The Villages - June 2020 - 28
Music
The Village Ringers
PA S S I O N AT E , P R O F E S S I O N A L H A N D B E L L C H O I R
STORY BY RICA KEENUM | PHOTOS BY BRANDON AT WELL
A clapper strikes brass, releasing a vibrant ting that
fades to a hum and lingers - sweet, like a fragrance in
the air. It's the sound of a handbell, an instrument with
ancient roots said to have been established in England as
a way for bell tower ringers to practice in private.
Thanks to Bonnie Fisher and a throng of musical
friends, Villagers can experience the sound for themselves. An Ohio native and lifelong
music lover, Fisher started singing and
Village
playing in early childhood.
Bonnie Fisher
leads the
Village Ringers.
28
JUNE 2020
"I grew up in a small church," she said. "Everybody
did something and I loved to sing, so I started at 5-yearsold. By age 14, I was directing the adult choir and
playing the piano."
When asked how she accomplished such feats, she
replied, "Lots of practice and exposure to music. My
parents would take us to see live plays - the opening of
'The Sound of Music,' for
example. I was in awe."
Ringers was a
In college, Fisher led
dream I never thought I
children's choirs and
then took a job as a
could make happen because
computer programmer,
of the expense of the
still working music into
- Bonnie Fisher
equipment ...
her schedule and doing
rehearsals during the
week. Twelve years later, she transitioned into music as a
primary career.
"I had the opportunity to make it full time at a large
church," she said. "I became a church musician and also
gave piano lessons to about 40 students at a time."
Fisher was grateful for the flexibility her new career
offered, allowing her to spend more time at home
with her kids. For the next 15 years, she played
the organ, directed choirs and handbell choirs.
In 2016, Fisher and her husband took a trip to
Disney and discovered The Villages.
"We'd rented a house here, not knowing anything
about the community - we were shocked," she said.
"We ended up exploring the area and deciding to retire
here. We moved here cold - didn't know a soul."
As in the past, Fisher used music as a means to connect.
"Now I'm the accompanist at New Covenant United
Methodist Church," she said.
Bringing a bell choir to the area became her next
musical mission, although it seemed an unlikely endeavor.
"Village Ringers was a dream I never thought I
could make happen because of the expense of the
The Villages - June 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - June 2020
Contents
The Villages - June 2020 - Cover1
The Villages - June 2020 - Contents
The Villages - June 2020 - 3
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