ENMU Department of Music to Participate in Handbell Festival

Date: 11/14/2003
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253

PORTALES--The tenth annual Eastern New Mexico Fall Handbell Festival will be
held at First United Methodist Church, 1501 Sycamore, Clovis, at 4 p.m. on
Saturday, Nov. 23. The public is invited to hear the 125 handbell ringers
from eastern New Mexico and west Texas in the church Fellowship Hall. Massed
ringing and individual choirs will perform selections chosen from holiday,
folk and sacred repertoires. Admission to the concert is free but an
offering will be taken to help defray festival expenses.

Guest Director David VanderMeer, Atlanta, Ga., will conduct the massed
ringing. VanderMeer is director of Music Ministries at Central Presbyterian
Church in downtown Atlanta and serves on the national board of the American
Guild of English Handbell Ringers.

Brass and timpani players from the ENMU Department of Music and Brian
Uerling, music teacher at Ranchville Elementary School, on keyboard, will
join the ringers.

The 10 handbell choirs participating in the festival will come from Clovis,
Portales, Santa Fe, Tucumcari, and Pampa, Denver City, and El Paso, Texas.