Saint Mary-of-the-Woods to host bell choir that is known internationally

The Dorothy Shaw Bell Choir from Fort Worth, Texas, an internationally acclaimed community handbell choir, will be in concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 11, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

The concert is open to the public without charge, but free-will donations will be accepted to help defray the choir’s travel expenses.

The handbell choir was founded in 1964 to be part of a Christmas play-pageant and it has evolved into a world-renowned musical organization.

This unique group does not use tables or gloves, and they perform from memory without a conductor. The choir offers a large repertoire from classical to contemporary. Past performances have been in Carnegie Hall, at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II, at Adelaide, South Australia, and in other venues throughout the world, including the National Concert Hall of Ireland and Westminster Abbey.

J. Scott Meneely, a former Terre Haute resident, is the choir’s assistant director. The concert will be about 45 minutes to an hour in length with perhaps as many as 17 songs including “All the Children of the World,” “Greensleeves,” “The Nutcracker Suite Medley,” “Ave Maria” and “An Old Irish Blessing.”