CHOIRS FROM NEW YORK AND VIRGINIA COME TOGETHER TO PERFORM AT RIVERSIDE CHURCH

Sunday, April 6, 2014, 4 p.m. in NYC Open to All

NEW YORK, April 1, 2014 – The Emanuel Ringers of Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church will join five other choirs at Riverside Church in Manhattan to play in the 36th Annual English Handbell Festival on April 6.

Five choirs – the Emanuel Ringers, the host Riverside Ringers, the Katonah Celebration Ringers, the Hewitt School Handbell Choir, and Christ Church Handbell Choir – will travel from around New York, with the Mitchell Ringers making the trek from Annandale, Virginia to play in one of the longest running festivals in New York.

“The Riverside Festival is a special event because it is an invitational festival for medium to advanced handbell choirs in the Northeast,” said Abigail Gray, director of The Riverside Ringers. “Riverside church has a beautiful Nave to hold this festival each year. Acoustically, there is no matching the Nave at Riverside for this kind of handbell festival.”

David Harris, conductor of the nationally touring Raleigh Ringers, will direct the choirs as they fill the Nave with pealing of 42 octaves of bells and assorted chimes. The assembled choirs will perform pieces including Savior of the Nations Come, Donna Nobis Pacem, and Prelude on Herzliebster Jesu. Several selections will feature orchestral and organ accompaniment. Riverside’s organ is among the largest in New York.

Dionisio Lind, Riverside’s carillonneur, will perform at 3 p.m., with Christopher Creaghan playing on the organ at 3:30 before the bell festival kicks off at 4. The public is warmly welcomed. Tickets are $20/$15 at the door.

Riverside Church is located at 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY. For more information about the church, please visit http://www.theriversidechurchny.org/.

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Media contact: Will Egensteiner | 914-299-9592 | will_egensteiner@mac.com