Most handbell musicians have met Julie Turner through her arrangements and original compositions. I first encountered her original work with Everlasting to Everlasting. It is still one of my favorite compositions. (Worth a listen if you are unfamiliar with it!)
At Coppers Classic 2023 we rang two of her works, Toccata Allegro, an original work and Julie’s excellent transcription of Toto’s Africa. Both pieces offered lots of “meat” to learn many ways to express the music. How do you shape a phrase in a huge choir? How can you ring a “mart” that fits the intent of the music! We got to practice “there’re lots of ways to ring a bell in order to make great music!” Always fun!
This year we are ringing Julie’s transcription of Here Comes the Sun, one of the of the Beatles best known works. It was written in 1969 by George Harrison. It sounds easy when you listen to the Beatles sing it but rumor has it that the Beatles had to practice quite a bit to get it right! Syncopation! Meter changes! Accidentals! . . . I’m sure that knowing that the Beatles had to work to make this song come together will give comfort to all of us as we work to perfect our performance of the piece.