I’m currently riding in the back of a van up from Flat Rock, NC on the way back from a two-day handbell festival. I’m a bit worn out after the event, and I’m writing this post from my phone, so this might be a little shorter than usual.
The festival was pretty awesome. It was the first one I’ve been to, and just the experience of listening to (let alone playing with) 190 other handbell players is quite an aural treat. If you’ve never played or heard handbell music, it’s a little harder to appreciate, but that performance was just incredible. Different types of music appeal to and affect people in all sorts of ways, but this stuff is hard not to love. As a handbell ringer, particularly in the bass bell range, I know that it’s easy to physically feel the music. But if you really get into it, it’s quite an emotional high as well. Some of the sounds you can make are so unique, so beautiful, that it’s impossible not to love it. Wow. After I get home, I’ll try to post some links to the videos we got.
For now, I’m off to let my Applebee’s settle and finish off this long drive home.