TGIF, May 8, 5:30pm
This Friday begin your weekend with a joyful and enchanting evening of bell music as Travis Bregier directs our own Chancel Bell Choir. Doors to the sanctuary open at 5:15pm and the concert begins at 5:30pm. The concert is free with donations accepted.
Program
Joyfully Ring by Douglas J. Benton
Exuberant Joy by Arnold B. Sherman
In the Shadow of Your Wings by Karen L. Buckwalter
Sway (Quien Sera) by Pablo Beltrán Ruiz, arranged by Sandra J. Eithun
I Will Sing of My Redeemer (Hyfrydol) by Rowland H. Prichard, arranged by Lloyd Larson
Meditation of “Lord, I Want to be a Christian,” Spiritual, arranged by Sandra Eithun
De Colores, Spanish Folksong, arranged by Douglas E. Wagner
La Llorona, Mexican Folk Song, arranged by Travis Bregier
First Presbyterian Church Chancel Bell Choir
The Bell Choir has a long tradition at the church. In the 1950s, a hand bell sales representative visited the pastor of the church, the Reverend Kenneth Keeler, who had previously heard a performance of bell ringers at a national church meeting. With two octaves of bells acquired, the first bell choir, Youth Ringers, was formed and was considered part of the youth ministry. Its members became a source of future members of the church’s Chancel Choir. During the tenure of the Reverend Robert Boshen in the 1950s, Mary Boshen often related that Robert Boshen asked her to marry him because of her service as a bell choir director in California. In 1987, Linda Raney formed the Bell Choir. Today the group has no age restrictions and is open to all, under the direction of Travis Bregier, Assistant Choir Director.
Roster
Janice Charter
Jeannie Bowman has been ringing for more than 30 years. Playing almost every position in bell choirs of up to 7-octaves, her favorites are the upper octaves. In addition to ringing in church bell choirs and the professional Main Line Ringers in Philadelphia, she has directed children, youth, and adult bell choirs, studying with bell composers Donald Allured and Cynthia Dobrinski. One of the reasons she loves living in Santa Fe is having the opportunity to ring with the First Presbyterian Bell Choir.
Campbell Martin is happy to be back in the bell choir. He started playing bells in high school at the First Baptist Church, Wichita Falls, TX. Campbell is a Pilates teacher and volunteers with Food Depot.
Cheryl Lockhart began ringing handbells as a teenager in Loveland, CO. She rang in a Boulder, CO choir for many years, playing the lowest bass bells. Her proudest handbell moment is a solo piece she performed one Christmas called ‘March of the Tin Soldiers’. She moved to Santa Fe in 2006 and has proudly rung with the First Presbyterian bell choir since 2015.
Sally Shockey has enjoyed ringing handbells in choirs in Northern New Mexico for over 35 years. Ringing with the Chancel Bell Choir of First Presbyterian Church for 8+ has been a pleasure. She is retired from teaching 41 years of high school math.
Judy Montaño has lived in Santa Fe since 1962 and been a church member since 1964. She taught in Santa Fe Public Schools for 27 years. Judy had never played handbells but has now been playing for well over 10 years.
G. W. Franklin is a new father and a new bell ringer for the Chancel Bells here at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe. He first began ringing in Beaumont, TX, in 2018 until his family moved to Santa Fe in 2022. He is delighted to be ringing again and sharing this performance with this dynamic group.
Carol Ketterman
Rodger Liljestrand, retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory, has no musical talent, as consistently demonstrated over 30 years as a bell ringer in Northern New Mexico.
Barry Rochelle moved to Santa Fe over seven years ago after retiring from teaching middle school science. He enjoys volunteering at the Food Depot, Botanical Garden and Capital High School. After playing trombone in a variety of ensembles for over fifty years, he started playing bells in 2023. He looks forward to ringing for many more years.
Darryl Bowman is a choral singer and handbell ringer. He sang with the 250-member Wayne Oratorio Society Choir in Wayne, Pennsylvania and various church choirs and other choral groups in the eastern Pennsylvania area. He has been a handbell ringer in several church choirs and was a member of the Main Line Ringers, a professional bell choir in Philadelphia. After moving to Santa Fe, he sang with the First Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir, Performance Santa Fe, and the Santa Fe Symphony Chorus.
Caiti Lord is a music educator, photographer and performer. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Her most recent appearance on the stage was as Bea in the Santa Fe Playhouse’s production of Something Rotten! She has been focused on her teaching and photography with Madrid Emulsion. Tonight she is delighted to be ringing her first concert with the Chancel Bell Choir.
Coene Schamaun
Rebecca Heindel
Travis Bregier is Assistant Choir Director at First Presbyterian Church. His schedule also includes teaching voice and piano at The Candyman: Strings & Things and music mentoring in the Santa Fe Public Schools through the education programs of Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. He has appeared with First Presbyterian Chancel Choir, Performance Santa Fe, Zia Singers, Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Opera Southwest, Chanticleer, and is a regular musical theater performer with Tri-M Productions and the Santa Fe Playhouse.