Our last day of Symposium was filled with final concerts, banquets, farewells and photos. I shared in an earlier post that the participants at the event were divided into to two groups. Each group performed their own final concert - both open to the public - both on the same stage. We've all been wondering all week how this would work.
First - the stage we've seen all week during solo concerts and the site for this final concert, doubled in size overnight. This theater has adjustable seating - so 10 rows of seats retracted below the floor, the orchestra shell that had been in place for the solo concerts disappeared into walls and ceilings, and the stage extended beyond the original proscenium. It was an amazing transformation that actually made the seating more intimate for the final concerts.
Second - following our final massed rehearsal, all the bells were packed up and cases and foam for each group were loaded into what the HRJ volunteers referred to as "arrow boxes" - these are basically cages on wheels (a valuable asset that we should have at every handbell event). Two cages per choir carried bells and foam. The cages were labeled by choir and wheeled into storage rooms until set-up time for each group. When set-up time arrived, the appropriated cages were brought to the main hall stage for each choir to set-up. While one group was setting up and rehearsing for their final concert, the other went to another large room to make origami cranes.
Third - at concert time, the doors were opened to the public and the group not performing. This configuration allowed all the ringers the chance to hear the final concert as well as ring in it.
Once the first concert ended - the bells and foam for that concert were loaded back onto the arrow boxes and removed. Then, we all had lunch, and started the process all over again. This time the first performing group made origami cranes, while group 2 set-up and rehearsed. Then, another public concert.
Following the concerts, we packed everything up for the final time and prepared for the final banquet.
The Final Banquet and Closing Ceremonies at the International Symposium are a grand affair. Everyone dresses up - the men in suits and tuxes, the ladies in dresses or traditional cultural dress. The festivities began with the flag procession through the banquet hall and to the stage where the presidents of each Guild waited. This was followed by greetings/final thoughts from each representative. Before dinner began, the presidents gathered for the traditional breaking of the sake barrel (see the AGEHR Facebook page for a video of this). Each participant had a small wooden cup at their place at dinner for sampling the sake.
After dinner started, more greetings were delivered from a variety of guests and dignitaries representing countries where handbell guilds have just formed or are about to be formed. At one point, Debbie Rice and the guild representatives honored HRJ Executive Director, Sun Joo Shin for her 25 years of service to the international handbell community. It was Mrs. Shin who, with David Davidson, first conceived the idea of an International Handbell Symposium. She and David both recognized how music through handbells can unite people across languages, cultures and borders.
Before the end of the evening, the Symposium Bell and Flag were passed from HRJ to Alan Hartley, chairman of the Handbell Ringers of Great Britain, the hosts of the next Symposium in 2012. Then Alan extended the official invitation to all to attend the 15th International Handbell Symposium in Liverpool, England. Finally, the six guild representatives and the IHC executive director gathered to ring the closing chord.
Throughout it all - people were roaming from table to table sharing thank yous and farewells to friends made during the week or congratulations to those who worked so hard to make the event a success. Many small gifts are exchanged between friends and guilds. We all left with armloads of memories and cameras full of pictures. Promises are made to stay in touch through e-mail and to visit each other's homes when possible. All look forward to seeing new friends again at the next Symposium.
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