Change-Ringing on Handbells (Volume 2: Advanced Techniques)

Front cover of Change-Ringing on Handbells Volume 2

Change-Ringing on Handbells (Volume 2: Advanced Techniques)

The paperback edition (286 pages) can be ordered from Amazon for £33.50 in the UK (other prices in other regions).
The Kindle edition is available from Amazon and the Kindle store for £9.99 in the UK (again, other prices in other regions).

From the back cover:

Change-ringing is a form of traditional music based on sequences, permutations and patterns. It is most familiar to the public as the sound of church bells in the English-speaking world. Change-ringing can also be performed on handbells, where it becomes a contrast to the melodic music of handbell choirs. 

This book follows on from Volume 1: Basic Techniques by the same authors. It starts by helping the reader to make the transition from simple plain and treble bob methods to the standard repertoire of surprise methods on eight, ten and twelve bells. It also covers odd-bell methods up to Stedman and discusses conducting.

The authors have been ringing handbells for over 30 years, and blog about their activities at www.handbellringing.co.uk. They live in Glasgow, Scotland.

From a review in The Ringing World, by Tom Hinks

In this outstanding new volume of Change-Ringing on Handbells, Tina Stoecklin and Simon Gay have distilled their deep experience of learning and teaching handbell ringing into a clear, concise and cogent guide for the aspiring advanced handbell ringer.
...
The handbell wisdom accrued by the authors over many years of ringing shines through the whole volume and I wholeheartedly recommend the book to anyone looking to develop their handbell ringing.

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Review of Basic Techniques
  3. The Limits of Rule-Based Learning
  4. Techniques for Successful Practice
  5. First Steps in Surprise: Norwich Minor
  6. Cambridge Surprise Minor
  7. Moving Beyond Cambridge
  8. Wrong-place Surprise Minor
  9. Starting Surprise Major
  10. Continuing Surprise Major
  11. Wrong-place Surprise Major
  12. Getting Started with Royal and Maximus
  13. Standard Surprise Royal and Maximus
  14. Wrong-place Surprise Royal and Maximus
  15. Plain Bob and Grandsire on Odd Numbers
  16. Stedman
  17. Becoming a Handbell Conductor
  18. Conclusion and Further Directions 

Sample page from the Norwich Surprise Minor chapter

Sample page

A Collection in Composition Library

All the methods and compositions in the book are gathered into a collection in Composition Library.