Recently Sheila Bristow jumped on a wonderful legacy opportunity to buy another set of handbells for Church of the Redeemer. Yes, we have one set already. This is a second set by the same maker, perfectly matched to our original set. Doubling the number of handbells means doubling the rich sound possibilities and the number of people able to take part.
Handbells are a wonderful musical resource for worship. They are also very accessible, playable by a folks with a wide variety of age and experience levels.
For our ongoing worship experience in the pandemic, handbells are the perfect instrument to use in a room with a wide range of temperature and humidity—which is one way to describe the bracingly ventilated Education Building! Sheila says, “I look forward to ringing in the new church year, beginning on the first Sunday in Advent, November 28. If you are interested in participating, please contact me at music@redeemer-kenmore.org.”
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Purchase a handbell
If you would like to buy a bell for the parish, please mark “handbell” on the memo line of your check or select Handbells from the list on the website’s giving portal.
- $150 for one bell
- $225 for two bells
- $300 for a full chord of three bells
Join the fun playing handbells
During Advent you can join the fun playing handbells. Arrive to practice with Sheila a half-hour before either of the services at 7:30 am and 9:30 am. Children and adults are welcome to do this.
Contact Sheila Bristow at music@redeemer-kenmore.org with any questions.
About handbells
Sheila shares these facts about handbells:
- Walter and Lorelette Knowles donated Redeemer’s original set of 15 handbells.
- Petit & Fritsen, a centuries-old company from the Netherlands, cast (made) our bells.
- The process of making this type of bell goes back centuries. It uses the same process and materials as outdoor church bells and carillons.
- The bells do not need tuning. The only maintenance needed is occasional work on the handles and felt dampers.
- The bells come in a variety of sizes. They can be played by a variety of ages!
Petit & Fritsen no longer makes handbells. This means used ones are in high demand among liturgical churches. When the opportunity came up to purchase a second set of 15 bells, Sheila saw this opportunity to expand Redeemer’s music program.
Since the second set of bells is made by the same company, they are perfectly matched to our original bells. We’ve already begun combining the sets for use in worship.
Sheila Bristow
Sheila Bristow has been the Organist and Choirmaster at Church of the Redeemer since 2005. She directs the choir, works with soloists, plays for all liturgies, and coordinates concerts. Prior to coming to Redeemer, she served as Organist at University Unitarian Church, Seattle, from 1995-2005. Her varied duties included Interim Director of Music and Intergenerational Choir Director.
Sheila holds degrees in composition and organ performance from Cornish College of the Arts and the University of Washington. When she is not at Redeemer, she works as a freelance keyboardist and composer, and is the Associate Organist at Blessed Sacrament Parish. Her personal website is sheilagailbristow.com.
Church of the Redeemer
Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.
Church of the Redeemer is at 6210 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.
The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
