Saved by the bell: CBC hosts handbell festival

Catherine Amos
Published: March 6, 2008

Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem to say,
throw cares away.

It doesn't have to be Christmas to enjoy the music of ringing bells. Culpeper Baptist Church is hosting a handbell festival March 8 at Germanna's Daniel Technology Center at 3:30 p.m.

The festival will feature eight choirs coming from Waynesboro to Warrenton.

Guest clinician Christine Anderson will perform, and will also ring solo at Culpeper United Methodist Church's early service March 9 and Culpeper Baptist's 11 a.m. service later that day.

The choirs will play six pieces, some traditional and some contemporary; some with mallets and some with only bells.

"It'll be a lot of fun," said Chris Dale, minister of music at Culpeper Baptist Church. "There will be lots of different techniques and lots of variety to the pieces. It should be really cool."

Catherine Amos

Stayin' Alive
No John Travolta, but the Stage Alive Community Concert Association's next performance will feature the Brass Roots Trio March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Culpeper County High School.

Described as "Garrison Keillor meeting Aaron Copland on Bourbon Street," the trio blends the classical chamber music genre with contemporary American styles, plus a tenor voice.

Come hear their journey through classical, baroque, jazz, ragtime, folk and gospel styles. Call 825-1342.

All the world's a stage
Wannabe Shakespeares, listen up. The 2008 Arena Stage Playwrights Project invites all students between 5th and 12th grades to enter a 10-minute original play into its 9th annual competition.

Deadline is March 12 for a chance to win $500 and a production of your play by professional actors. The winning 10 students will receive playwriting master classes and participate in script development.

For entry information, call 202-234-5782 or e-mail .