We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The Ecumenical Echoes, a three octave hand bell choir, performed their final spring recital last Sunday in Chinook. The group, reformed three years ago, was first organized about 30 years ago. Members are: Front row, left to right: Sharmon Moxley, Eva English, Shannon Nissen, Kelsey Harry, Michelle Lowham and Dawn Colby. Back row, left to right, are Bonnie Ortner, Michelene Edwards, Nancy Diemert and Director Julie Finley. Pam Waldish, a regular member, was ill and could not perform.
The Ecumenical Echoes, a multi-denominational group of hand bell musicians, held their third spring recital last Sunday afternoon at the Chinook Presbyterian Church. A hand bell choir was started about 30 years ago under the direction of Donna Walworth, a local piano teacher. About 10 years ago the group disbanded but was started again three years ago under the direction of Julie Finley. Their first appearance as a newly formed group was for the first annual Christmas Concert begun by the Chinook Ministerial Association three years ago. The hand bell choir performs at several community events during the year, then plays a final concert in the spring as they take a summer break.
Director Julie Finley introduced the program, noting, "The difference between a concert and a recital is about an hour and a half. This is a recital, about 20 minutes." The recital included an opening number played by the entire hand bell choir, covering three octaves. Then the two-octave choir performed two numbers followed by a vocal duet by Steven Mulonet and his sister, Michelene Edwards, accompanied on the piano by their mother, Lorraine Mulonet. Lorraine said the vocal duet was originally prepared for the Easter service at St. Gabriels Catholic Church in Chinook.
Eva English and Bonnie Ortner performed "Sweet Hour of Prayer" as a hand bell duet, accompanied by Julie Finley on the piano. It was an amazing presentation of music and coordination as English and Ortner played a combined 11 hand bells between them, often using the same bells but at different times. Director Finley said, "While playing the piano to accompany the duet, I never get to see them perform. Somehow they worked it out to play that many bells between them."
The final musical number was a vocal solo sung by Ben Hall and accompanied by the entire Ecumenical Echoes hand bell choir. The combined group performed "Let There Be Peace On Earth." Director Finley said, "As a hand bell choir we adopted "Let There Be Peace On Earth" as our signature song. We play it at every performance we do." A reception, hosted by the Chinook Presbyterian Women, was held after the recital.
