HSA

Based in Port Macquarie, NSW, The Sublime Chimes Ensemble is a Handbell and ChoirChime ringing group founded in 2013 by a group of women, mostly retired, keen to create a musical group in which reading music was not a pre-requisite. Being part of the Ensemble would enable them to learn a new and unique skill in their retirement. Since formation, music-readers and non-music-readers alike, succeeded in becoming a cohesive group of 13 players ringing Handbells and ChoirChimes. This was greatly assisted by the loan of Schulmerich Handbells from the Handbell Society.

 

In addition to being a group member of the Handbell Society of Australasia, the Ensemble was accepted as a Sub-Unit of the Port Macquarie Hastings Municipal Band in 2014. Only a few months after formation, the Ensemble made its debut public performance, and has continued performances in support of organisations such as The Red Cross, Legacy, Salvation Army and community events celebrating Seniors Week and our Heritage.

 

Enormous fundraising efforts by members, combined with successful Grant applications, permitted the Ensemble in late 2015 to purchase their own 3-Octave set of Malmark Handbells.

 

In early 2016, an additional 7 members - including one gentleman - joined the Ensemble, all of whom are music-readers. This ability has enabled them to seamlessly join the pre-existing group. The increase in the number of ringers has allowed the Ensemble to expand their repertoire and thus be in a position to accept more gigs.

 

The original vision adopted by The Sublime Chimes Ensemble continues … “to learn to play as a team so we may present the pleasure of music to people of all ages through our traditional and contemporary interpretation of the ancient art of handbell ringing”.