Music Therapy

I had forgotten just how theraputic playing in an ensemble can be for me. Handbell rehearsal last night was wonderfully fun, thanks to both the insanely crazy music and the insanely crazy people. And the music got in my head and stayed there...annoyingly, it stayed there even after I tried (unsucessfully) to go to bed. But I'm really excited this term because we're playing 3 of my top 10 favorite bell pieces of all time.

What are my favorites?

1. Tempest (Kevin McChesney) - Any piece that is so absolutely crazy has to be good. Time signature changes abound, and the melody in the rollicking 6/8 section is one of my favorites. My left arm wants to fall off by the end of the piece, but that's okay. And I worked up an actual sweat practicing this last night! You can listen to a snippet of the song on Ring of Fire's website (scroll down to Tempest, track 3) . We'll push the tempo faster than they did, though. ;)
2. Festive Dance (Bizet/McChesney) - Based on Bizet's 'Farandole' from L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2. The goal of this piece is to get it to be as fast as humanly possible while maintaining precision and phrasing. Besides the fast part, I also love this piece because of all of the great memories it brings back for me.
3. Greensleeves (arr. Cathy Moklebust) - A hauntingly beautiful melody. Fabulous use of the eighth octave of bells.
4. Reunir (The 'adorable Dr. Payn') - If played correctly, whisks the listener through several passionate moods. Also creates a very full sound in some beautiful passages. This piece was commissioned by my current handbell ensemble.
5. Change Ring on Divinum Mysterium (Fred Gramann) - I usually can't get enough of this piece. Based on the melody "Of the Father's Love Begotten."
6. Heart Melodies, Part I (Payn) - In this piece, a bell choir is to be accompanied by orchestra, though the middle passage can be played alone with bells. Based on the theme of love, Payn weaves a complex yet sweet landscape of sound.
7. Imagenes (Payn) - I include this piece because the beginning and ending sections are sortof mysterious and intriguing. Also, the 'B' section sounds like remotely like theme music from Zelda. :)
8. Hava Nageela (arr. Douglas Floyd Smith) - A Jewish piece for bells! It's fantastic -- and the last half of the piece is basically just one huge accelerando.
9. Gethsemane, Reflections on the Passion Chorale (Nancy Hascall) - I just got introduced to this piece recently, but I already love it. It's very very moving (and very, very, slow...the beginning section is at quarter = 60). Plus, one section of it is in e-flat minor...6 flats! Yeah man!
10. Meditation on Beautiful Savior (Moklebust) - Another very moving piece. Sounds the most "churchy" of all of the above pieces.

Although the list above is ordered like a top-10 list, it is subject to change depending on my mood. I also expect that Gethsemane will move up on the list as we play it more.