Department of Music to present ASU Ringers in holiday concert Dec. 6

November 23, 2010 -- The Arkansas State University Ringers, a handbell choir directed by Dr. M. Ellis Julien, professor emeritus of music, will present its annual Christmas concert in Riceland Hall, Fowler Center, 201 Olympic Drive., on Monday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. The concert is open to the public and free of charge.



Established by Dr. Ellis Julien in 1985, the ASU Ringers is a handbell ensemble which is open to members of the entire student body, members of the ASU faculty and staff, and to the Jonesboro community.

Since 1993, the ASU Ringers have made annual tours throughout the Midsouth and the Midwest.  In addition to the annual Christmas concerts and spring concerts performed on campus, for the past seventeen years the RINGERS have presented numerous programs throughout  Arkansas and in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas.  Last spring, the ensemble was selected by audition to perform in Nashville, Tenn.,  for the national convention of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers.

The program will feature a wide variety of familiar Christmas music. Included will be “Kingsport Procession” by Kathleen Wissinger; “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”, arranged by Cathy Moklebust; “A Christmas Carillon”, arranged by Margaret R. Tucker; “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, arranged by Cathy Moklebust; “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, arranged by Alan Lohr; “Stille Nacht” by Franz Gruber and arranged by Betty Garee; “Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella”, arranged by Valerie Stephenson; “Still, Still, Still” and “Greensleeves” (“What Child is This?”), both arranged by Cathy Moklebust; “Carillon Festiva”, an original composition by Cathy Moklebust; and “Carol of the Bells”, by Mykola Leontovych, arranged by Lorie Line and set for bells by Kevin McChesney.

Members of the choir include:  Mylie Brown, Jane Steinegger, Dr. David Gilmore, Ashley Hall, Nicole Nebeker, Tommy Russell, and Christy Pike, all of Jonesboro, Amy Dennis of Hardy, Jennifer Hall of Tyronza, Jingy Linghu of Beijing, China, Madelaine Michael of Newport, Justin Powell of Powhatan, Jenny Shell of Evansville, Ind., Jon Stevenson of North Little Rock, U Yin Tan of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Rylan Williams of Siloam Springs.  

For more information about the concert or ASU music, please feel free to contact the music office at (870) 972-2094.

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