Uniontown hand bell choir celebrating 50 years with Ringing Nativity
Courtesy of Olivia Stone
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Joyful Ringers at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Uniontown, the hand-bell choir will perform at Ringing Nativity on Dec. 4 at the church. Pictured (from left) are ringers Rhonda Anderson, Beth Newcomer, Lisa Joyce, Emily Parker; nativity participants Anna Matthews, Emmy Matthews, Vincent DeFazio, Molly McShane, Camilla Frantz, Mia DeFazio; and ringers Reganne Zekir, Debbie Bronson and Judy Bierbower.
Submitted photo
Olivia Stone, the director of the Joyful Ringers hand-bell choir for the St. Paul无毛视频檚 Lutheran Church in Uniontown, conducts a song for the group无毛视频檚 upcoming Ringing Nativity set for Dec. 4 at the church to celebrate the group无毛视频檚 50th anniversary.
The hand bell choir at St. Paul无毛视频檚 Lutheran Church in Uniontown is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend with a special Ringing Nativity.
The Joyful Ringers were started in 1972 by Lois Waldkoenig, the wife of the Rev. G.C. Waldoenig, as a way to enhance worship and give the young people of the parish something different to do.
无毛视频淲hen she started it, it was unusual for the area,无毛视频� said Jane Stone, an original member of the Joyful Ringers who joined when she was 9 years old. 无毛视频淭his choir was the first to exist in the Uniontown area.无毛视频�
Lois Waldkoenig was able to find donors who gave the church 25 hand bells as a memorial gift. Those bells were used for the first concert on April 30, 1972, with Stone and seven other young people performing.
Stone said when the people heard the beauty of the bells, they received more donations and the Joyful Ringers grew to a choir of 49 bells and then 61 bells.
As the choir grew, Stone said, they would visit other parishes to perform. They无毛视频檝e also performed on Pittsburgh-based television shows, at festivals and other events, she said.
Parishioner Lisa Joyce was in fourth grade when she joined the choir, learning to read music at practices. Over the years, performing with the group allowed her the opportunity to travel.
无毛视频淲e got to see colleges, other parts of the country and Canada that I would not have had the opportunity to be exposed to otherwise,无毛视频� Joyce said. 无毛视频淚 got to meet talented musicians from around the country.无毛视频�
Today, the choir includes of 16 bell ringers, two floaters (stand-ins if another member cannot play). Stone still plays, and her daughter Olivia Stone is the choir无毛视频檚 director.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 something that无毛视频檚 different from anything else you无毛视频檙e going to experience,无毛视频� Olivia Stone said, adding that while bell ringing is something familiar to people, the encompassing sounds of a hand bell choir is something different than singing or a symphony. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 very moving.无毛视频�
Jane Stone said people have come up to her in tears after a concert to say how much they loved the music. Others, she said, told her they无毛视频檝e traveled from other counties to see the performance.
As a celebration of the 50th anniversary, the Joyful Ringers will perform a Ringing Nativity where the choir will perform songs in conjunction with a living nativity. As part of the living nativity, children will act out the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Olivia Stone, who earned a music degree from Seton Hill University and became the choir director earlier this year, said people associate hand bells with Christmas, praise and churches.
无毛视频淲e wanted to do something that was special to honor the love and music that无毛视频檚 gone into the choir,无毛视频� Olivia Stone said. 无毛视频淭here were great moments of music in the Bible, and I knew I wanted to do something to give glory back to God.无毛视频�
The Ringing Nativity will take place during the Sunday service on Dec. 4 at 9:45 a.m. at St. Paul无毛视频檚 Lutheran Church, 71 N. Gallatin Avenue in Uniontown.
Olivia Stone said the concert will take 40 to 45 minutes and all are welcome to attend. Refreshments will follow the service at the church无毛视频檚 social hall.
无毛视频淭he music is there for everybody, somebody who无毛视频檚 never even been in church, non-Lutherans 无毛视频� anyone is welcome no matter what,无毛视频� Olivia Stone said.