A Brief History of the Bell Band
| In 1978 a young Joseph Pinson, director of music at the Denton State School, discovered that there was a set of handbells locked in a closet in the education complex. They had unwritten instructions that included, "Do let anyone touch these", "They cost a lot of money", "They are very fragile", etc. Not being one to pay much attention to such instructions, Mr. Pinson asked for permission to use the handbells. Someone in authority said, "I didn't even know we had bells. Go for it." |
Pinson was fortunate to
have the young Dennis
Schurter as his supervisor.
Dr. Schurter provided very
positive support for the
music programs, and he
encouraged the formation
of a handbell choir. He was
a very patient person, as he
watched Pinson set about
looking for ways to allow
the students to make music
with the bells. It was at
least two or three years
before the bell choir finally
played a tune that Schurter
recognized. They went on
to introduce handbells at
the state music festivals,
where no one else had
them. In a few years every
state school in the system
was playing handbells. The
bells that were once silent
had found their place.
have the young Dennis
Schurter as his supervisor.
Dr. Schurter provided very
positive support for the
music programs, and he
encouraged the formation
of a handbell choir. He was
a very patient person, as he
watched Pinson set about
looking for ways to allow
the students to make music
with the bells. It was at
least two or three years
before the bell choir finally
played a tune that Schurter
recognized. They went on
to introduce handbells at
the state music festivals,
where no one else had
them. In a few years every
state school in the system
was playing handbells. The
bells that were once silent
had found their place.