Ringing in the Christmas Cheer

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley-Swan Mountain Bells (SSMB) rang in the Christmas Season with their annual concert, "Christmas by the Fire." The SSMB choir played more than 20 familiar secular and religious holiday songs in front of the fireplace at the Double Arrow Lodge, Dec. 3. The audience was invited to join in a sing along.

The choir is made up of eight members, six of whom have been with the group since its inception in 2012. Three members from the First United Methodist Church in Missoula's JuBELLation Handbell Choir joined the group and played two pieces as a quartet including SSMB ringer Joann Wallenburn who is a member of both groups.

The audience was quick to tap their toes and many hummed the popular tunes. The bell players demonstrated a variety of playing techniques giving each song a different texture and sound. Techniques included: straight ringing; thumb-dampening where the players ring the bell with their thumb on it; hitting the bells with a mallet; marcato where the bell is rung into the foam pad on the table and lifted; and four-in-hand playing where one player plays four bells at once.

Prior to the sing along, Wallenburn explained that each player is responsible for only a few notes in a song. It is only when each ringer plays his or her notes in time that the melody can be heard. She had the audience practice with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" where members of the audience were assigned different words in the song to sing. Only when everyone sang their words could the song be understood. The choir sent the audience out into the crisp night air with their final selection "White Christmas."

The SSMB's next concert "Music Galore – A Musical Variety Show" is scheduled this spring featuring the choir and other community musical talent. The group has room for four more members. They practice Tuesdays starting at 3:15 p.m. for 90 minutes. To get involved, contact Wallenburn at home, 677-4424, cell, 370-2483 or email joann@wallenburn.org