Last season my handbell ensemble did a concert themed “Coming of Age”, since it was our group’s 21st anniversary, during which we finally performed the Griffin arrangement of Handel’s “Passacaglia”. For many years we had started to work on it, only to put “Passacaglia” back in the filing cabinet after a couple rehearsals because it was a little above our skill level. So it was a big deal that we could finally play the piece well enough to perform. I did the introduction for the piece, talking about our group’s coming of age when we could finally perform “Passacaglia”. In that introduction I joked about another piece we pull out every season but never perform, “Sleigh Ride”.
The problems with playing “Sleigh Ride” on handbells compound. Not only is the melody line thin, exposed, and jazzy, but everyone in the audience knows the piece. This means that you can’t fake your way through the performance (not that we ever fake our way through a performance). Every year this is the part that messes up our group. It’s not that we can’t play the rhythms or bell changes, it’s that we have to do them exactly right, every time, at a quick tempo. There’s really no getting around that.
Which is why I was super excited when Kiriku posted a recording of “Sleigh Ride”. For the uninitiated, Kiriku Handbell Ensemble is arguably one of the best handbell ensembles in the world. Based out of Japan, they perform on 6ish octaves of bells with only 5-8 ringers. Their performances are as beautiful to listen to as they are fun to watch. In this video they bring “Sleigh Ride” to life in a wonderful and thrilling way. It’s always a treat to see this amazing group bring a piece to life.
Only 2 days left in Handbell Advent! Hope everyone’s holiday concerts are going well!
