Uniontown hand bell choir celebrating 50 years with Ringing Nativity
Courtesy of Olivia Stone
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Joyful Ringers at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Uniontown, the hand-bell choir will perform at Ringing Nativity on Dec. 4 at the church. Pictured (from left) are ringers Rhonda Anderson, Beth Newcomer, Lisa Joyce, Emily Parker; nativity participants Anna Matthews, Emmy Matthews, Vincent DeFazio, Molly McShane, Camilla Frantz, Mia DeFazio; and ringers Reganne Zekir, Debbie Bronson and Judy Bierbower.
Submitted photo
Olivia Stone, the director of the Joyful Ringers hand-bell choir for the St. Paul鈥檚 Lutheran Church in Uniontown, conducts a song for the group鈥檚 upcoming Ringing Nativity set for Dec. 4 at the church to celebrate the group鈥檚 50th anniversary.
The hand bell choir at St. Paul鈥檚 Lutheran Church in Uniontown is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend with a special Ringing Nativity.
The Joyful Ringers were started in 1972 by Lois Waldkoenig, the wife of the Rev. G.C. Waldoenig, as a way to enhance worship and give the young people of the parish something different to do.
鈥淲hen she started it, it was unusual for the area,鈥� said Jane Stone, an original member of the Joyful Ringers who joined when she was 9 years old. 鈥淭his choir was the first to exist in the Uniontown area.鈥�
Lois Waldkoenig was able to find donors who gave the church 25 hand bells as a memorial gift. Those bells were used for the first concert on April 30, 1972, with Stone and seven other young people performing.
Stone said when the people heard the beauty of the bells, they received more donations and the Joyful Ringers grew to a choir of 49 bells and then 61 bells.
As the choir grew, Stone said, they would visit other parishes to perform. They鈥檝e also performed on Pittsburgh-based television shows, at festivals and other events, she said.
Parishioner Lisa Joyce was in fourth grade when she joined the choir, learning to read music at practices. Over the years, performing with the group allowed her the opportunity to travel.
鈥淲e got to see colleges, other parts of the country and Canada that I would not have had the opportunity to be exposed to otherwise,鈥� Joyce said. 鈥淚 got to meet talented musicians from around the country.鈥�
Today, the choir includes of 16 bell ringers, two floaters (stand-ins if another member cannot play). Stone still plays, and her daughter Olivia Stone is the choir鈥檚 director.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something that鈥檚 different from anything else you鈥檙e going to experience,鈥� Olivia Stone said, adding that while bell ringing is something familiar to people, the encompassing sounds of a hand bell choir is something different than singing or a symphony. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very moving.鈥�
Jane Stone said people have come up to her in tears after a concert to say how much they loved the music. Others, she said, told her they鈥檝e traveled from other counties to see the performance.
As a celebration of the 50th anniversary, the Joyful Ringers will perform a Ringing Nativity where the choir will perform songs in conjunction with a living nativity. As part of the living nativity, children will act out the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Olivia Stone, who earned a music degree from Seton Hill University and became the choir director earlier this year, said people associate hand bells with Christmas, praise and churches.
鈥淲e wanted to do something that was special to honor the love and music that鈥檚 gone into the choir,鈥� Olivia Stone said. 鈥淭here were great moments of music in the Bible, and I knew I wanted to do something to give glory back to God.鈥�
The Ringing Nativity will take place during the Sunday service on Dec. 4 at 9:45 a.m. at St. Paul鈥檚 Lutheran Church, 71 N. Gallatin Avenue in Uniontown.
Olivia Stone said the concert will take 40 to 45 minutes and all are welcome to attend. Refreshments will follow the service at the church鈥檚 social hall.
鈥淭he music is there for everybody, somebody who鈥檚 never even been in church, non-Lutherans 鈥� anyone is welcome no matter what,鈥� Olivia Stone said.