Lone Star College-Tomball partnering with Houston Chamber Ringers

Lone Star College-Tomball’s music department is partnering with the Houston Chamber Ringers in an effort to make handbells more accessible to the community, according to a May 16 news release.

Through the partnership, the HCR will be artists in residence at LSC-Tomball, with members of the handbell choir rehearsing weekly at the college and collaborating for a series of concerts.

“The entire HCR ensemble is made up of fabulously vibrant and skillful musicians,” said Lisa Morales, the music department director at LSC-Tomball, via news release. “Through the LSC-Tomball and HCR partnership, we are honored to bring the art and craft of music and handbell ringing to the community.”

The first concert, dubbed "A Toast to our Tenth," will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the HCR and is set to take place May 19 at 7 p.m. at the LSC-Tomball Beckendorf Conference Center at 30555 Tomball Parkway, Tomball.

“The HCR will be performing music that hasn't ‘fit’ in previous concerts,” HCR Artistic Director Stevie Berryman said via news release. “All of those gems that have been waiting for the perfect setting are finally getting their chance to shine. The result is an entire concert of showstoppers, from the subversive and operatic ‘Cat Duet’ by Rossini to the Beatles' pop standard ‘Blackbird.’"

In December, LSC-Tomball and the HCR will also partner with local elementary schools for two Christmas concerts set for Dec. 1-2.