Washington Elementary School is very fortunate to have a two octave set of Schulmerich English Handbells. They were purchased with memorial funds donated in the name of Mr. Frank Romayo, an elementary school band director at Marlington in the 60’s and early 70’s. Each building where Mr. Romayo taught was given money with which to purchase a memorial gift. Washington’s music teacher at the time was the late Florence Allison. It was her vision to obtain the bells and form fifth grade handbell choirs. Individuals and service groups in the community contributed to the fund until there was enough money to purchase the bells.

We currently have two fifth grade handbell choirs at Washington. One group meets after school on Mondays, and the other meets after school on Wednesdays. The group is open to any fifth grade child. There can be 7-10 members in each group to function properly. We have 15 children participating in our groups at the time.

Handbell ringing is a skill that takes much practice and concentration. The children must count constantly so as not to lose their place in the music. It is truly a team effort, because if one person misses his or her cue, the melody may be lost.

The tradition of handbells is thought to have begun in England, thus the name English handbells. The sound of the solid brass bells is beautiful, and the group is frequently called upon to perform at various functions in the community.

We feel very lucky to have this unique opportunity at Washington, and we hope you will get to hear the group perform sometime. To hear a sample of our music, click on the links below.

This page posted on January 2, 2006