Why do we wear gloves?

[Ruben Mendoza]

So last night I had my final holiday performance and there was a short Q&A at the end. Someone in the audience asked why we wear gloves. Someone in my group answered the question.

I know the 2 or 3 urban legends about this topic and I know the debate on why you should or should not wear gloves. I want to know in a performance situation, how would you answer this question in a brief and concise manner?

Ruben

Los Angeles, CA

[Merry Lloyd]

We get asked this often.  I explain that gloves are worn to protect the bells from skin oils, which of course they do not...and to 'set off' the bells.

HOWEVER...my preference is to play naked.  I want to be closer to my instrument...never saw any violin player or bass player or anyone else, except maybe fingerless gloves outside ... wearing gloves and when we use our own bells I for one do NOT wear them, even if I am the only one...director says its optional (ok ok, he is my husband)

much longer reply that you wanted I am sure...

Merry Christmas...day four!!  and its cawing birds not calling.

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Merry Lloyd
Columbia River Handbells

When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.  If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.     Techumseh (1758-1813). Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living.

http://merry.97048.info

[White, Elke]

Short and concise answer?

 

"We are lazy and don't want to have to clean the bells too often."

 

You will get a chuckle out of the sudience too.

 

Elke White

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[Charles Peery]

I understand that it’s largely a convention without much basis these days, but what about cushioning?  Lots of repetitive movements, lots of contact… does anyone think it’s reasonable to use this as an answer?  I think my bass ringers would.

Chuck in St. Louis

[Lilly]

It hurts my hands to 4/hand with no gloves. I prefer not to have calluses and to keep my hands soft and delicate.

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From: "Charles Peery" <cep...@earthlink.net>
To: "handbell-l" <handb...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2015 9:21:46 AM
Subject: Re: [HB-L] Why do we wear gloves?

[ro...@sbcglobal.net]

1. To protect the bells from us.    (reduce transfer of dirt, sweat and oils that need to be cleaned off castings)

2. To protect us from the bells.    (prevent sore spots, blisters and callouses - esp. bass and 4iH)

3. Conformity/Costume.               (help present a 'cohesive' group of musicians playing the instrument)

Roy

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From: Ruben Mendoza <rube...@gmail.com>
To: handb...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2015 10:24 PM
Subject: [HB-L] Why do we wear gloves?

[Claire Parker]

I agree with 2 & 3.  I let my ringers choose whether to wear gloves or not - some do and most do not.  It is my responsibility to remind all to wipe down the bells after each rehearsal and performance.  We have a cleaning party at least twice a year.  

At the last National Seminar in Atlanta there was a fundraiser to choose one of preferred ways to ring - gloves, gloves with dots or NAKED.  Naked won!  C

[Michele Sharik]

Re #1 - not so much. Your gloves are only as clean as the last time you washed them! ;-) (Also: don't use liquid fabric softener when you do wash them. Makes awful smudges on the bells if you don't get it all rinsed out. Dryer sheets are fine. And OMG don't even talk to me about the dots!)

And 4. If your bells have leather handles (WC, P&F, etc). Otherwise your skin oils soften and discolor the leather. Unless that's what you want....

-Michèle 

Sent from my iPhone

[ro...@sbcglobal.net]

re #1 - please note I stated 'reduce' - not 'prevent'

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From: "ro...@sbcglobal.net" <ro...@sbcglobal.net>
To: "handb...@googlegroups.com" <handb...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2015 7:56 AM
Subject: Re: [HB-L] Why do we wear gloves?

[Pat Meinecke]

I only use gloves if I am 4/handing or playing in the 4's or below and think that holds for all our ringers.

Pat in Brasstown, NC

Pat Meinecke

Handbell Director:  Brasstown Ringers & Alleluia Ringers (St. Andrew Lutheran Church)

Resident Quilter:  John C Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, NC

[HBlady]

But you have to remember that #1 was the conventional "wisdom" back when gloves were first worn, so I would tell an audience that the original idea behind wearing gloves was to protect the bells from any oils or dirt on our hands. As time has passed, we've realized that's not necessarily the case, so now ringers may or may not wear gloves, depending on the director's wishes.

And I don't really think there's a concise answer to this question (as is true of most audience questions at a concert, in my experience). 

PL

 

[Stephanie Wiltse]

Q: Why does your group wear black gloves?

A: Because the white ones are in the wash.

Stevie W

.

[Rima Greer]

A:  Because we’re badass.

Rima

Ah, the good old days….

[Stephanie Wiltse]

Ah yes, there's that too!

Stevie W

[Barbara Silvey]

Yeah, we are ;-)

Barbanile
Campanile A&F

Barb

[kidsn...@gmail.com]

...because it looks great - bronze against black is my preference, but they show up against the white gloves, also - the bell color sort of disappears into the various skin tones....

In response to those who prefer to have "close contact" with the bell handle and so go gloveless, I agree, but it can be achieved by buying the velcro'd gloves and making sure you wash them to shrink fit your hand.

 

karen allen

[Michele Sharik]

Those gloves are still too thick for me like that. I buy thin satin gloves from Finale Gloves that work for me when I have to wear gloves. They're the next best thing to being naked! ;-)

-Michèle

Sent from my iPhone

[Nicholas Barnard]

Nah, wrong answer..

Q: Why does your group wear black gloves?

A: We burned all the white ones because we couldn’t get them back to white without them unraveling from too much bleach.

;-)

Nick

> On Dec 29, 2015, at 9:52 AM, Stephanie Wiltse <stephani...@gmail.com> wrote:
>

[Nicholas Barnard]

I second the cushioning bit.

For new years 2013 to 2014 we brought bass bells home and rung them outside to ring in the new year.. I went a little nutzo with a G3 and managed to rub the sides of my knuckles raw.. That took a few weeks to heal.

[Nicholas Barnard]

I wear them for among other reasons: they prevent issues with sweaty palms.

I also was taught as a youngin that one does not touch bells unless one has gloves on. It really freaked me out when I joined a church bell choir seven years later to see the group putting away the bells with naked hands, and only touching the handles.

Nick

[Ken and Linda Lamb]

Our group once presented a concert that was attended by my physician.  After the concert, he asked me, "aside from the schmaltz factor, why do you wear gloves?"

Linda Lamb

> Subject: Re: [HB-L] Why do we wear gloves?

> From: ni...@inmff.net
> Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2015 13:54:38 -0800
> To: handb...@googlegroups.com