Three Rivers Ringers

Spring Concerts Showcase Classical Music

Dan Fernandez — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:46:34 +0000

Pittsburgh’s premier handbell ensemble blends old and new in our exciting Spring 2013 concert series, Handbell Classics. Hear gems from great classical composers—Brahms, Grieg, Shostakovich, Verdi and more—as well as the best of today’s leading handbell composers. Join us for a concert featuring everything from bold and brassy showstoppers to serene and reflective works, from the classical to the contemporary.

We are thrilled to kick off our Spring Concerts this weekend featuring amazing music from the classical world as arranged for handbells. These pieces are among the most technically demanding we have ever performed, requiring the highest levels of dexterity, coordination, and artistry. From the beauty of Brahms’ Intermezzo in A major to Shostakovich’s sardonic Polka from the Golden Age Ballet to the fireworks of Vierne’s Carillon, we will present these classical works alongside “new classics” from among the all-time great composers of original handbell music.

Incidentally, Louis Vierne, who was organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, actually wrote Carillon for organ with the tower bells of a great cathedral in mind; TRR is pleased to bring this tremendous piece back to the bells that inspired it!

Sunday, April 21, 4:00PM – Butler
Saturday, April 27, 7:30PM – Murrysville
Sunday, April 28, 4:00PM – Oakmont
Sunday, May 5, 4:00PM – Crafton Heights
Saturday, May 11, 8:00PM – Mt. Lebanon
Saturday, May 18, 7:30PM – Wexford

For full details and directions, visit our Events page.

Concert Photos from Wallace Memorial

Dan Fernandez — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 18:43:40 +0000

We had a spectacular start to our Gift of the Magi concert series last Sunday night in Greentree. Check out some photos of the evening, and come see us this weekend! We’re in Allison Park tonight and Crafton Heights tomorrow, and then three concerts next weekend.

Winter concert series starts this weekend!

Dan Fernandez — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:19:16 +0000

Our Winter 2012 Concert Season is upon us! We’ve got some amazing music we’ve prepared to give you this December, with our first of six performances this coming Sunday. Our concert series is entitled Gift of the Magi, after the cornerstone piece of the concert written by our own Andy Seay. This is an incredibly dramatic rendering of the classic short story written by O. Henry at the turn of the last century with absolutely beautiful music in a variety of styles. We’re sure this piece will give you a new perspective–not only on the type of music we can present, but on what is important at this time of year.

On top of that great new work, we have a diverse array of holiday tunes for you, both classic and new. With some fun surprises along the way, we’re sure you’ll find our concerts a perfect family outing this season. Receptions will follow each concert–come for punch, cookies and to meet the Three Rivers Ringers!

Visit our events page for full details and directions.

For more information, please contact us via email or phone (info@threeriversringers.org, 412.508.8405).

We look forward to seeing you soon!

TRR – Special Guests at Thursday Concert

admin — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:59:22 +0000

A Great and Mighty Voice!

Thursday, November 15, 7:30 PM

Heinz Memorial Chapel

Oakland

Three Rivers Ringers are pleased to be featured as guest performers at A Great and Mighty Voice! presented by OvreArts at Heinz Chapel in Oakland. The concert is FREE to the public, and will be hosted by Ted Sohier of WQED-FM 89.3. There will also be FREE PARKING along the left curb of Bellefield Avenue from 6 until 9:30pm.

From OvreArts.org:

“The OvreArts Sinfonia and Chamber Singers will be performing all new choral and instrumental works from composers Blake Ragghianti, Luke Mayernik, Devin Arrington, Erberk Eryilmaz, Benjamin Filippone, Chris Massa, Henry Seymour, Joe Sheehan, Dr. Neil Stahurski, and Henry Seymour. Led by Music Director Ryan Keeling, and featuring an appearance by special guests The Three Rivers Ringers, this is a performance you won’t want to miss!”

Support Three Rivers Ringers on October 3rd

admin — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 02:49:50 +0000

Please help support Three Rivers Ringers on Wednesday, October 3rd by participating in the annual Pittsburgh Day of Giving! All donations made during those 24 hours at www.pittsburghgives.org will be matched on a prorated basis from a match pool of $750,000. This is your chance to maximize every dollar to help us advance the art of handbell ringing.

Participating in the Pittsburgh Day of Giving is quick and easy – just follow these steps on October 3rd:
1. Go to www.pittsburghgives.org
2. Click on Donate Now.
3. Enter your name, email and phone number in the appropriate boxes.
4. Select Pittsburgh to narrow your search of nonprofits, and then select Three Rivers Ringers.
5. Enter the amount you would like to give ($25 minimum gift).
6. Click on “Go To Checkout,” and fill out the credit card checkout screen on the secure server (only MasterCard & Visa cards will be accepted).
7. Click Submit.

If you have any questions or problems on October 3rd, please email us at info@threeriversringers.org. To view our profile for the Day of Giving, go to http://pittsburghgives.org/2011/08/26/three-rivers-ringers/

To support us on any other day of the year, visit our Support Us page. Thanks to all of you for making our music possible!

2012 Winter Concerts

Dan Fernandez — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 22:00:38 +0000

Announcing our 2012 Winter Concert Series: Gift of the Magi!

Sunday, December 2nd, 6:00pm
Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church, Greentree
Saturday, December 8th, 7:30pm
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Allison Park
Sunday, December 9th, 4:00pm
First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights
Friday, December 14th, 8:00pm
Bower Hill Community Church, Mt. Lebanon
Saturday, December 15th, 7:00pm
First Presbyterian Church 1793, Washington
Tickets are $5 at door or at (724)225-5415
Sunday, December 16th, 4:00pm
St. Stephen’s Church, Sewickley

Rediscover the reason for giving this holiday season with the magical sound of handbells at Gift of the Magi, Three Rivers Ringers’ 2012 Winter Concert. The concert will feature the world premiere of Andy Seay’s Gift of the Magi, a dramatic setting of O. Henry’s classic short story written for handbells and narrator. You’ll also hear a wide variety of carols inspired by the story of the Magi, as well as some of your favorite holiday tunes performed by Pittsburgh’s premier handbell ensemble. Please put this memorable concert on your calendar – it is an evening not to be missed.

For more concert details, see our events page.

2012-2013 Auditions

Dan Fernandez — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 17:30:54 +0000

Photo by Sally Bozzuto

We are pleased to announce our auditions for the 2012-2013 season! Three Rivers Ringers is looking for skilled handbell musicians to join us in working on challenging repertoire for the coming year that pushes the envelope on what can be done with our chosen instruments. And if you’ve been to any of our performances, you know we’re going to have a fun time doing it!

If you’ve been wanting to hone your handbell skills further and grow as a musician, we encourage you to audition. The application deadline is August 3, 2012. The individual auditions will be August 25, 2012 with a callback audition with the group on September 9, 2012. For more information, click to go to our Auditions page.

TRR Presents Arsis Handbell Ensemble in Concert

Andy Seay — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 02:45:10 +0000

Please join us for a special evening of handbell music on Thursday, July 19^th, 8:00pm featuring the Arsis Handbell Ensemble! Arsis is a professional handbell ensemble from Estonia. This concert at Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church is part of their summer tour of the United States and Canada. They are also headed to Cincinnati, OH, where they have been chosen to be the closing concert at the Handbell Musicians of America’s National Seminar.

Arsis plays seven octaves of handbells with only eight people (TRR uses thirteen people for five octaves!) and will be joined by Remi Boucher, a Canadian classical guitarist, for a wonderful evening of music. The concert is sponsored by MLUMC and Three Rivers Ringers, Pittsburgh’s premier handbell ensemble. Admission is free; a free will offering will be collected to support Arsis’ tour. Questions? Please call Andy Seay (412.508.8405) or email managingdirector@threeriversringers.org.

For more information about Arsis, please visit their website here. You can also find clips of Arsis in performance on YouTube, including the samples below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZNnGmHOvRM&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Basuky-2G_4&feature=related

Arsis Handbell Ensemble in Concert
Thursday, July 19^th, 8:00 PM
Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church
Asbury Center
3319 W. Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15216

Mystery Piece Winner Announced

Dan Fernandez — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:16:14 +0000

Those of you who attended our An American Adventure concert series this spring got to hear the premiere of a brand new original composition for handbells by our own composer-in-residence, Andy Seay. Audience members from all of our concert venues were encouraged to vote on a title for the Mystery Piece.

The public has spoken and we are happy to announce that Perpetual Motion was chosen as the winning title. Perpetual Motion will now be submitted for publication-we’ll let you know when it’s in print! Thank you to everyone who attended An American Adventure this spring and participated in our Mystery Piece contest.

Please keep in touch with Three Rivers Ringers via this website (www.threeriversringers.org) and by “liking” us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/threeriversringers). We will be announcing our Winter 2012 concert dates shortly, so stay tuned!

Announcing a Read & Ring, June 9th!

Andy Seay — Sat, 05 May 2012 16:29:46 +0000

Attention handbell ringers and directors! Would you like to hear some of the latest music published this spring? Please join Three Rivers Ringers for an Area II Read & Ring on Saturday, June 9th. Join Three Rivers Ringers in ringing through twenty new releases from major handbell publishers, including music of various ringing levels and for various occasions throughout the liturgical year. Get a head start on planning for the upcoming season, and you’ll also get a chance to meet and ring with members of the Three Rivers Ringers.

The Read & Ring will be held at:

Asbury Center, Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church, Mt. Lebanon, PA
3319 West Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15216
10:00am-1:00pm

The registration fee is $10 per person; for more information, or to register, please click here, as registrations are handled directly through Area II of the Handbell Musicians of America. Questions? Please contact us at education@threeriversringers.org or 412.508.8405.