Workshop descriptions Session 3

SESSION 3 THURSDAY 6 AUGUST (a.m.)

3.1 – 3.4 Ringing Tracks A B C D

3.5 Ceilidh Dancing (Scottish Country Dancing)                 Ruth Cantlay (UK, HRGB)
The class will give you a taste of two or three Scottish dances. Scottish country dancing can be quite formal, but there is a fun element to all the dances we will be doing, and they are frequently danced at Scottish weddings.

3.6 Handbell Olympics                     Debbie Rice (Canada, HMC)
So, you didn’t qualify for a 2026 Olympic team? No worries. Join the Handbell Olympics! The Cowbells and Doorbells will compete in handbell games. Participants will not improve ringing skills; however, no bells will be harmed during
these games. Shhhh, a “Clapper Caper” mystery will close this session!

3.7 Bring the Ring: Bringing the Notes Off the Page                      Brenda E. Austin (USA, HMA)
You’ve learned the notes—wonderful! Now it’s time for the next step. This class focuses on transforming accurate ringing into beautiful, expressive music. While working through handbell repertoire, we’ll explore how to bring out the musicality within each piece, helping ringers move beyond “just playing their two notes.” Together we’ll develop strategies for shaping phrases, listening more globally to the ensemble, and creating performances that feel cohesive, musical, and deeply satisfying.

3.8 British Church Bell Ringing                    Judith Frye and Alan & Wendy Walters (UK, HRGB)
An introduction to Change Ringing as you would hear from church towers around Britain. Some easy to remember changes you could ring on handbells and then a way of showing how changing the sequence of bells gives the characteristic sound.

3.9 Get to Know Us - The Importance of Online Presence – Websites (using Weebly)           Damien Lim (Singapore, HRSG)
Websites are an integral and very basic part of digital marketing. You could be charged a fee for a professionally designed and corporate-maintained website, or you could DIY your website for your group or yourself, and even manage it from your phone while on the move. Using Weebly is absolutely free and easy. Come with your laptop with WIFI connection for a quick DIY session, and create a baseline for your new website.

3.10 World Peace starts with your handbell choir: how values-based group music making changes lives for the better Katrina Gordon & Susie Dingle (UK, HRGB)
This is an interactive talk/discussion followed by a Question and Answer session.
Topics covered will be: Values-based leadership; Being explicit about your values; Agreeing on your values; Neuroscience of a values based approach; Neuroscience of inclusion; The role of joy; Music-making as an offering/an act of service.

3.11 How to Flirt                           Stevie Berryman (USA, HMA)
It’s about more than smiling. Learning your music is just the first step in an engaging performance. Once you’ve learned the notes, there’s a nonverbal language you should master to truly captivate your audience. Demystify the art of connecting with your listeners using some surprisingly simple changes. "All performance is flirtation."
So…how’s your game? Cheeky title aside, this class brings laughter to that vital and terrifying part of performing:
connecting with your audience. With a slide deck that uses the internet’s least-reliable source of information (WikiHow) Stevie goes through the dos and don’ts of flirtation and applies those lessons to performance soft-skills. Topics include things like “Stop Being Boring,” “Smile! No, Not Like That,” and “What’s in Your Kit,” and the class concludes with a lab portion for attendees to put into practice the skills they have learned.

3.12 Expressive Conducting – Exploring Musical Nuance through Laban’s Movement Language                 Emily Li (Hong Kong, HAHK)
This workshop is designed for experienced conductors who wish to explore greater musical nuance thr)ough the application of Laban’s Movement Language. Participants will experience Laban’s eight basic efforts through guided body movement and apply these concepts to handbell music excerpts, examining how weight, time, space, and flow shape expressive conducting gestures. The session focuses on translating musical intention into clear, effective non-verbal communication that encourages confident, musical ringing and deeper ensemble responsiveness. Examples will be drawn from the symposium repertoire.

3.13 Cross Stitch – Wooden Bell Ornament                 Kate Worthington (UK, HRGB)
Stitch yourself a wooden bell ornament to display. You will be provided with the wooden ornament, threads, a variety of patterns to choose from (or you can design your own), scissors, needles and ribbon. Full instructions will be given so you can be a complete beginner or advanced stitcher.