As you listen to and watch Farmington Woods’ Ringers and Singers perform their signature piece, “Tall Walls — Fall!” any preconceptions you may have had about handbells will shatter. “Look out below!” and “Timber!” are student innovations, along with marching and other activity throughout the piece.

Students stand facing each other in a circle. Some wear funky tie-dyed gloves or plain white ones to protect the bells from tarnishing. Bells rest on white cushions between songs, and black binders full of highlighted music stand open.

As the group works on another piece, “Soliloquy,” music teacher and handbell director Ann LeGarde asks for input. “Stop. How was that?”

Several students reply, “Really bad.” “Again?” Bells are raised, students at attention. After a few bars, “Stop. How was that?” “Good!”

Thirty-nine Farmington Woods fifth-graders arrive at school early twice a week to practice in the only elementary handbell choir in a public school in North Carolina. There is a fourth-grade training choir, too, that practices at different times, because the amount of bells is the limiting factor. “They come in very focused; it may be one of the most focused 30 minutes of their day,” LeGarde said. “One student said, ‘this wakes up my brain.’”

Any fourth- or fifth-grader can “audition” to be accepted for the choirs, but dedication and commitment are stressed, and LeGarde asks each student if they want to continue after the first month of practice.

Practice makes perfect, and choir members help each other improve. “We have two people playing each bell,” said Jayasree Jaganatha, 11. “We give a glance if they need to work to fix it next time, and then we practice again and again.”

As she dismissed the students, LeGarde said, “You are learning, working together and using personal expression. You gave me a lot of goosebumps today.”

LeGarde has led the handbell choir at Farmington Woods since 1990 when former principal Cornelius Swart purchased the instruments, believing knowledge and success would follow. “I had never rung handbells,”

LeGarde said. “But they are just another instrument; I studied hard, went to workshops and learned.”

Early on, there were not many pieces written for young people, and many had a religious flavor. LeGarde found herself arranging her own music and has several musical parents and community members who have helped arrange or have written music specifically for the group. “Today, there is a large body of music that is accessible to young people,” LeGarde said.

Instruments and musical talent are not ignored. “We use all resources we have available, from instruments to students to parents,” LeGarde said. “Our group is very inclusive.”

The bells span an amazing three octaves, and students use Orff instruments, like the xylophone or glockenspiel, to complement the bells. Parent volunteer Merritt Flexman plays flute in some arrangements. And Cary Academy band director Eric Grush, whom LeGarde taught in second grade, helps arrange music for the group.

Flexman, whose daughter Sarah is a fourth-grade ringer, said LeGarde’s dedication to the program translates into long hours to achieve success.

This year alone, the handbell choir has performed at school several times as well as at Glenaire retirement community, the Capital Area Young Ringers’ Festival, a holiday and Family Evening Concert and the lighting of the official state holiday tree at Capitol Square.

The group was invited to perform at “Pieces of Gold” and will ring at N.C. Law Day in May. Students still talk excitedly about their trip to Charlotte for the American Orff Schulwerk Association national conference.

“During a performance, I think we surprise ourselves that we know it so well,” said Jon Copes, 10.

“After our concerts, we always have a bunch of students saying, ‘Oh, I want to be in handbells!’” said Sonali Karnalkar, 11.

Divya Juneja, 10, said the concerts, especially the trip to Charlotte, “made us feel special. We feel proud, and we get to show it.”