Events

NEW PLANS FOR SPRING RING 2024!

Although we have nothing scheduled this fall for our members, we are actively looking

into offering something quite different and unique in the spring of 2024.  Emily Li, a solo

handbell ringer and well renowned handbell clinician from Hong Kong, now Ontario, has

been engaged to do a Friday evening, April 12 th and a Saturday, April 13 th workshop tied

in with our annual Spring Ring celebration.  MARK THESE DATES ON YOUR

CALENDAR, PLEASE!!!!!

Emily Li is a handbell soloist, composer and conductor. She obtained her Bachelor and Master

Degrees in music from Hong Kong Baptist University and Chinese University of Hong Kong,

majoring in composition. Ms. Li was a lecturer and the handbell director at the Music Department of

HK Baptist University from 1997-2004. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Hong Kong

Handbell Academy and the Hong Kong Youth Handbell Ensemble; Founder and Music Director of

Gloves Handbell, Chairperson of Handbell Association of Hong Kong and Principal Guest Conductor

for Ministry of Bellz in Singapore. Her ensembles have performed around the world with high

acclaim.

Ms. Li started ringing handbells in 1986 and has since developed an obsession with the instrument.

She completed the Graduate Program in Handbells at Concordia University, Wisconsin with many

handbell experts, and has attended numerous National Director Seminars in the United States

teaching classes, performing as a soloist and serving as the conductor of the All Stars Choir and

Distinctly Teens. She was invited by Handbell Ringers of Great Britain to conduct the National

Residential Ringing Week in Sheffield, England in 2015, and served as the massed ringing

conductor and workshop clinician at the International Handbell Symposiums in Liverpool (2012), Jeju

(2014), Vancouver (2016) and Nashville (2022). She served as the International Conductor for the

Youth Festival at the 18th International Handbell Symposium in Cairns, Australia (2018). 

Her topic, on Friday evening, April 12 th will be Bell Tree Forests.  In recent months, bell

tree forests have received some interest.  What are “Bell Tree Forests” you might ask? 

Click on this link to take a peek.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CWEyDqkYV4

All right you may ask, “But I don’t have a bell tree”.  As far as I know only Patsy

Andrews-Vert and I have professional bell trees.  But Patsy has also learned to make

less expensive bell trees and there are several bell tree stands (in the form of IV Poles)

available from Amazon for $50-$100.

So . . . we are suggesting that perhaps sometime in February we may offer a workshop

where you can make a bell tree for your group.  This will depend on what interest our

Manitoba Guild members indicate.  Do let us know if you are interested in such a

workshop.

As far as Spring Ring is concerned, it too may change from what we have done in the

past.  Currently we are thinking of some massed ringing pieces directed by Emily Li as

well as a bell tree forest demonstration. If time allows, during the concert, we may have

individual choirs or groups perform one of their own selections.  

We will need a venue for Spring Ring to happen, so if you know of a good one, or your

venue is available, please let us know.