Ringing in the president. Again

[Amelia]

Ringing in the president. Again

Thursday, January 13, 2005

By JoAnn Boatwright

The Argus

Hillsboro-based Ring of Fire handbell choir will ring in George W. Bush's second presidential term next week while riding in the 55th Inauguration Parade.

The 13-member bell choir played for Bush's first inauguration four years ago, but this time will ride on an elaborate vintage float which is being redesigned to accommodate the musicians and their instruments.

"I'm really excited to go to the inauguration," said Kaitlyn Fitch, a Tualatin Valley Junior Academy ninth grader who has played with Ring of Fire for four years.

Fitch, like other members of the bell choir, started playing at TVJA, where Ring of Fire founder and conductor Jason Wells taught until accepting a job at Portland Adventist Academy last fall. Eight years ago he started the choir, building it from up-and-coming bell ringers who started playing in the primary grades at TVJA.

Last summer, Ring of Fire went independent while still maintaining a close relationship with TVJA which serves students through 10th grade. Now, the group includes TVJA alumni who attend Century High School and Portland Adventist Academy.

Kelli Wagner, 16, is a 6-year veteran of Ring of Fire who now attends Century. This will be the young musician's second inauguration trip to Washington, D.C., with Ring of Fire. Only 12 years old the last time, Wagner found the whole experience "amazing."

"It was totally awesome," said Wagner recalled the nearby protesters along the parade route.

Those protesters, who quieted down when Ring of Fire began to play, caught the attention of a Wall Street Journal reporter who wrote about their proximity to the teenaged musicians.

Even before their notice by the national media, Ring of Fire was making a name for itself, with appearances in many venues around the country.

Only eight months after the inauguration, the group traveled to New York City, where they played at Ground Zero in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001. They also played in a special service for more than 6,000 listeners at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral honoring the police officers and fire fighters who died on Sept. 11.

The 9-11 trip was then 11-year-old Kaitlyn Fitch's first time on an airplane and the experience has whetted her appetite not only for performing, but for travel.

Since joining the bell choir, Fitch has been in dozens of states and several countries. She is considered one of the finest young bell ringers in the country, according to composer Kevin McChesney of Colorado.

McChesney has created Ring of Fire's signature piece, "Capriccio," which the group will perform when their float pauses in front of the president and first lady. During the rest of the parade, they will play a variety of patriotic tunes, Wells said.

Ring of Fire also will perform at a special inaugural candlelight dinner attended by the Bushes in the National Museum's Great Hall on Wednesday.

Ring of Fire is the only musical group invited from Oregon and Washington to participate in the inauguration festivities. The event caps a string of performances from the Crystal Cathedral in Los Angeles to the Boston Pops Orchestra in Massachusetts (where they received an unprecedented mid-concert standing ovation).

Wells admits he thrives on his work with the young bell ringers. "It is so rewarding to work with teens and to see the success they can achieve," he said. "I can't set the bar high enough. They always exceed my expectations."

A number of local businesses and civic organizations have contributed funds to help the nonprofit Ring of Fire make the trip to the second Bush inauguration. A final all-day Oregon rehearsal will be held Monday at the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center and the musicians will head for Washington early Tuesday morning.

Copyright 2005 Oregon Live.

[Bravus]

...and Kid Rock <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

[Michelle]

We heard them play at PMC at AU--very talented young musicians and a really gifted director.

M

[cricket]

Why doesn't my bell choir ever get to do anything fun like this?!?

[Nicodema]

Because your bell choir has better things to do besides ringing in the inauguration of the beast rehearsal?

Seriously, I would not want to expose impressionable kids to the total mess and chaos downtown on that day -- not to mention the bitter cold snap we're going to be having here weather-wise ...

[Pockey]

Hey, maybe Bush will actually be able to get out of his limo and finish his inauguration walk this time.

[cricket]

I'm just having a hard time imagining what it would be like to play handbells on a moving platform. Sounds like it would be an awfully rough ride! [All puns intended.]

Besides playing for church [the Lutheran church, that is], the only thing our bell choir gets is invitations to listen to other bell choirs!

[Guest]

Just trying to find out if this thread is implying that George Bush is a ding-a-ling.

[Neil D]

No, but if you go to the World Affairs forum, you will see that some of us think that Bush is a ding-dong! }:-)