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| Our new CD - Between the Chatter | Bill's 80th birthday celebrations | Musical Handbells |
The Barfield Handbell Ringers are one of the biggest handbell orchestras in the south-east of England. Our 14 members play 5½ octaves of bells, 3 octaves of handchimes and other instruments like Belleplates and aluminium bells.
Bill was 80 in 2010, and we had two celebrations - here he is with the cover of the music we commissioned for him.
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 sourced most of the bells we need, and restored 18 of them. We still need to source and buy 8 bells.
If you'd like to help with the fundraising, you could buy a CD! We've recently produced a new CD, Between the Chatter. It costs £8.50, and includes some of our favourite pieces such as Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho and El Condor Pasa. Click here to see the full list of tracks and how to order it.
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 .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 the latest updates.