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| Where to hear us | Musical Handbells | ||
| QUIZ ANSWERS AND WINNER | |||
The Barfield Handbell Ringers are one of the biggest handbell orchestras in the south-east of England. Our 16 members play 5½ octaves of bells, 3 octaves of handchimes and other instruments like Belleplates and aluminium bells.
Here we are at our 40th anniversary concert - the first outing for the bottom half-octave. Our latest concert has a definite purpose in mind:
We're fundraising to buy a set of bells of our own - the current ones are owned by one of the members. We've already had eighteen historic bells restored, and we need nineteen more.
If you'd like to help with the fundraising, you could come to one of our concerts:
| Date / time | Place | Details |
| 27th June, 7.30pm | St. Mary's Church, Thatcham | A joint concert with the Downwind Consort |
| 17th October, 7.30pm | Portsmouth Cathedral |
Or you could sponsor a bell. Sponsors get a name or a very short message engraved on the restored bell - an unusual present for a ringer or a lasting memorial to someone special. Prices vary between £210 and £475 (not including VAT, but if you gift-aid your donation that should cover the VAT). If you'd like to help ensure Thatcham has a handbell team for the future, send an email to Bill - bill@barfield.org.uk .
We recently ran a quiz to help the fundraising efforts. Click here to see the answers and the identity of the winner!
If you can't get to a concert, you can hear us at other events - and possibly try the bells for yourself! Click here to see a list of the different types of event.
We haven't always been this large - click here to find out about our history and why we're called Barfield when we come from Thatcham (it confuses many people...)
Do you think Barfield could make a tuneful contribution to your function, party or concert? Click here to see details about booking us and who to contact about it.
Bill Butler, our Musical Director, is an expert on the history of handbells. He's written a comprehensive book on the subject, Musical Handbells - click here for more details and price.