*Garee, Betty Honorary Life 1986,
We know Betty as the composer/arranger of many wonderful handbell pieces,
but what about Betty, the person? She was a graduate of the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, OH, and, for a while, served on its faculty
in the Music Theory Department. She also held a Master of Music degree
in piano and theory from Columbia University in New York. Her husband,
Bill, and their family lived in Poughkeepsie, NY where, from 1972-86 she
directed the youth and adult handbell choirs at the New Hackensack Reformed
Church in Wappingers Falls, NY. There she developed a multi-choir
program of five handbell choirs and three singing choirs. Her Klokken
Ringers concertized widely in the United States and in Canada and the Netherlands,
and Betty was often a clinician and conductor for local, Area, and National
workshops and festivals. She served as Secretary of Area II, and
during the last few summers of her life, she taught handbell classes at
the Chautauqua Institute in Chautauqua, NY. Within her lifetime,
Betty became a world-renowned composer/ arranger of music for handbell
choirs. She wrote more than thirty pieces, some including instruments,
including the buggy whip! Although she did accept a few commission
pieces, most of her writing was done for her beloved Klokken Ringers.
Betty taught her ringers to ring with authority. "If you're going
to make a mistake, at least make one that can be heard!" With her
perfect pitch, she could always discover the missing or wrong note.
Always doing so with a smile, she taught her ringers the importance of
teamwork, cooperation, sharing, and commitment. Composer, Arranger,
conductor.
GATEWAY RINGERS - St. Louis, MO - Director,
Charles E. Peery. Contact Andy Eversole, akeversole@yahoo.com
- http://www.gatewayringers.org/
Geisler, Herbert (Dr.) -- geislerh@cui.edu
-- Dr. Geisler has directed English handbell choirs since 1978.
Beginning with University Lutheran Chapel, Ann Arbor, MI. and has pioneered
handbell programs in church, school, and college settings taking
them to concert level performance. Has led numerous clinics and workshops
at Concordia University(CUI), Irvine, California and various other sites,
and has co-hosted the annual Concordia Summer Ring with Ms. Nancy Jessup.
The CUI program has grown to consist of some 50 ringers with five ensembles,
and the program has toured through 25 states as well as Europe and Asia.
The CUI handbell program has had considerable influence in Southern California
through festivals, tours, and concerts, and numerous handbell directors
have come through Concordia's full-time and summer programs. Has
published three compositions with Concordia Publishing House and Morning
Star publications, with more on the way. Has served several congregations
and schools in Hong Kong, Michigan, Illinois, and California as director
of music. Plays organ and violin and chairs the AGEHR Certification
Committee.
Gemeinhart, Gayle -- Jacksonville, FL, 904-733-2356
-- Gayle is Music Director, Englewood Christian Church in Jacksonville,
Florida, where she is Director of the King's Ringers, completing seven
years. Gayle said, "I am simply a music director in a local church
doing the best I can with bells." Isn't that where most of us began?
Georgetown College - - Georgetown, Ky -- http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/
Geschke, Susan -- Rowland Heights CA 91748 AGEHR Composer
Gillis, Nancy -- Ft Worth TX 76116 AGEHR Composer
Gilmore, David F. -- Jonesboro, Arkansas --
P.O. Box 599, Dept. of Biological Sciences. Arkansas State University,
State University, AR 72467 - dgilmore@navajo.astate.edu
- dgilmo@fastdata.net
ph 870-972-3082 fax 870-972-2638 --
Since 1993, I've been a member of the Adult Handbell Choir of Cornerstone
United Methodist Church and served as Director 1996-1998. In 1998 I founded
and continue to direct the Cornerstone UMC Handbell Ensemble, a small group
which performs at other churches as well as our own. I've been a
member of the Arkansas State University Ringers since Spring 1994, and
I was one of the founding members of the Pyramid Ringers of Memphis, TN
in the Fall of 1998.Day job: Assistant Professor of Environmental Biology
at Arkansas State University, research in environmental microbiology and
biodegradable plastics. Wife, Diane, children Elizabeth and Rebecca,
all active in handbells and members of the Ensemble.
Gindra, Susan R -- Charlotte NC 28210 AGEHR Composer
Gingrich, Shawn --
Elizabethtown, PA --
shawn.gingrich@firstumchershey.org -- Shawn has directed church choirs since 1991, has been solo ringing since
1991, was a member of the Westminster Choir College Concert Handbell
Choir 1995-96, founded Hershey Handbell Ensemble in 2004, has been
director of the Messiah College Concert Handbell Choir since 2006, is a
handbell arranger with a few pieces in print with Agape, Fred Bock, and
GIA, and is a leader of handbell workshops.
Glen Iris Handbell Ringers - Solo Ringing on Handbells -- http://soloringing.lsalmon.net
GLORIAE DEI RINGERS - Orleans, MA - Director,
Richard K. Pugsley -
GLOVE HANDBELL CHOIR - Hong Kong -- Emily Li, Director -
emilyky@hkbu.edu.hk
- http://www.gloveshandbell.org.hk/
GOLD COAST RINGERS - Director, Jack Hibbs -
GOLDEN BELLS - Jasper, GA - Director, Roxanne
Golden - NCSRrollin@aol.com
-
GOLDEN GATE BOYS CHOIR AND BELLRINGERS - Hayward, CA - www.GGBC.org
-
GGBCBR@aol.com - Steven Meyer.
Director
Golden, Roxanne -- Founder, director of the
Golden Bells - a community group in Atlanta, GA.
Gourley, Mark – MusicDirector@FirstPrez.com -- http://www.Firstprez.com -- Director of Music Ministries at First Presbyterian Church, Fayetteville, NC Mark earned a degree in Music Education from Atlantic Christian College in Wilson, NC (now Barton College) and has done extensive graduate study in Church Music at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC and East Carolina University, Greenville, NC. He also completed Orff-Schulwerk Levels I and II at East Carolina University. Mark holds the General Handbell Director Certification, Level I from AGEHR. He is a member of the ACDA, AGEHR, AGO, Choristers Guild, the FUMMWA and the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM). For ten years, he served on the Area III Board of the AGEHR, where he held the offices of NC State Chair, Chair-Elect, Chair and Past Chair. He has taught many handbell classes for Area III events and frequently workshops and festivals.
Grace Bible College -- Grand Rapids, MI
-- www.gbcol.edu
Grady, Willetta - Mission Bell Ringers - Fairview, TN - missionbells@comcast.net
-- In 1963, the Grady Family purchased a two octave set of Schulmerich
handbells to use in a new music ministry. It was through the
donations and support from family, friends, and fellow church members
that the mission took form and became reality. The Grady family were
serving in the ministry through the Methodist Church. Together as a church
and as a family, the Mission Bells rung for many people; spreading
the word of Christ through the works of
missionaries worldwide. Now, in 2003, the next generation of
the Grady Family continues the traditions of ringing the word of Christ
through handbells. Willetta Grady and her 12 year old daughter Claire
carry on the family tradition. Willetta has rung bells since the
beginning 40 years ago and has directed a variety of handbell choirs.
Claire has been ringing handbells for 6 years. Together Claire and
her mom ring as a duet team. Mom also rings as a soloist. Other
family members join the ensemble as a quartet on occasions. The music
ministry rings on.
Grand Canyon University -- Phoenix, AZ
-- http://www.grand-canyon.edu/
Gramann, Fred -- Paris, FRANCE 75007
AGEHR Composer -- music@acparis.org.
A native of Washington State, Fred began his early organ studies with Dr.
Edward Hansen of Seattle, winning the student organ competition sponsored
by the Seattle Chapter of the AGO while still in high school. While earning
a Bachelors degree in organ performance at Syracuse University, he won
first prize in the 1972 Ft. Wayne National Organ Competition and was awarded
the Arthur Positer Prize for outstanding organist in the Syracuse University
School of Music for four consecutive years. From 1972-75 Fred studied organ
in Paris, France, with Marie-Claire Alain, also spending one year working
with organist and composer Maurice Duruflé. Fred earned a Masters
Degree in organ performance at the University of Michigan during the 1975-76
school year. He returned to Paris in 1976 as Director of Music at
the American Church in Paris, the oldest non-governmental American
institution abroad. He started a handbell program at the American Church
in 1981 thanks to a gift of 2 octaves of handbells. The program has since
grown to include four handbell choirs performing on 5 octaves of Schulmerich
handbells, 4 1/2 octaves of Malmark handbells, 4 octaves of Petit &
Fritsen handbells, 4 octaves of Choirchimes and a growing set of
Whitechapel handbells. Fred has had numerous choral anthems and handbell
works published in the US and is Honorary Associate Director of the Raleigh
Ringers of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Greer, Rima -- 1-877-DEADRINGER, rimacampanile@gmail.com - www.campanilemusic.com -- Rima has been studying music and composing her whole life. She started ringing in 1987 when her friend Kris invited her to help found Campanile. With Campanile, Rima has helped pioneer a new direction for handbells, bringing them out of the church and into theatres, secular music, mainstream recordings. Rima has published several original handbell compositions with Laurendale Associates and Above the Line Publishing, and has taught ringing and performing techniques at many AGEHR events and private workshops. She was on the committee for the creation of Pinnacle 2000, in charge of the class programs. She is a founding member of the International Community and Professional Handbell Society (www.icphs.org), owner of Portable Bellfest (www.portablebellfest.com). Since Campanile retired in January 2006, Rima has dedicated herself to writing, arranging, teaching, and otherwise expanding the scope of handbells in the world. She has a regular column in Overtones, "Burn the Box", and a semi-regular column on the Handbell Podcast. Rima became Chair Elect of AGEHR Area XII in June 2008. CAMPANILE, Composer, Arranger, dancer.
*Grove, Jack Byron -- Brooksville FL 34610-4105 AGEHR
Composer
Groves, James -- First Christian Church, 3600 Free Ferry Road
Fort Smith AR 72903- (501) 783-1139 early
Music Chairman
Grove, Pam (P.L.) Charter Member of SONOS, Solo Ringer, Clinician, Director
of VELOCITY.
Gumma, Victor L -- Dallas TX 75228 AGEHR Composer,
formerly Crescendo Music Publishers, Music Engraver
