University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, June 29, 1988
7
Bill Kelly: the man for whom the bells toll
Lawrence choir conductor called demanding
By Karen Boring
Kansan staff writer
That Sunday in the church, something happened to the music. The timing was off. At the end of the piece, the director ripped up his music in front of the congregation and gave his choir what-for.
William L. Kelly directs both the touring handbell choir of Plymouth Congregational Church and the Lawrence City Band. He is well-like and well-known.
One of his best-known qualities is his insistence on perfection.
Cindy Montgomery, Lawrence junior, has been in Kelly's bell choir for four years. She laughed as she told about him ripping up his music in front of the church six weeks ago.
"We never did that piece again," she said. "He has the music tacked up in front of the practice room as a reminder."
The words "perfectionist," "demanding" and "good director" are echoed by others who have enjoyed his leadership Lisa Fisher, Lawrence senior, played in the bell chair for eight years and served as the coach. She recently returned to the choir for its summer tour.
Fisher described Kelly in one word: demanding.
"He's more of a perfectionist than any other director I've ever worked under," she said.
William "Bill" Kelly, leads handbell chair members in rehearsal. Kelly has been the director of the touring handbell choir of the Plymouth Congregational Church for 14 years.
The Plymouth Festival Ringers returned June 22 from two weeks
in England, Scotland and Wales. The Festival Ringers is a student group, composed of high school and college students. Three of the 14 students who went on the tour are KU students.
Kelly's bell choir performed at Plymouth Church on Sunday in its last concert until September. The ringers played a dizzying number of bells as their gloved hands flew across the stage and later in fluid slow-motion.
Later, Kelly said one piece they played, "Beside the Still Waters" by Howard Starks, could almost make him cry.
"I'm very emotional," he said. "Music has got to get to your heart through your ears."
The Festival Ringers tour every summer under Kelly's direction. Leslie Michel, Lawrence junior, has been on six bell tours, including trips to the East Coast, Michigan, Hawaii and England. The band performed at events of the trip, and the chair's fundraisers pay for one-third.
Barbara Kelly, Bill's wife, is the tour planner and organizer.
"When we get back, when people ask us what we did in England, she doesn't want us to say that we just went shopping." Michel said.
Sightseeing is a big part of the tours, Michel said, mostly because of Barbara Kelly.
Barbara Kelly said that the students got a chance to see a lot on the trip, perhaps more than they wanted. She excitedly pored over a map of Great Britain and
"We're both educators, so it's very important to us to see as much as you can," she said.
talked about the virtues of travel.
From left, Jenny Haile and Amy Thompson, Lawrence High School students, Leslie Michel and Cindy Montgomery, KU students and Bill Pinches, also from Lawrence High, participate in a bell choir practice at the Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St.
Barbara Kelly often speaks for both herself and her husband, but he doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he may prefer it that way.
Michel laughed when asked if Barbara was in charge of the tour.
Sue Schellie/KANSAN
"Oh yes," she said. "Bill worries about the music and Barbara worries about everything else."
Everyone seemed to agree
Bill put it a different way when Barbara left the room.
"Bill's responsibility is making music." Barbara said.
"She does all the work, I do all the music." he said.
The Kellys have directed the bell choirs at Plymouth Congregational since the church acquired the bells in 1974. The program has grown from one to seven choirs. The Festival Ringers is the touring group. Bill Kelly also directs the two adult choirs.
Barbara Kelly directs the four training chairs, one each of sixthgraders, seventh graders, eighthgraders and ninth graders. When there are no spaces available on the Festival Ringers, she also has a high school choir to join in to participate in the Festival Ringers.
"I don't pretend to be a musician," she said. "They know that when Bill comes along, he's going to turn the notes into music."
The number of ringers in each of the choirs is dictated by the number of bells the chair rings; vacancies are filled in as they occur. The Festival Ringers ring five octaves of bells with 14 ringers.
Barbara Kelly explained that the children learned more complicated music as they move up but also that of the bell choirs performed.
"The theory is that everyone has to ring in church three to four times a year," she said.
"We're just like a grade school music program," he added.
Bill Kelly is a retired KU professor of music education and a former high school band instructor. He was most recently associate dean of educational services at KU, retiring in spring 1987.
"You think of bell choirs as 'ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling,' but we play music," he said, emphasizing the last word.
Ringers includes the "William Tell Overture," "Sabre Dance," "The Stars and Stripes" and "Memory" from the musical "Cats."
Kelly wasn't always sold on the idea of handbell ringing.
In 1973, an 11-year-old boy from Plymouth Congregational Church choked to death. The pastor and the music director of the church suggested to his parents, Chuck and Erma Fisher, that they present a living memorial to the church in their son's name. The
The repertoire of the Festival
original three-octave set of the Brad Fisher Memorial Bells was dedicated at Thanksgiving 1974. Lisa Fisher, present member of the Plymouth Festival Ringers, is Brad's sister.
Since 1974, the church has added two octaves and a second three-octave set.
As Youth Music Coordinator of Plymouth Congregational Church when the bells were dedicated, Barbara Kelly, who had never heard a handbell choir play, was
faced with starting a bell choir program. Bill asked to be left out of it.
"I thought it was ridiculous," he said. "What a dumb way to make music. I said, 'Don't get me involved in this thing.'"
Now, 14 years later, he has no intention of quitting.
"I wouldn't give my life up for anything." Kelly said seriously.
"What would I do with my time? Probably just play golf more than I do now."
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