News and Upcoming Events
Friday, May 9th, 2008, 8:pm - Jersey Jubilation Handbell Choir (JJHC) in Ridgewood, NJ
The Ridgewood United Methodist Church (RUMC) in Ridgewood, NJ has invited Jersey
Jubilation, its resident guest handbell choir to ring in concert on
Friday evening, May 9th, 2008!
This program is part of the RUMC 2007-2008 Music Concert Series which presents music
of different mediums throughout the year. The program begins at 8:00pm that evening.
The concert will be presented in the Ridgewood United Methodist Church Sanctuary located at
100 Dayton Street in Ridgewood, NJ. (Office Phone: 201-652-2868)[directions].
About the Venue
The RUMC sanctuary is graced with an outstanding pipe organ which is the largest
pipe organ in northern New Jersey. The instrument includes a
cantelevered antiphonal organ that is as exciting in sound as it is beautiful
in design. The Church is an 'acoustically active' venue that reverberates musical
presentations equivalent to many fine music halls in New York City and has been the
site of concerts and recording of many professional, accomplished groups and musicians.
Notable performers include the late Jean Langlais (world reknown French composer
and organist), Simon Preston (conductor and concert organist), Richard Frey
(former Chair of AGEHR Area II, composer of handbell, organ and choral music,
and former Minister of Music at RUMC), the late David Messineo (principal
University Organist at Princeton and concert organist at Carnegie Music Hall
as well as at the Great Auditorium at Ocean Grove), the Youth Ringers (a
touring, concert and broadcasting youth handbell choir, resident for
over 15 years at RUMC) and the current guest resident choir, the Jersey
Jubilation Handbell Choir (also known for a period as the Jersey Jubilation
Handbell Ensemble [JJHE]).
Ridgewood has over twenty quality restaurants of all cuisines within five-minutes
walking distance of the church should you want to make it a special evening out with
spouses, partners and guests before or after the concert!
RUMC is located about 3 miles east of Route 17 on Ridgewood Avenue at the center
of town facing Van Neste square which, itself, is on Ridgewood Avenue. More
specific driving directions are available on www.randmcnally.com, www.google.com/maps
or www.mapquest.com. We hope to see you there!
About our Instruments
JJHC rings on two 5-octaves sets of Whitechapel English Handbells originally
tuned using the analogue tuning system that was employed for years giving the Whitechapel
Bells their distintive clarity and overtone sound. In addition to the Whitechapel
instruments, JJHC also rings a 5-octave set of Suzuki hand chimes which most closely
matches the tonal mosaic that the ensemble wishes to present.
JJHC selected this combination of these instruments in order to accomplish two goals
in presenting their musical programs. The first is that Whitechapel bells are superb
in allowing higher paced ringing when required to maintain lightness in the music. The
second is to allow interpretive changes in volume within any given arrangement. This
requires that the ringers learn to modulate their playing techniques while handling
the Whitechapel bells to give texture to the music. This is differentiated from the
American versions of handbells which typically are set for a given sound level by
changing the clapper setting once prior to the start of the music selection.
Suzuki handchimes also are responsive to the same modulation techniques of the
Whitechapel bells. The harmonic structures of both instrument sets are complimentary,
thus giving cohesiveness in sound in the entire presentation.
Jersey Jubilation is also one of the very few Handbell Choirs that have available the
MelodyWave handchimes by Schulmeric. These instruments will be introduced in the
2008-2009 season and will allow the choir greater range of instrumental coloring
in its presentations.
Future Goals
Jersey Jubilation has two future objectives that they are seeking to achieve.
First is to acquire theirvery own set of Whitechapel Bells. The second is to actually
earn their way to England to personnalyvisit the Whitechapel Bell Foundary and to
present local concerts in appreciation of the beauty ofWhitechapel Bells in concert
form. If you can help, contributions are tax deductible. Contact us forideas on how
you can contribute!
Contact us for more info
Directions to RUMC
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