area duo brings the unusual artform of
handbell music to life in a Eugene performance
By Sara Jarrett
Oregon Oaily Emerald
Being likened to synchronized swimmers without the
water has come as no surprise to Beth Klein and David Jor
dan. After all, to successfully play handbells,*one must be
able to move as efficiently as possible.
Even though mastering the craft doesn’t necessarily re
quire a connection between each performer’s movements,
the two musicians who collectively make up Handbells
Unlimited! spend a significant amount of their rehearsal
time choreographing just that, Jordan says.
The Portland-based duo makes an appearance in Eugene
Saturday night at Central Lutheran Church, 1857 Potter St.
The reasoning to perfect matching rhythms isn’t so obvi
ous to the casual observer, Jordan says.
During a performance, “43 mini versions of the Liberty
Bell,” rest on a table, he says. The bells sit atop a three-inch
piece of rubber Styrofoam, with the hard, plastic handle fac
ing away from the audience. The bells’ “lips” gaze outward.
Arranged like the keys of a piano, each bell produces a dif
ferent tone. With only two people playing the instruments,
the action can get very dynamic on stage.
Imagine what might happen to inexperienced bell play
ers with little spatial awareness.
Jordan and Klein, however, have everything under con
trol with Handbells Unlimited! With 31 years of experience
between the pair, they initially began the company because
they had outgrown the more conventional 63-bell choir of
12 to 15 people.
Their chosen path has been challenging from the get-go,
but success has been its own reward, Jordan says. They
could, no doubt, make a living as street performers if things
were to suddenly get real tough.
After debuting in 1998, Handbells Unlimited! took an 11
day tour to Minnesota and back, during which the duo per
formed eight concerts and held two workshops. In addition
to performing in Seattle, Portland and Alaska, the couple
has also broken into the international circuit, performing
in Germany and Scandinavia.
Though there are quite a
few soloists, a duet handbell
team is very rare, Jordan
says. He knows of only one
other, in Southern California
where he grew up before at
tending the University of
Oregon.
While working on a com
puter science degree — he
graduated in 1996 — Jordan
even taught a few handbell
ringing classes at the School
of Music as well as playing
with the University Concert
Choir.
Now he uses his talent to
complement his career as a
computer programmer in
Portland.
An arguably obscure in
strument, the handbell
doesn’t get a lot of press.
When observers see it in ac
tion, however, especially a
duet team, they are usually
impressed.
“I wonder, ‘How can they
do all that?’ The two of them
make it look so easy,” says
Courtesy of Handbells Unlimited
David Jordan and Beth Klein offer a unique chance this weekend to hear handbell music.
Gail Rapp, a fellow bell player who met both Klein and Jor
dan in a community bell choir in Portland.
“I love watching them,” she comments. “They look like
twins sometimes.”
Proud of their musical range, Jordan describes their con
certs as very eclectic, with the tunes ranging from Bach to
“music written a couple of years ago.”
In their repertoire, for instance, is “Fat Man On Roof,” a
revised adaptation written by Klein of the holiday classic
“Up on the Housetop.”
A lot of the music they play, however, was originally
written for the harpsichord, which translates nicely to
handbells, Jordan says.
Hear Handbells Unlimited! play its music Saturday at
Central Lutheran Church. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
Admission is free with an optional donation to cover travel
expenses.
Nightly 4:45, 7:00 4 9:15pm Sun Mat 2:30pm
Soon: EARTH and
Sun Mat 3pm IS,
t||M 686-2458
■ • W W 492 E. 13th Ave
wwvy.bijou-Ginemas.com
BEING JOHN MAIKOVICHl
9:00pm only HELD OVER ‘TIL J
/Lonely Planet’
emotm/v
Lord Leebrick Theatre Company and HIV Alliance join
forces to bring a message of courage to the community
By Windy Borman
for the Emerald
The newest production by
the Lord Leebrick Theatre
Company is “Lonely Plan
et,” which opens tonight.
The play by Steven Dietz stars
Randy Lord, owner of LLTC, and
Joseph Gilg of the University The
atre. Carol Home directs the story,
which explores issues dealing
with AIDS by examining the
friendship between two gay men.
The play shows “how friend
ship gets us through the darkest
times of life,” Horne says. “It’s the
ability to reach out to our friends
that gives us the courage to step
back into life.”
Reaching out to the community
has also become a priority for the
local non-profit theater company.
The Lord Leebrick Theatre has
agreed to donate 15 percent of all
“Lonely Planet” ticket proceeds to
benefit the HIV Alliance. The
group is a non-profit organization
that has served the people and
community of Lane County since
the 1980s.
The theater also invites commu
nity involvement by hosting casu
Courtesty of Lord Leebrick Theatre Company
Joseph Gilg (left) and Randy Lord star as two friends who help each other through
the emotional experience of dealing with HIV and AIDS.
al talk-back discussions after each
Thursday and Sunday perfor
mances of “Lonely Planet.” Repre
sentatives from HIV Alliance will
be present to talk to audiences
about the play, answer questions
and spread recent news about HIV.
This play looks at AIDS differ
ently than we do today because it
was written in the early 1990s,
says Darnell Rudd Mandeblatt,
HIV Alliance development direc
tor. She says she wants people to
understand that “HIV is not over
and the word ‘AIDS’ does not
mean life is over.”
The subject matter does have
the potential to be dismal, but Gilg
vouches that the script and acting
are not overemotional.
“The play is intelligent and
deals with emotion, but doesn’t
get maudlin or depressing,” he
says.
While tissues remain optional,
they are still recommended.
“Lonely Planet” begins its run
tonight and continues until Feb.
12 at Lord Leebrick Theatre, 540
Charnelton St. Performances be
gin at 8 p.m. Thursday through
Saturday and Sunday matinees
begin at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for Friday and
Saturday performances and $14
on Thursday and Sunday.
For more information contact
the Lord Leebrick Theatre Compa
ny at 465-1506 or the HIV Alliance
at 342-5088.