Yesterday was the school awards ceremony, and the handbell club were asked to provide some ringing about halfway along. So, for the last few weeks of the Club sessions, we have been rehearsing a demonstration for this. The children planned an ambitious one, including plain hunting on 4, table lapping, and plain hunting on 6 (!!).
It doesn't sound like much until you remember that they will be in front of a pretty big audience and without their 'cheat sheets' (actually the children have all confessed that it is easier to ring without the cheat sheets now - hurrah!).
I am always of two minds about these performances: on the one hand, it is great to have a goal like that and to show off a little, on the other, the preparation takes a few weeks potential training and progress away.
Well, the day came and they pulled it off with great verve, and rang straight past the very few mistakes they made. Much of the audience had been at the Easter service for their first performance (rounds and queens), and from the comments I got afterwards, they noticed the improvement.
Running the club has been quite a lot of work, but really worth the result. Now I have to think of how to organise next year's club - so far the children are keen to carry on.