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Cindy White is the director of worship arts at the First United Methodist Church in Leavenworth. The church has four different bell choirs that perform between August and May each year: The Genesis Chimers for those in fourth and fifth grades; the Youth Bell Choir for those in sixth through 12th grades; and Celebration and the Wesley Ringers for adults.
1) Christmas seems like it would be a unique time for church music directors. Is that true and if so, how?
People in general love Christmas, and they want to hear things, I think, that they know. So we use a lot of the Christmas carols and we start using some of them the first Sunday of Advent. This year, that was Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 28. So we just tread lightly at first and have one or two on that first Sunday. I direct a lot of the choirs here and oversee some of the other choir directors. One thing that we have to watch is that we don’t duplicate music. We try to have a nice variety.
2) The First United Methodist Church has four different bell choirs, with ages starting at fourth grade. Is it pretty unique to have a bell choir?
In this area, there are several churches that do have bell choirs. But I think that what is unique is we have one for every age group. I think we’re very blessed to have a lot of people who are willing to give of their time. Because you don’t just walk to a part and pick up a bell and start ringing, even if you play the piano and already know some music. When you play the piano, you play everything you see. When you’re in a bell choir, you basically play what you can put in your hands.
3) There is a lot of Christmas music that is religious and there is a lot that is secular. Do the bell choirs perform a mix of the two or is there a religious focus?
We focus on the religious. We do have a bell ensemble that just this past Monday night went out into the community to some of the nursing homes. And when we do something like that out in the community, they did play “Jingle Bells” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” When it’s inside the church for a church service, it’s all religious. And they did “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.” They do a mixture.
Cindy White is the director of worship arts at the First United Methodist Church in Leavenworth. The church has four different bell choirs that perform between August and May each year: The Genesis Chimers for those in fourth and fifth grades; the Youth Bell Choir for those in sixth through 12th grades; and Celebration and the Wesley Ringers for adults.
1) Christmas seems like it would be a unique time for church music directors. Is that true and if so, how?
People in general love Christmas, and they want to hear things, I think, that they know. So we use a lot of the Christmas carols and we start using some of them the first Sunday of Advent. This year, that was Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 28. So we just tread lightly at first and have one or two on that first Sunday. I direct a lot of the choirs here and oversee some of the other choir directors. One thing that we have to watch is that we don’t duplicate music. We try to have a nice variety.
2) The First United Methodist Church has four different bell choirs, with ages starting at fourth grade. Is it pretty unique to have a bell choir?
In this area, there are several churches that do have bell choirs. But I think that what is unique is we have one for every age group. I think we’re very blessed to have a lot of people who are willing to give of their time. Because you don’t just walk to a part and pick up a bell and start ringing, even if you play the piano and already know some music. When you play the piano, you play everything you see. When you’re in a bell choir, you basically play what you can put in your hands.
3) There is a lot of Christmas music that is religious and there is a lot that is secular. Do the bell choirs perform a mix of the two or is there a religious focus?
We focus on the religious. We do have a bell ensemble that just this past Monday night went out into the community to some of the nursing homes. And when we do something like that out in the community, they did play “Jingle Bells” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” When it’s inside the church for a church service, it’s all religious. And they did “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.” They do a mixture.
4) The choir season runs from August to about May? When do you start working, especially with Genesis Chimers, the youngest bell choir, on Christmas music?
I don’t start right at the beginning, because they’ve never had one in their hands. We build. I probably started their Christmas piece at the end of September, for them to have it ready for Christmas. They played in church on the 12th and they’ll play the same piece Christmas Eve.
5) Is there something special about hearing the songs played by a bell choir?
I think one thing that is so special about it is that it’s different. Here, our bell choir’s visual — we have the table up front so people can watch. In some church situations, that is in the balcony and you can hear it but you can’t see it.
Bonus question: Do you have a favorite song that you try to fit into the program every year?
I don’t like to repeat the same thing year after. But sometimes, particularly the youth bell choir, wants to do the same thing every year and one of their favorites has been the Ukranian Bell Carol — the “Carol of the Bells.” And I’ve kind of got roped into “Mrs. White, we have just got to play this. This is my senior year. I need to play this.” So there was a time that I think we did the Ukranian Bell Carol maybe four Christmases in a row because that was their favorite and I’ve other bell choirs that want to play it too.
