August 5, 2018

A Visit to West Michigan’s Beautiful Lavender Labyrinth!

The Lavender Labyrinth was a mystery to us until very recently! Since we moved to Holland, Michigan in the summer of 2016, people have been asking us if we’ve been to see the lavender in Shelby. Until last week, the answer was always “No, not yet!”

Finally, just a few days ago, we decided to go and find out what all the fuss was about. We drove to Shelby, a village in Oceana County, not far from the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s close to the popular Silver Lake State Park and the Little Sable Point Lighthouse. We’ve visited the lighthouse before, and we recommend it to anyone who comes to visit us here in West Michigan.

Cherry Point Farm and Market

Over the years, Cherry Point Farm and Market has become a traditional stopping point for many visitors to West Michigan. The Bull family began operating the farm in 1949, and the fruit market opened soon after that. The surrounding orchards date back to an even-earlier time. We’ve managed to stop at the market and buy snacks on several occasions without realising that one of the area’s most fascinating attractions was just a moment’s walk away from the market!

lavender labyrinth — How could we stop at a fruit market and never notice this?

What is a labyrinth?

Although many people think of a labyrinth as being the same as a maze, the difference is that a maze is generally designed to be a puzzle. The goal is to find the route to the centre. There are many paths to choose from; some leading to dead ends. In contrast, a labyrinth is a single path where you can’t get lost. It’s a continuous circuit where the goal is simply to walk – as if through life’s journey – to relax, to meditate, or simply to exist and be present in the moment. In recent years, the use of labyrinths has increased in popularity as a spiritual and therapeutic tool. A labyrinth can be a much-appreciated retreat for people in search of peace and tranquility.

Lavender plants

The labyrinth at Cherry Point Farm and Market has earth mounds and hundreds of fragrant lavender plants that provide the pathway for walking. We were told that it takes around an hour to walk the path to the centre, but we enjoyed just wandering more randomly, taking photos along the way! Even though our visit was a little late in the season, there was still plenty of color left. Be warned, though – some of the photos on the internet have been digitally enhanced to a brighter shade of purple than you can realistically expect!

lavender labyrinth in Michigan — Beautiful purple lavender at Cherry Point Farm.

At the centre of the lavender labyrinth is a stone circle bordering a beautiful herb garden.

Lavender in Shelby, Michigan — The stone circle borders the herb garden at the centre of the labyrinth

It helps to know your herbs (or get a map from the market!)

We don’t know anything about herbs, and honestly we hardly recognised any of the plants. However, they were pretty, and sweet-smelling, and home to an impressive number of bees. We were slightly envious of the way people around us seemed to be able to identify all the herbs; later we found out that a map is available from the market to help people identify the plants as they walk around. Next time we visit, we’ll be more prepared!

As if the beautiful labyrinth and herb garden weren’t enough, there’s also a little rock garden with painted stones; a fun addition to the area.

painted rocks in Michigan — Painted stones!

Don’t forget the farm shop!

After we’d finished wandering among the lavender and herbs, we spent some time in the gift shop that sells a variety of Michigan-made products, including clothing (t-shirts and hoodies, mostly), lavender-related gifts such as lavender soap and lavender honey, jams, tea, Michigan-inspired jigsaw puzzles, photo holders, mugs, and so much more! There’s also a wide range of freshly-made baked goods, including wonderful cherry turnovers! If you’re looking for fresh fruits and vegetables, you’ll find a selection here too.

We enjoyed the chance to sit at one of the tables outside and relax for a while in the beautiful weather and peaceful surroundings. Our visit was perhaps a little late in the season, so next year we’ll make an effort to get there around mid-July – but we’re confident that even if the lavender can’t be in full bloom for the entire season, there will always be something that will make Cherry Point Farm and Market well worth a visit!

Cherry Point Farm and Market is located at:

9600 W. Buchanan Road
Shelby, Michigan 49455

Admission to the labyrinth and herb garden is free. The lavender is in bloom annually mid-late July, with the color lasting into August.

August 1, 2018

An Enjoyable Summer with the Zeeland Community Band

Since moving to West Michigan a couple of summers ago, we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with the Zeeland Community Band. We’ve now come to the end of our 2018 summer season with this talented and friendly group.

Handbell duo with the Zeeland Community Band — At the first of the Zeeland Community Band summer concerts, June 2018

The Zeeland Community Band was founded in January 1994. The aim of the band is to give adult musicians an opportunity to play their instruments again in a band setting, even if they haven’t played since school or college. The group meets on Monday evenings in Zeeland, and is directed by Rose Wiersma. The band plays a variety of concerts during the year; some for residents and guests at retirement communities, and others open to the public.

The summer concerts in June and July took place at Vande Luyster Park in Zeeland. The weather was lovely on both those evenings, and both concerts were well attended, with audience members from Zeeland and surrounding areas… and from as far away as New York!

If you missed the ZCB concerts in June and July, you still have one more opportunity to see the band this summer – at the Drenthe Community BBQ on Saturday, August 18th. We won’t be there on that afternoon, but hope to be back with the band in the fall.

Future dates for your calendar:

Drenthe Community BBQ – Saturday, August 18th at 4:30pm

Zeeland PumpkinFest – Saturday, October 6th at 5:00pm

Christmas Concert – Monday, December 10th at 7:30pm

June 1, 2018

New Music for Handbells – Klein Vogelijn

Klein Vogelijn – “Little Bird”. Since moving to Holland, Michigan, we’ve enjoyed seeing how the people here still celebrate their Dutch heritage today. We’ve tried on traditional Klompen (wooden shoes) and watched them being made. We’ve had several tours of the De Zwaan windmill, and we’ve tiptoed through the tulips at the city’s annual Tulip Time event.

Klein Vogelijn - handbells — Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan

We’ve eaten Dutch food, and even risked the Michigan December weather to play Christmas handbell duets at the wonderful Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland. We’ve been living here for nearly two years now, and we thought it was time for a new adventure – Dutch music!

Our first Dutch piece is an arrangement of the traditional song Klein Vogelijn. We performed this piece for the first time at our concert on Mackinac Island, for the opening of the Handbell Musicians of America Area 5 spring festival. Our video is from a rehearsal at the beginning of the year.

We’re looking forward to expanding our repertoire of traditional Dutch music over the next few months!

Would you like to play this piece?

If you’d like to play Klein Vogelijn, the sheet music is available for purchase and download from Choraegus.

Please note that Choraegus handbell music is designed to be downloaded and printed at home. Don’t wait for anything to arrive in the mail! If you’re new to buying our music online, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this guide to help make the process (we hope!) a stress-free experience!

When you buy 8-bell music, your purchase entitles you to print up to 4 copies of the sheet music for your handbell group. Don’t pay for more music than you need! Purchase also gives permission for you to perform this piece and make a video of your group playing it.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our handbell music, please read our Frequently-Asked Questions first. However, if you don’t find the answers you need, you’re welcome to contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!

May 24, 2018

Handbells at the 2018 Downtown Holland Street Performer Series!

After a successful application process, we’re excited to announce that we’ve been invited to perform our handbell duets as part of the 2018 Street Performer Series in Downtown Holland!

Downtown Holland Handbell Duo — Larry and Carla at the 2017 Downtown Holland Street Performer Series

The Street Performer Series is an annual event here in Holland, Michigan, taking place on Thursday evenings throughout the summer. Downtown Holland comes alive with the sights and sounds of musicians, magicians, circus acts, dancers, face painters and other talented performers. It’s a fun community event, and a great way to spend a summer evening with friends and family.

The 2018 Downtown Holland Street Performer Series starts on Thursday, June 14, and runs for twelve consecutive Thursdays until the end of August, from 6:30 to 8:30pm.

We’ll be performing on the following dates:

July 5, outside Tin Ceiling at 10 E 8th St, Holland;
July 19, outside Resthaven Warm Friend at 5 E 8th St, Holland;
August 9, outside R.I.T. Music at 74 E 8th St, Holland.

Here’s a look at one of our performances from the 2017 series:

Our thanks go to Gentex Corporation for sponsoring this event. We also thank the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs for their support through the Holland Area Arts Council. We’re looking forward to being part of the Street Performers Series this summer!

May 5, 2018

The 2018 HMA Area 5 Spring Festival on Mackinac Island

It was an honor for us to be invited to be guest artists at the Handbell Musicians of America Area 5 Spring Festival on Mackinac Island. We were excited to go back to the island! We’d only visited a couple of times before – in 2010 and 2013 – and hadn’t stayed for more than a few hours.

No cars on Mackinac Island!

One of the unusual things about Mackinac Island is you can’t drive your car there! Motorised vehicles have been banned since 1898. For this reason, our journey there began by parking our car in Mackinac City and taking the ferry across to the island.

Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island — Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island – seen from the ferry!

Being West Michigan’s smallest handbell choir has its advantages. We didn’t need to transport tables, foam pads and multiple cases of bells over to the island. We had just one handcart loaded with our equipment, and we pushed it all the way from the ferry dock, up the hill to Grand Hotel.

On our way to Grand Hotel for the Handbell Musicians of America Area 5 Festival!

We arrived at Grand Hotel on Thursday morning and the staff instantly made us welcome. The hotel hadn’t officially opened for the 2018 season yet. We were fortunate to be able to stay there and enjoy the very special and unique atmosphere. We were also able to observe some of the preparations as the hotel staff prepared for the first guests of the season to arrive. The hotel has 393 guest rooms, and each one is decorated in its own individual style. If you like flowers (particularly geraniums), you’d love Grand Hotel!

Guest room at Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island — Our room at Grand Hotel!

A handchime workshop at the school

Thursday afternoon’s adventure involved some handbell education! We went to Mackinac Island Public School, where a group of us presented a program of music on handbells, flute and keyboard. The event was coordinated by Martha Matthews, with Gary Matthews playing keyboard. Members of the Area 5 Board were also there, to supervise the students with the sets of chimes.

The students were each given a color-coded handchime to play. They were able to play chords to accompany “Amazing Grace” and “Jingle Bells”, with the aid of a chart showing coloured dots. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of the students as they played. For most of them, it was their first opportunity to play these instruments. They did very well, learning how to use the correct techniques for playing the chimes and stopping the sound afterwards.

We demonstrated several of our handbell duets for the students. Martha and Gary joined us to perform Silver and Bronze (for handbells and flute) and Ding Dong, Merrily on High (for handbells and piano, with additional soon-to-be-published flute part).

Performing for the students at Mackinac Island Public School

The festival begins!

Friday marked the start of the festival, and we enjoyed a wonderful evening meal at the hotel before performing the opening concert in the beautiful theatre there.

Larry and Carla Handbell Concert Mackinac Island — Here’s the list of pieces we played at the opening concert!

Performing a concert for an audience of “handbell people” can be an intimidating experience. There’s definitely some additional pressure involved when performing in front of people who know about handbell stuff! However, handbell people are, in general, a friendly and supportive group. We felt much more relaxed than we’d expected to during our concert. Afterwards, we were pleased to receive some really nice comments from audience members.

Teaching about 8-bell music

On Saturday morning, we had the opportunity to teach a class on 8-bell music. We were pleasantly surprised by how many people arrived for the class! We answered questions about our music, specific techniques involved in playing it, and how to buy our sheet music online. Participants enjoyed played some simple pieces such as Aura Lee, Kingsfold and The Water is Wide. Finally, they tried the more challenging I Saw Three Ships.

Larry and Carla handbells class at Grand Hotel — Our eight-bell music workshop at Grand Hotel. Did we mention the weekend involved lots of coffee?

Other classes at the festival

During the festival, participants had the chance to attend other interesting classes, such as Artistry and the Big Box of Crayons: Techniques for a Variety of Tone Color and Handbells: a Full-Body Sport, both led by Martha Matthews, Maori Sticks, led by Susan Oxley, Music Theory, led by Ann Wood, and Finale and Handbells, led by Judy Phillips. There was also FredChat – an opportunity to chat with guest conductor Fred Gramann. We enjoyed a fascinating tour of Grand Hotel, where we were able to find out more about the building and its history. We even saw “behind the scenes” in the impressive kitchen!

The closing concert

Throughout the weekend, rehearsals continued in the Grand Hotel Theatre, as the festival participants prepared five pieces, ready to perform at the closing concert. The massed ringing pieces were Acclamation in G Minor (Karen Thompson), Within the Darkest Night (Derek Hakes), Hosanna (Jason Krug), What Child is This (Brenda Austin) and Jubilation (Fred Gramann). Fred Gramann conducted the festival choirs during rehearsals and at the closing concert.

Festival choirs rehearse under the baton of Fred Gramann

We added two of our eight-bell duets to the concert on Saturday afternoon – Holy Manna and I Vow to Thee, My Country.

Fred Gramann at the closing concert at the 2018 Area 5 Spring Festival

The closing concert was well attended, with audience members coming from Grand Hotel and the island. Afterwards we spoke to several people who had never heard handbells before, and wanted to hear more!

Leaving the island

We’d have liked to stay longer on the island, but we were playing duets in a worship service in Harbor Springs the following morning. We’d made plans to travel back on the 6:00pm ferry to Mackinac City. Before we left, though, we had time to walk for a while and admire the scenery. We followed a trail of steps, thinking it would lead to a beach. Maybe it would have done, but before we reached the bottom of the steps, the ground was covered in a thick (and sloping) layer of ice. It seemed that winter was as reluctant to leave the island as we were!

Larry and Carla, guest artists at the HMA Area 5 Handbell Festival on Mackinac Island — Enjoying a walk on the island after the festival

Handbells and equipment leaving the island

It was fun to see the handbell equipment at the Shepler’s ferry dock. Transporting bells, chimes and foam pads is an interesting challenge on an island that doesn’t allow cars. All the equipment had to come to and from the hotel on horse-drawn transport, and it was transferred onto luggage carts to be loaded onto the ferry. Our own equipment was much more manageable, and we were able to wheel our handcart onto the ferry ourselves.

Handbells at the Sheplers Ferry dock, Mackinac Island — Handbells and foam pads ready to go onto the ferry. Our own equipment is in the foreground.

Thanks to all at HMA Area 5

We had an amazing time at the Area 5 Spring Festival on Mackinac Island. Grand Hotel is a dream location for any conference or vacation. It’s a fascinating place, full of history, with people who go out of their way to make guests feel cared about. Our thanks go to the Handbell Musicians of America Area 5 for inviting us to be guest artists at this event. We appreciated the opportunity to stay at Grand Hotel and share our music with other handbell musicians and students on the island. We hope to go back there again someday!

February 7, 2018

Another Exciting Season with the Zeeland Community Band!

Since moving to West Michigan, we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with the Zeeland Community Band. It’s been fun to play our handbells in concerts and performances with this talented and enthusiastic group of musicians.

The Zeeland Community Band has been running since January 1994. The band aims to give adult musicians an opportunity to play their instruments in a band setting, even if they haven’t played since school or college. The group meets on Monday evenings in Zeeland, and Rose Wiersma is their director. They play at local events such as PumpkinFest, and regularly give performances at senior living communities. Don’t miss their popular Christmas concerts!

Larry and Carla with Rose Wiersma, Zeeland — With director Rose Wiersma, December 2017

The band is planning some exciting concerts for the next few months, and we’ll be joining the group for some of the performances:

March 19th, 2018 at 6:30pm – A concert for residents and guests at Royal Park Place in Zeeland, MI (with handbells)

April 26th, 2018 at 7:15pm – A concert for residents and guests at Freedom Village, Holland, MI (No handbells in this concert)

April 30th, 2018 at 7:30pm – In concert with the Coopersville Community Concert Band in Zeeland, MI (with handbells)

Check our website and Facebook page for more details coming soon!

Handbells with the Zeeland Community Band

January 15, 2018

Linda Strouf’s Organ Recital

Yesterday we enjoyed taking part in Linda Strouf’s organ recital Around the Liturgical Year in Chorale Preludes. The recital took place at Grace Episcopal Church here in Holland, Michigan.

Linda has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music at Hope College since 1988. She is also the Minister of Music at Third Reformed Church, where she plays the organ and piano, and directs the two adult singing choirs and the adult handbell choir. Linda is a champion of newly composed, contemporary organ music. We were very excited to be part of this recital!

Linda Strouf's organ recital - with handbells — With Linda Strouf after the recital

Linda Strouf’s organ recital was an interesting and entertaining journey through the church year. The audience clearly enjoyed the music!

The three pieces we performed with Linda were: In the Bleak Midwinter, Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee and Calliope House. We first performed these pieces in California, with organist and composer T. Paul Rosas, who wrote the organ accompaniments. Handbells and organ blend well together!

In the Bleak Midwinter and Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee are available for purchase and download from Choraegus We haven’t yet published Calliope House, but watch this space!

Many thanks to Linda for inviting us to be part of this recital, and to everyone who attended!

January 1, 2018

Thanks for a Busy and Exciting Holiday Season!

It seems like only a short time ago that we were making plans for the run-up to Christmas. Suddenly, poof! December’s over, and our busy holiday season of performances is behind us.

We had an interesting time! Here are some of the highlights:

Candlelight services for Advent

Our Advent season started with two Christmas by Candlelight services – one in Marne and the other in Grand Haven. Both these evenings were beautiful; an opportunity for a community to come together and welcome the season with music and fellowship. Handbell music fits so perfectly for such occasions.

Holiday season - handbell performances — At the United Methodist Church of the Dunes, Grand Haven

More collaboration with the Zeeland Community Band

We joined with the Zeeland Community Band for another concert this holiday season. It’s fun to add our handbells to some of the band’s festive favorites. We can’t restrict ourselves to playing only 8 bells in each piece, so it’s quite a challenge too, switching bells frequently during pieces.

A new challenge – playing handbells in the dark

We played an hour of soothing holiday music at Abrams Planetarium. This was part of the “Rest With Music: Goodnight Series” at Michigan State University. It was a very different kind of performance venue for us – playing in darkness while stars and snowflakes drifted above. The audience was there to relax, maybe even take a nap, and enjoy an hour of continuous music.

The challenges for us were: a) playing in darkness, with only a music-stand light to help us see the music; b) having to remove a sheet of music at the end of each piece and replace it with another one, and c) changing bells between pieces at top speed, so as not to interrupt the flow of music. We managed by taking an additional table with us. Once we’d finished playing a piece, Larry would continue to hold at least two notes, still ringing, while Carla pulled the score off the music stand and onto the extra table, leaving the next score ready to play. After a bit of practice at home, we were able to do this smoothly. We limited our key changes, and played pieces in “blocks” all in the same key, which kept the challenge of changing bells between pieces to a minimum. It was an enjoyable event, and we hope to go back to the Planetarium again in the future!

Community and church events

This season, we enjoyed presenting varied programs of Christmas and holiday music to community, charity and church groups in and around Holland and Grand Rapids. It’s always an interesting experience to talk about our bells and our music – and it’s fun to take questions from audience members, some of whom haven’t heard handbells before, or haven’t seen our 4-in-hand style of ringing.

Christmas handbell duet performance — A Christmas program for the Sallie Bender Guild of Spectrum Health

We also played at a couple of corporate holiday parties in Grand Rapids, where we greeted guests with Christmas carols!

Christmas bells at the Van Andel Institue, Grand Rapids — Holiday party at the Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids

Some of our most rewarding performances of the holiday season took place at senior living communities and nursing homes in our local area. We played carols for small groups of residents, and provided last-minute entertainment at a care home holiday party after the previously-booked entertainer cancelled.

We challenged ourselves, once again, to give twelve hours of our time to play Christmas carols at the Salvation Army Red Kettle. The Salvation Army does a lot of good work here in West Michigan – and we’ve spoken to people who have benefited personally from their help. So we were more than happy to offer our support to their Christmas fundraising campaign. We played four 3-hour sessions at our local D&W Fresh Market, and hope to do the same again next year.

Christmas handbell music in Downtown Holland

It was fun to play Christmas music in Downtown Holland too! We enjoyed giving two performances in Cherry Republic – one of our favorite stores on 8th Street. We also made our first appearance at the annual Kerstmarkt, on a chilly Friday evening. Playing handbell duets outdoors in cold weather is an interesting challenge. Thankfully, the snow hadn’t yet started to fall. Although we noticed some interesting differences in the pitch and ringing action of the bells, there was no lasting damage. We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to be part of such a festive local event. We hope to be able to repeat the experience at the 2018 Kerstmarkt!

Our 2017 Christmas performance season ended at Ridge Point Community Church, where we played in their three Christmas Eve services. We also made our first visit to Christ Memorial Church, greeting people with handbell music as they arrived for services.

Holiday Season Handbells at Ridge Point Community Church — Our bells in the lights – Christmas Eve at Ridge Point Community Church, Holland

We’d like to thank everyone who helped to make our 2017 holiday season so memorable (and busy!). To everyone who booked us to provide entertainment, or came to one of our performances, we thank you. If you supported us during one of our Salvation Army sessions, or wrote a review – we appreciate that.

If you missed our holiday season performances this year, check our website and Facebook page for information about future events. Look out for us in Holland and beyond in 2018!

October 12, 2017

Handbells in Concert with the Coopersville Community Concert Band

Our handbells have become a regular part of Zeeland Community Band performances since we moved to Michigan last year. We’ve joined in with their Christmas concerts and summer performances. Now we’re branching out! We’ll be guest artists in a concert with the Coopersville Community Concert Band at the end of this month. We’re looking forward to this new experience!

More information about the concert

October Incantations takes place on Monday, October 23 at 7:30pm, at the Coopersville High School Center Stage Theatre. Admission is free, but this community band will appreciate any donations to help with the cost of presenting this concert. The band will be performing many concert band favorites, including Radetzky March, Incantations and Dance, October, Palladio and Danse Macabre.

We’ll be playing our handbells, both with the band and on our own. We’re looking forward to adding some spooky tunes to the evening. The concert will also feature the first performance of the newly-formed Coopersville Community Choir. The band (and the handbell duo) will be in costume, and you are invited to attend in costume too. It’s an opportunity to dig out your Halloween clothes and join in the fun!

Coopersville Community Concert Band present a concert on October 23 2017 — October Incantations – see the band in concert!

September 25, 2017

A Fall Handbell Festival at First Congregational Church in Saginaw

We recently celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary. What better way to celebrate than by spending a day at a handbell festival? First Congregational Church in Saginaw hosted a Fall Handbell Festival – Ringing in a New Season, and invited us to take part in the fun.

First Congregational Church - the venue for the handbell festival — First Congregational Church – the venue for the handbell festival

Someone somewhere forgot to push the “It’s the fall season now!” button. That meant the weather was hot, hot, hot! Around 40 intrepid handbell musicians from churches around the area attended. We gathered together in a very warm church to rehearse and perform under the baton of world-renowned pianist and composer Catherine McMichael. Catherine had written two original compositions for the event, and Dr. Quincy Dobbs was there to play the organ.

Handbell workshops with bass and treble bells

Larry enjoyed the opportunity to get his hands on some bass handbells again. He led workshops for festival participants to find out more about bass bell techniques. Carla led well-attended workshops exploring some of the techniques and challenges involved in playing treble bells. We all enjoyed discussing the merits of various multiple bell techniques. Some of the treble ringers worked on weaving a series of bells without crossing their arms! That can be a challenge, but everyone did very well.

Our friend Kim Finison from Lansing (we know him from the Bay View Week of Handbells!) was on hand to help with handbell maintenance and repairs. We all enjoyed a wonderful lunch and great hospitality.

Larry Sue plays bass bells in Saginaw — Larry enjoyed the opportunity to play bass bells again!

Thanks to all involved in making this festival happen!

We had a very enjoyable day at the festival. Our thanks go to Jeri at FCC and everyone involved with the huge task of organising the event. We hope to do it all again someday!