Source of non-competitive ideal in handbell community

[Valerie Stephenson]

Chuck gave a most erudite answer, as did Nancy T.  I am no longer teaching, but when I was, I was also serving on our guild national board.  The boards decision, seldom riled against, was to be an educational organization with no competitions.  It's said better in our mission statement.

    However, in my experience, we're always in some phase of competition with those in a similar medium.  I know my groups always knew "where they stood" when in the midst of a festival (supposedly non-competitive).  No, we were never graded or judged, but we sure knew if we were better or worse than the groups around us.  In its own simplistic way, we judged ourselves.  For the most past here, I'm speaking of the general adult or church youth choirs.  I'm not sure our Guild functions would benefit by pitting groups into competition, with "chosen judges", to what end and for what benefit that we already don't get.

    The Baptists DO have judging, of a sort.  I've been a judge at about 5 of their festivals.  It's done on the Friday evening before their fest; quite informal; but seemed to me to be completely nervewracking for the ringers.  Also, at every one of them, I was cautioned not to judge harshly, so I didn't, but then.... I still felt compelled to point out improvements to be made. 

    For school hb choirs, I have heard, that in some areas, you may enter into the MENC District and State Contests (and no doubt confuse the devil out of the judges).  If anywhere, that may be the better inroad.  The choir and/or band also has to sightread... now isn't that a novel idea for handbell choirs? 

    This was the system I and many of you were brought up in.  I competed on my little lickorich schtick in all district and state contests and it was required of every band member... not optional.  And the little 60 piece band did the marching, concert, sightreading... always at AA levels for a class B school.  I must say, it was a badge of honor (and we were so scared or respectful of our director, we rose to his highest expectations).  Now, this probably mattered a lot to me, but not so much to others.  It was nervewracking, but learning to deal with performance anxiety was also a good thing.  This director also insisted on 2 concerts a year as he didn't believe marching to be the end all and be all... and believe it or not, we did 3 octaves of scales followed with arpeggios AND sightreading every day.  I never knew there was another way. 

    So, having said nothing much here, this is a topic for each school or church director to decide.  It can be as simple as getting 3 church choirs together to give a Christmas Concert and play 1-2 pieces together; to being a Showcase choir at a national or international event.... none with "judges", but all "competition" of a different kind. Sometimes it helps to have someone say "better phrases in Mm. 9-12", "where were the dynamics?" etc.

    Our medium is still in a bit of a limbo cog, but we'll find our way to good answers for each area and each group.  Thanks for a nice thread.  LV