Sunday afternoon’s concert by the Panther Creek Church of the Brethren Handbell Choir marked the group’s 33rd annual performance, and the audience of about 200 warmly thanked the choir in the rural church south of Perry.
The event was entitled Hamballs, Handbells and Harmony — also called H Cubed by the mathematically adept — and it began with a fundraising dinner in the church’s community room. Dinner included homemade servings of hamballs, potatoes, green beans, rolls and dessert.
Between dinner and the concert, a piano interlude was provided by Bob Davis, who played popular selections.
The Panther Creek Ringers, the younger of the church’s two handbell choirs, also performed, and the Panther Creek Vocal Choir sang a selection of favorite songs.
Proceeds from the fundraising hamballs go toward additional handbells. The choir now has a full five octaves of handbells plus three octaves of chimes and a variety of mallets, according to Handbell Choir Director Donna Emmert. The handbells are manufactured in Pennsylvania by Schulmerich Carrilons Inc. and are the highest quality handbells made in the U.S., Emmert said.
