10 years of Swissbells

The ensemble Swissbells was founded in 1997. Eric Nuenlist heard and saw the Romanshorn handbell choir. He got so inspired by the sound and the playing technics that he decided immediately to start with handbells.

The group started with two oktaves of Malmark Handbells. They played „the American way“, i.e. the players stand in a row behind tables with padding, on which the bells are layed out. Each player is responsible for two diatonic bells plus the associated semitones, and the palyer has these bells ready in hand. When a tone has to be played, the responsible player swings the appropriate bell, accurately at the right moment! Skillful players keep further bells assigned, so that they can play different pitches, This is also a skill for the Arrangeur of the music, because these players have not more than two hands, however!

In former times already, Eric Nuenlist played sometimes as soloist . His current partner, Cornelia Roth learned this technology as well. Now their playing technic is kind of a „double solo“ with more fun and more possibilities of course!

The former players