers in the Round,” will be held on Monday, April 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the McClellan rotunda on campus.
The Ouachita Handbell Ringers is directed by Dr. Rob Hewell, associate professor of music and director of OBU’s Worship Studies Program. Hewell has worked with handbell choirs for the past 30 years and has directed the Ouachita Handbell Ringers for the past 10 years.
“Handbell ringing has grown into a worldwide art form; it is not just aural, but it’s also a very beautiful art form visually because of the movement of the bells,” Hewell said. “People who get into ringing handbells really enjoy the experience. It’s a team sport because each ringer has a certain number of bells to play and nobody else plays the same pitches.”
The students practice twice a week under the direction of Hewell. This semester, the ringers have selected a variety of music including hymn arrangements, music written for piano and also music written specifically for handbells.
“We have picked out some great music which we hope our audience will enjoy listening to as much as we have loved rehearsing all semester,” added Duke Deen, a sophomore business administration and finance major from Dallas, Texas. “The members in our ensemble come from various majors, so it is refreshing to spend a few hours every week with such a diverse group of students.”
Featured selections include: “Sunrise” by Julie Turner, “Steadfast Assurance” by Jason Krug, “Prepare the Way, O Zion” by Sondra K. Tucker, Kiyo Watanabe’s arrangement of “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” “Scherzo” by Judy Phillips and Michael Ryan’s arrangement of “Reflections on ‘Endless Song.’”
All students, faculty and staff, as well as the community, are invited to join the ringers in the McClellan rotunda for a unique performance. Hewell said Ouachita students attending the event will “get to hear their peers and see their peers in action doing something very unique.”
For more information, contact Dr. Rob Hewell at hewellr@obu.edu or (870) 245-5133.
