A Bit of History

Original members included Jerri Oehler, Emily O'Hara, Pat Filan, Sharon Wells, Ester Lou Dixon, Cheryl Yurko, Cindi Hamilton, Dr. Mary Katherine Lawrence, MacSherry Wells, Judi Price; and director, Pat Davis. Since that time the choir has grown from 10 members playing 3 octaves to 15 members playing 5 1/2 octaves of bells and 3 octaves of hand chimes.

Pat Davis has been the director since the choir began 9 years ago and three other original members remain: Jerri Oehler, Emily O'Hara and Judi Price. The choir plays a variety of techniques such as malleting, martellato, mart lifts, thumb damp, ring touch, and plucking. It is not necessary to read music to play bells, but you must be coordinated and have a sense of rhythm.

The choir has attended workshops with the Queen City Ringers of Charlotte and most recently with the Raleigh Ringers of Raleigh.

Our Purpose

The Bell Choir provides prelude and offeretory music alternatively for 8:45 AM and 11:00 AM services from September through May. Additionally special music is provided during Christmas, Easter, and other special events that may arise. Participation in the Festival of Trees and other community events is a goal.

Regular rehearsals are Mondays throughout the year. New members are constantly recruited. Bell techniques are practiced and reviewed weekly. New music is continually introduced to keep the interest high.

Pat Davis is a retired teacher who loves music and anything connected with it. She organized and has directed the Handbell Choir since its beginning for All Saints, where she serves as Christian Education Director. During her teaching career, she directed musicals at Crystal Coast Jamboree and for the Carteret Community Theater. In her spare time, she teaches piano.

Amy Berckman has been a member of the All Saints Ringers since 2004. She and her family have lived in Morehead City and have been members of All Saints Angelican Church since 1996.

Dorothy (Dot) Searle Covert is an eighth generation Carteret Countian and "Cradle Episcopalian. She is a Beaufort High School and Mars Hill College Alumni who retired from MCAS, Cherry Point in 1996 and worked for CCATS until April 2008 when she assumed the duties of Oma (Grandmother) for Payton Arendell Covert, whose parents are serving in Iraq. She and her husband have two sons, Jonathan and Benjamin. She sings with the Carteret Chorale and ASAC Adult Choir. Upon joining All Saints Anglican Church, she was amazed at the established "All Saints Ringers" program. In 2006 she began as a "sub-in-training" and very soon inherited the E4-F4 position.

Nancy Dottermuschmoved from Pennsylvania to Morehead City in 1980 with her two daughters, Charleigh and Brittany. She was a fifth grade teacher in the Carteret County School from 1980-2005 and is now retired with her husband, Dick Dottermusch. Nancy loves playing with the All Saints Ringers. She says, "It is a joy to praise our Lord with music that comes from the blessing of dedication, work, and fellowship provided with ringing the bells to His glory."

Lena Ennis, an accomplished ringer, has rung with the Bell Choir almost since its beginning. She rings "4 bells in hand" and is an accomplishesd local artist.

Roo Grayson joined All Saints Ringers in 2003. She is the wife of All Saints Minister, John Grayson. They have one child, Christopher. She loves playing the little B6 B7 and C6 C7 bells for the glory of God.

Kathy Hayes moved to Morehead City in 1974 and began ringing at First Baptist church in the early 80's. She began ringing at All Saints in 2002 where she had rung in almost every position. She is employed at Beam Cooper Gainey and is the pianist at Newport Baptist Church. she says, "I feel blessed to be allowed to ring bells with the lovely ladies of All Saints".

Blaze Hillman joined the bell choir in 2003 and renewed an interest in music she had as younster taking piano lessons. She retired from Federal Civil Service after a 30 year career and lives in Morehead City with her husband, Ken, and a Rhodesian Ridgeback, Aladdin.

Becky Holm is from Baltimore, Maryland, where she worked in Medical Research at John Hopkins. She played handbells for over 10 years before moving to Morehead City and has played with All Saints Ringes since September 2008. She lives in Havelock and is employed by Gramercy Christian School. She and her husband have two children.

Georgia Lenins comes from a family with a musical background. She received her Masters in voice from ECU. After moving to Morehead in 1987, she joined the church choir and the Carteret Choral. She became interested in the bell choir and joined All Saints Ringers. As a member she has grown in her understanding and appreciation of the various tones and techniques. She says, "I get as much from playing the bells as our audiences receive from the hearing and seeing them."

Jerri Oehler started ringing handbells in 2000 when she and Pat Davis attended a workshop led by Bob Ivy. She also sings in the choir and Carteret Chorale. She is a child psychologist and family nurse practitioner at Children's Clinic in Morehead City. She is married and has two children.

Emily lives in Morehead City with her husband, Pat. They have three grown sons and three grandchildren.

In high school she enjoyed participating in the glee club and singing with a traveling octet. Emily graduated from Auburn University in Alabama with and an elementary teaching degree, and taught for 20 years befoe retiring.

For college credit Emily took the "Messiah" all four years and sang each year with an orchestra brought in for the occasion.

She enjoys all types of music and playing Bellls, under the direction of Pat Davis, has been a lifetime highlight.

Erika Potts is the youngest member of All Saints Ringers. She is currently in the 7^th grade and began ringing in March 2008. Erika also plays the saxophone in the school band and enjoys music. Erika has been a member of All Saints since she was born. Being a Christian is an important part of her life and she gets to spread her passion for Jesus through the ringing of the bells.

Judi Price is a native of North Carolina. She and her husband retired to Morehead City in 2000. She has one sister, Jerri Oehler, who also plays with handbell choir. She began playing with the bell choir originally, and then rang with the "Bells of Praise" of the First Methodist Church until she rejoined the All Saints Ringers in 2008. She and her husband, Norm, have been married 26 years and have 5 children and 8 grandchildren ranging in ages from 7 to 21. She says playing handbells has blessed and enriched her life in so many ways. She is grateful to be able to participate in this music ministry.