Our 5th-6th & 7th-8th grade hand bell choirs performed in their first live major event since the pandemic at the Holden Center in Gladstone.

The festival was a collaborative musical event that included about 100 students from five different schools. High schoolers from Portland Adventist Academy and Livingston Academy helped lead the mixed group in ice breakers and activities to help build friendships between the students from different schools.

“It was a long day and the students showed a lot of endurance,” said Megan Schwark, our music director. The day included several hours of rehearsal. This festival gave our students an opportunity to learn and grow with new bell-ringing techniques. The culminating event was a performance of 6 songs rung by both “tin” and “copper” ringers.