Texas hand bell ensemble to perform in Sidney

A Texas-based hand bell choir's performance next week in Sidney will be a homecoming for one of the ensemble's members.

Amber Davis White, who graduated from Sidney High School in 2004, joined the Cast of the Bronze-Dallas choir last fall after moving to Texas.

The group's summer tour, which kicks off Sunday, has stops in four states: Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Nebraska.

On Wednesday, June 17, Cast of Bronze will perform at the Sidney First United Methodist Church. The concert is free and will begin at 7 p.m.

White said she is looking forward to performing again in Sidney.

"I'm super excited," she said on the phone from Texas on Monday. "I have a lot of family friends who still live there, and I haven't gotten to play for people I know in a long time."

Cast of Bronze has 15 members and is directed by Chris Nabors. The choir performs on more than 300 hand bells and chimes.

The ensemble was formed in 2002 and has performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the American Guild of Organists and the Women's Chorus of Dallas, among others.

This summer's program is entitled "Illumination" and features original hand bell compositions by William Payn, Donald Allured, Arnold Sherman and many others, according to media release.

"We will also play marches, classical and sacred music, jazz standards and other familiar tunes," the release states.

White said one of the pieces – the namesake of the tour – challenges the performers to keep up with the director.

"Our director is known for playing the piece as fast as humanly possible," she said with a laugh. "But not all of the songs are fast. There are some relaxing pieces, too."

Following the concert, audience members can ring the bells and chimes and ask questions.

Next week's performance will bring White back to where she first began ringing as a sophomore in high school.

"I started in Sidney, at the Methodist church, when my dad was the minister there," she said.

Since then, she's played with six other bell ringing choirs, including ones in Kearney and in St. Louis.

This will be the 13th annual summer concert tour for Cast of Bronze, but the first for White.

"I'm really excited," she said. "I get to perform seven times in eight days."

In addition to the summer performances, she said the group stages an annual Christmas-themed concert around the Holidays in Texas.

Throughout the year, the choir meets for 2.5 hours each Sunday for practice.

"Cast of Bronze performs on 318 hand bells and chimes, including: seven octaves of American-made Schulmerich hand bells, six octaves of Malmark choir chimes, five octaves of English-made Whitechapel hand bells, three octaves of Dutch-made Petit and Fristen hand bells, three octaves of BoomWhackers and two-and-one-half octaves of DeskSet bells," the release states.

The choir has also released a CD, "Opening Night," which is available at the ensemble's website, http://castofbronze.com.

For more information about Cast of Bronze or next week's concert, visit the website or call Joy Davis at (402) 705-3029.