News

Debbie Rice and Arthur Syin honoured with Handbell Laureate Award

During the closing ceremony of the 2024 International Handbell Symposium in Hamamatsu two International Handbell Laureate Awards were presented.  These awards reflect the substantial contribution to international harmony and understanding made by the two recipients over a sustained period of time.

Debbie Rice served as Executive Director of the International Handbell Committee from 2008 until 2014.  During this time she made contact with many handbell groups in countries without handbell guilds.  She was instrumental in securing IHC membership for the Handbell Associations of Hong Kong and, later, Handbell Ringers of Singapore.  Debbie still works internationally as a clinician and director, enabling the sound of handbells to be heard in many countries.

Arthur Syin has had a long association with Handbell Ringers of Japan – he is currently their International Liaison Officer – and with International Handbell Symposia.  His diplomacy and his skill in expressing complex ideas succinctly in different languages, together with his sense of humour, have enabled many people to understand each other better.  Handbell ringers from around the world know him as the person who can ensure that they understand massed ringing conductors’ instructions, and policy makers in IHC meetings rely upon him to clarify the finer points of new ideas.

Asia Pacific Regional Group established

At IHC meetings during 2018, 2022 and 2023 the Presidents and representatives of the five handbell guilds occupying the western and south-western Pacific rim (Handbell Ringers of Japan, the Korea Handbell Association, Handbell Association of Hong Kong, Handbell Ringers of Singapore and Handbell Society of Australasia) spoke persuasively about the value of a regional group. Advantages would include:

  • Opportunities to strengthen and sustain cultural relationships and understanding.
  • Opportunities to meet more frequently than biennial symposiums.
  • Opportunities to share ideas.
  • Opportunities to learn skills and knowledge from each other.
  • Opportunities to further implement the vision of the IHC in the Asian/Australasian geographical region.

In August 2023, at its meeting in Nashville, it was agreed that representatives of the Guilds of Australasia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Japan would meet to discuss the benefits of closer collaboration between their guilds.  Representatives of handbell societies in Thailand and Taiwan were also invited to attend.  The Executive Director of the IHC organised the meetings, using the Zoom video-conferencing platform.

During the initial meetings these representatives were very positive about the possibilities both for learning and for events, and the IHC Executive Director was asked to forward the following motion to the whole IHC:

“That the IHC approve the formation of a sub-committee with membership comprising, Hong Kong, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Australasia”

The motion was formally agreed by the IHC on 12 August 2024.