Bucknell University bell choir performs classic hymns at Salem Church
Among the performers is Bucknell senior Amanda Miller from Kutztown
Bucknell University’s Rooke Chapel Ringers will perform a bell choir concert of original music and classic hymns at Salem Church, 2150 Old Route 22, Lenhartsville, on Sunday, Jan. 14.
The 3 p.m. performance will feature the 14 members in the Rooke Chapel Ringers from Bucknell University, Lewisburg.
Among the performers is Bucknell University senior Amanda Miller, who hails from Kutztown and attends Salem Church with her family. A music education major with a minor in arts entrepreneurship, Miller has been a part of the Rooke Chapel Ringers since her freshman year.
“The concert will be about an hour and a half with an intermission,” Miller said, and will include original pieces for hand bells as well as transcriptions of well-known hymns. “We’ll also be playing quite a few Christmas selections that we performed [during] Bucknell’s annual Christmas Candlelight services.”
“We typically decide on the program as the tour goes on, so I can’t guarantee exactly which songs we’ll be playing!”
Each year, Miller explains, the group takes a tour and performs in the home towns of senior members. She has been anticipating the trip to Salem for years and is excited her turn has finally come.
“It’s always a lot of fun to meet members’ friends and families and see where they are from. Now as a senior myself, I can say that it’s really special for each of us to bring a group of our friends to our hometowns and share our music with the local community. It’s a great way to give back to all the people who helped us grow into the collegiate musicians we are today.”
Miller said the performance will include fun elements and a few surprises.
“I think audiences enjoy listening to an ensemble that they don’t hear every day. The sound of hand bells is beautiful and the music we perform can be enjoyed by everyone.”
The performance will wrap up the tour, which also included stops in Seaford, New York, and Caldwell, New Jersey. The Rooke Chapel Ringers are directed by Samuel Robinson.
The public is welcome to attend the 3 p.m. concert at Salem Church on Jan. 14. For details, visit the concert’s event page on Facebook (see facebook.com/WeAreSalem’s event page) or by calling the church office at 610-562-5033.