Life has taken Rhonda Meyers, a U.S. Army retiree, from her childhood home in Michigan to Germany to Maryland and finally to Florida. The one constant: her love for handbells.
Piano lessons helped young Meyers learn to read music, allowing her to join her musical family—her father was a trombonist—and use her talents at church.
“I have four older sisters,” she says. “With five of us, we could very easily pick up a hymnal and ring Christmas carols.”
She started with one bell but eventually learned to play multiple bells and switch positions to play different notes or clefs. After her job resulted in a transfer to Central Florida in 1993, Meyers began directing a bell choir at her new church.
She notes: “I directed that choir for 14 years. I didn’t get to ring very much with them, so I was looking for an outlet to ring.”
She found it in 1996 when the handbell choir Magic of Bronze—now celebrating its 30th anniversary—was formed. Meyers, a founding member, has subsequently rung in 45 concerts. She is also the group’s vice president and event coordinator, while her non-musician husband serves as its “unofficial roadie.”
Over the years, Meyers has treasured the camaraderie and wealth of talent within the group. “A bond through music is a bond that is unique and special,” says Meyers, who has seen the group ebb and flow and its repertoire evolve beyond classics and sacred music.
Upcoming commemorative concerts will include such selections as Jim Henson’s “The Rainbow Connection,” Disney’s “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and two commissioned pieces: “Chronology” by Michael Glasgow and “Threshold” by Michael Compton.
Venues and dates for upcoming events are: First Presbyterian Church, 175 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland, Sunday, April 26, 5 p.m.; Joy Evangelical Lutheran Church, 7045 Southwest 83rd Place, Ocala, Sunday, May 3, 5 p.m.; and the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater at Dr. Phillips Center, 445 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando, Saturday, May 9, 7 p.m.
Visit magicofbronze.com for more information.
