Christmas Setup

I think we have a floor map planned out for the Christmas service... it took some figuring, but I'm pretty sure we'll have everything in place so we can still move around somewhat easily.  Complications this year include having bells/instruments accompany two choir songs.  Where to put them? A place where they're not covering anyone up, but they're not in the way the rest of the program.  We decided to have the two tables set up in front of the manger scene for the first part of the program. We're not using the manger, so they won't be covering anyone.  After those songs, the kids will move the tables and put their bells away.  Actually, they'll be playing tone chimes so the bells can be set up on other tables for our offering song.  Those tables will be set up, but shoved against the wall so they're not in the way.  We'll pull them out when it's time to play on them.

Miss S showed me some of the special bell techniques we'll be using in our offering song.  We've been practicing the song with normal ringing, but next week we'll add the fancy effects... things like "marting" or striking the bell on the table (I usually call it table damping) and malleting (or striking the bells with mallets).  We've never used mallets before so it should be interesting!