The 2027 Bay View Week of Handbells August 9-13, 2027
Our Mission Statement
“The Bay View Week of Handbells exists to give advanced ringers an opportunity to prepare a concert to be performed at a high professional level.”
About the Event
Founded in 1978 by Donald E. Allured, the Bay View Week of Handbells has become a destination for advanced handbell ringers from all corners of North America. The 2027 event will be held from August 9-13 in Petoskey, Michigan, on the grounds of the Bay View Association located on the picturesque shores of Little Traverse Bay.
The one hundred eight advanced handbell musicians will be assigned positions in ten choirs, using sets of handbells and chimes ranging from five to eight octaves. The rehearsals begin at noon on Monday and continue through Thursday afternoon. The closing concert will take place at 7:30 pm on Thursday evening, August 12. The event concludes on Friday morning with a farewell breakfast and a viewing of the concert video.
The Director
Fred Gramann has been the musical director for the BVWOH since 2018. He holds organ performance degrees from Syracuse University and the University of Michigan. With his wife Nancy, he went to Paris, France in 1972 for organ study with Marie-Claire Alain and Maurice Duruflé. What was to be a nine-month stint evolved into a 50-year musical adventure in the City of Light. Fred held the position of Director of Music at the American Church in Paris from 1976 to 2022 where he was organist and conducted the choral and handbell programs. Fred and Nancy now reside in the French city of Orléans.
A well-known composer, conductor, educator and handbell clinician, Fred is frequently invited all over the world to conduct handbell festivals. He has been guest director three times for Distinctly Bronze East and Distinctly Bronze West, and is the permanent director for UK Bronze which is held in Farnborough, Hampshire, England. He also conducts BronzeFest, which includes bronze-level handbell choirs from Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
The Repertoire
The 2027 repertoire will be announced by November 1st, encompassing a variety of styles, tempi, techniques, time signatures and key signatures, offering a good mix of original works and arrangements of tunes the audience will recognize. Applicants are asked to consult this list to decide if they are capable and willing to meet the challenges involved, keeping in mind that the music must be ready to ring at performance tempo at the first rehearsal. Please be aware that this is not an event where participants come to learn notes. Rather, this is an event where ringers come with the music learned so that we can work together to enhance the musicality of the collective works.
Registration
First Time Participants
An important aspect of the BVWOH is welcoming new participants. Ten bronze-level ringers who are new to this event will be accepted from the applications received. Potential applicants need to review the repertoire once it is announced to ensure they are fully aware of what will be required. They need to have the advanced skills and adequate preparation time to successfully participate in the BVWOH experience.
The application deadline is December 15, 2026.
New Participant Application
Young Adult Scholarships
Encouraging young adult ringers to attend the BVWOH is essential to our future. Thanks to the Carl Wiltse Scholarship Fund, financial assistance in the amount of $750 is offered to one or two bronze-level ringers between the ages of 18 and 30.
The application deadline is December 1, 2026.
Young Adult Scholarship Application
Registration for Alumni
The selection of ringers who are alumni is determined by means of a lottery.
- Interested alumni need to submit the Alumni Lottery Application by December 31st. An automatic reply message will be sent to confirm receipt.
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The submitted forms will be assigned consecutive numbers in the order they are received.
(Note the assigned number has nothing to do with priority.) - During the first week of January, a lottery process will assign a random number to each application.
- Positions will be filled using the generated random number. Any ringer’s whose random number falls within the available positions will be emailed a link to register on-line the following week.
- When all the available positions have been filled, the remaining random numbers will constitute the wait list. These people will be notified of their status as wait-listed.
Registration Fee
A registration fee of $315 is due by March 1st.
The Concert
The 2027 concert will take place on Thursday, August 12th at 7:30pm in the John M. Hall Auditorium. A CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, and/or USB drive of the concert may be ordered by contacting Pierpont Productions (231-347-4488 / pierpontproductions.com). Pre-ordered recordings are normally sent out in October.
Concert Attire
The concert attire is BLACK. Please do not wear dark gray, navy or faded black.
- Men: BLACK long sleeved dress shirt with BLACK dress pants, BLACK belt, BLACK socks, and BLACK shoes.
- Women: BLACK top with three-quarter length sleeve or longer, BLACK pants (no jeans) or skirt, and BLACK shoes. Please no glittery or dangly necklaces or earrings.
- All Ringers: BLACK gloves.
- It is imperative to avoid wearing perfume or other scents as some ringers are prone to allergic reactions.
Music
You are responsible for purchasing and using published music scores. Photocopies are not permitted on the rehearsal floor.
If you wish to use a screen device in place of standard paper copies, you must retain a copy of the purchase receipt for digital downloads or keep the original purchased music on hand in lieu of a purchase receipt
Housing & Transportation
You are responsible for securing your own housing. Petoskey’s tourist season is in full swing during this time of year so PLEASE make your reservations early.
Ruth Crist Hall
Ruth Crist Hall provides basic, inexpensive on-site dormitory housing. Each room has a private bathroom. Located on Terrace Avenue, it’s a short walk to rehearsals. The cost is $200 for the four-night stay which is less than one night in many of the local inns and hotels. No meals are provided but there is a fridge and microwave. Each resident is responsible for purchasing and preparing their own meals. If desired, invitations to share a meal or two with some of the participants staying in cottages can easily be arranged.
While northern Michigan typically enjoys an average daytime temperature in the mid 70’s to low 80’s, it does sometimes get hot and Crist Hall is not air-conditioned. Registrants staying in Crist Hall are asked to bring twin bed sheets, pillowcases, and towels. Check-in time is Monday afternoon at 4:30pm. If you plan on arriving on Sunday, you will need to secure other housing for that evening.
Cottage Life
This is a special part of the Bay View experience for many. Small groups of ringers go together and rent a cottage for the week, planning and cooking their own meals. You can check out rental options on these websites:
Inns and Hotels
There are many fine hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts located in the area. The only two “on campus” are The Terrace Inn and Stafford’s Bay View Inn. Both are very lovely but a bit pricey. If you plan to stay in a hotel, look and book sooner than later. As time goes by they will completely fill up, with the least expensive options going first. Most have a free cancellation policy by a certain date, so you may want to have a “bird in the hand” as you beat the bushes for other options.
Transportation
You can get to Bay View by car, plane, or boat. Take a look at the map and start making your plans, remembering all registrants must make their own travel arrangements.
Refund Policy
Please take careful note of the refund schedule :
- Prior tol April 1st : all monies paid will be refunded minus a $50 handling fee.
- From April 1st to June 15th : 50% of all monies will be refunded.
- After June 15th: no monies will be refunded for any reason, including medical issues or family emergencies.
For further information please contact:
- Paul Kingsbury, operations manager, at weekofhandbells@gmail.com
- Fred Gramann, musical director, at gramannfred@gmail.com
For information about the Bay View Association please consult their website: www.bayviewassociation.org