Artists-in-Residence

Periodically, Concordia welcomes artists-in-residence to work with faculty, students, and ensembles in developing their musicianship, technique, and knowledge.

David Harris, the director of the famed Raleigh Ringers, was the artist-in-residence at Concordia University College of Alberta on March 4-5, 2005. Through a grant by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Concordia’s School of Music invited Mr. Harris to work with both the Concordia Ringers and the Jubiloso! Bells of Concordia. Through several hours of intense teaching and rehearsing, ideas were shared and music enriched. One of his major points was to think of a set of handbells as one instrument with many players, rather than many individual bells. Such an approach is unique among all musical instruments and what makes handbell ringing so intriguing.

“We are certainly pleased to have someone of David’s experience and stature here to elevate our level of handbell ringing,” said Dr. John Hooper, director of Jubiloso! and director of Concordia’s School of Music. Both he and Dr. Joy Berg lead handbell ensembles at Concordia and benefited from Mr. Harris’s visit. After several sessions at Concordia, Mr. Harris also worked with the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education Handbell Ringers. In a thank you note, the U of A’s Dr. Bob DeFrece said, “all of my ringers greatly enjoyed their time with him and all the great ideas he left them with.”

Included in the repertoire of the local choirs are works which come from Harris’s Raleigh Ringers Series, published for advanced handbell choirs. He also worked on new and emerging compositions and arrangements. Harris knew many composers and he was able to relate specific details of performance practice, interpretation, and style.