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Show 'Belles of Bountiful' ring in the new year in county By SUSIE DAVIS Putting away the glittery tinsel, the favorite ornaments and all of the trappings of Christmas is the task at hand now that the New Year is upon us. If you were lucky enough to hear the "Belles of Bountiful," a bell ringing group of 14 beautiful women who share their talents each year, perhaps you can still hear the crisp resonance of their 60 brass bells. Perhaps the memory will ring in the New Year with the feelings of charity and love they have carried with them. One of their goals is to invite the audience to remember the good feelings they brought with them. One member of the group. Ruth Smith, tells the audience, "Don't put the good feelings away with your decorations up on the shelf, but rather keep them down on the hearth where they will continue to burn and grow through the year." Edgar Allen Poe describes "the tintinabulation that so musically wells. From the bells, bells, bells, bells,.. .From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells." More than "jingling" bells, the women are together a fine instrument, instru-ment, each playing a few notes at the appropriate moment. Precision and timing as well as musical talent are essential. Under the able leadership leader-ship of Janet Seamons, the Belles practice weekly beginning in September, fine tuning their technique, techni-que, choreography, singing and bell ringing. The pristine clarity of the brass bells with leather clippers and handles is accented with different muting techniques which gives each bell a different sound. The ladies use mallets with which they hit the bells, they "pluck" them, and they hit them on the special bell tables which have two to three inches of foam padding. They sometimes muffle them with their gloves and shoulders. The heaviest brass bell weighs 13 pounds. Sharon Hart wears wrestling wrestl-ing gloves to support her arms so she won't get "bell elbow." Janet Seamons, leader of the group, inherited the bells from her mother who passed away in 1981. Procuring the brass bells with leather thongs from England, her mother was unable to assemble a group that worked. A mother of seven children herself, Seamons didn't feel that she could undertake such a huge task of creating a group who could work together and have the expertise to play the bells. The group actually evolved from a singing group which suggested one day. "Let's use Janet's bells." It was then that the Belles were stated and have become this unique group. Playing for church evenings, schools, businesses and banquets, the Belles had 42 performances this year. They did five in one day. When asked if she would do that again, Smith said, "It was terrible, but we probably will next year." They have three different programs. pro-grams. One for children and schools, which is light, one for churches, and one that combines serious se-rious with fun Christmas music. What would prompt 14 women to leave their families for 42 performances perfor-mances each year at Christmas? Seamons said, "The only reason we are willing to leave families at Christmastime is to play this glorious music and testify of Christ and his atonement. We want you to know we love the Saviour and that is the only reason we are willing to take this time to perform. ' ' They leave 72 children home and persevere in bad weather and sometimes difficult circumstances. Moving equipment is very difficult in spite of the help of spouses and children who become "bell boys." The Belles is a family project Members of the group include Ruth Smith, Amy Jones, Janet Seamons, Ann Fox, Linda Little, Sharon Hart, Katie Gasser, Robin Kimball, Paula Sant, Laura Hauck, Carol Hess, Karma Karen, Marion Sellers and Linda Blosch. 4 ti, I r t Members of the Bellringers are: back row, Linda Liddle, Marion Sellers, Carol Hess, Amy Jones, Janet Seamons, Karma Kaaren, Katie Gasser, and Robyn Kimball; front row: Ann Fox, Ruth Smith, Linda Blosch, Paula Sant, Sharon Hart and Laura Hauck. Jones said, 'Sometimes we have some really funny things happen. One of the ladies forgot about our performance until she drove by our meeting place and saw us assembled. assembl-ed. Her dress was at the cleaners. She ran home and got a black sweater coat in lieu of the black dress and white collar and performed perform-ed in that "One Belle wore two left shoes. Another wore two different colors. And one forgot to take off the black driving gloves and put on her white. Someone wanted to know the significance of the black gloves ! ' ' Having shared fun times, hard times, and special times, the Belles intend to be together again next "year to share their special talents. They hope that their music and feelings feel-ings of Christmas charity will stay in the hearts of all who hear them. |