Mauldin

  When I was in the youth group at Kilbourne Park Baptist Church, I was in the handbell choir.  Our director was also the director of the Church Music Department for the South Carolina Baptist Convention.  He was proud of our handbell choir and wanted to show us off at a handbell convention at the First Baptist Church of Mauldin, SC near Greenville.  

 We stayed overnight at a motel outside of town.  As boys will be boys, some of us stayed up all night playing games, so we didn't get any sleep.  The girls in our group did get some sleep.  The next day was going to be a concert by several handbell choirs from around the state.  They brought in one of the premier writers of handbell music in the country to direct one of his pieces.  We had practiced his song back home for several weeks to make sure it was right.

 I played the deep bass bells.  They were pretty heavy, but the good news was I didn't have as many notes to play as the higher pitched bells.  I knew when to come in on the count. During the rehearsal for the concert, the writer of his piece decided to put a rest, where one of my notes was.  I didn't have a pencil to change the music, so I thought I would just remember it.

 There were about 12 handbell choirs in the church's gymnasium for the concert.  We were placed toward the back.  It was time for the playing of this man's piece.  Everything went flawlessly until we got to the changed rest.  I saw my note and played it with gusto.  There was a gasp from the other choirs.  I realized my mistake and quickly muted my bell.  I suppose the audience thought I had a solo, but I had committed the unpardonable sin in handbells.  The director glared at me.  I turned all the colors of red in my face.  

 After the concert was over, our director came over to me and just stared at me.  We packed up our bells and headed for his car.  He wouldn't speak to me.  We drove back to Columbia in silence.  I had embarrassed him in front of the famous composer.  My punishment was being kicked out of the handbell choir.  I blamed myself on not getting any sleep from the night before.  Even so, I thought my brief solo was dramatic.  Nobody else shared my belief.  Oh well.