A choir with bells on

The sound of music filled the room as the Glendale High School hand bell choir rehearsed.

The 13 students used a total of 61 hand bells to produce the chiming sounds reminiscent of church bells.

“The hand bells were developed as a substitute for the tower bells in England,” said Grace Sheldon-Williams, vocal music and hand bell director. “It developed where people wanted to play songs.”

Most of the students in the hand bell choir play at least one instrument or have some knowledge of music, Sheldon-Williams said.

The class is open to beginners who have no musical background.

Audrey Henry, 15, used at least three different size bells to practice reading music. She picked up one bell to sound out a note; put it down, and quickly reached for another to play another note.

“In middle school, I saw the hand bells and it was cool,” Audrey said. “It’s like the new violin, it’s the newest rage.”

Audrey’s sister, Miranda, 16, is also in the hand bell choir. Miranda is in marching band, orchestra and concert band.

The Glendale High School hand bell choir started about 20 years ago.

It is the only one in the district and Glendale High is one of the few public schools in Southern California with one, Sheldon-Williams said.

Sofia Wolhein,18, has been playing the hand bells for five years.

She learned to play in her native Argentina and is a member of hand bell choirs at three local churches.

“When I was 9, I heard about the hand bells,” Wolhein said. “A group came to my school and I heard the tango played with bells.”

In addition to ringing the bells by hand, students also use a variety of percussive techniques to enhance or alter the sounds of the bells.

Using rubber mallets, students gently tap the bells to create an echoing sound. They also “pluck” the clapper to produce short tapping sounds.

“The biggest challenge is that I need to take a group of kids with a variety of ability levels and figure out a way to play,” Sheldon-Williams said.

“They have to be able to coordinate and come together as a cohesive group.”

The hand bell choir meets five days a week for practice and rehearsals. The group performs in concert at local and national levels.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” said Wendy Vides, 17.