ALGEHR Programs And Opportunities
The Fred Merrett Award for New Compositions
Each year, ALGEHR conducts an Alberta Handbell Composer Competition.
For more information, including competition entry details, please contact a member of the ALGEHR executive.
Click here for Information, Rules, Winning Titles and Composers
Or you can download our information package on the competition here:
Fred Merrett Award for New Compositions, application form
The John Nelson Sr Memorial Scholarship
Many bell enthusiasts, members of church congregations, teachers and thousands of children in Alberta might not know John Nelson Sr.’s name, but nevertheless they owe him a word of thanks for any joy that bells have brought them. It was John who first introduced our province to handbells by placing the first Schulmerich 2-octave bell set in Calgary in 1963. And did the art of handbell ringing in Alberta catch on! Since then, John placed more than 180 bell sets in Alberta schools, and placed many carillons in churches and important buildings across the province. At the age of 90, John was still helping teachers fix and learn about bells.
In his memory, the John Nelson, Sr. Scholarship will provide funding towards the registration costs for one ringer to attend:
- An ALGEHR Handbell Discovery or
- One recognized ALGEHR handbell event
ALGEHR Symposium Endowment Fund
In 1992, the Alberta Guild hosted a very successful International Symposium, with ringers attending from Korea, Japan, Great Britain, USA, Australia, Chile and Canada. It was a major undertaking begun with very little funding, but resulting in a surplus thanks to greater than expected ticket sales, frugal planning and successful Post-Symposium tours. In April of 1994, the Board wisely arranged for the money to be invested in safe, interest-bearing funds, with the interest to be used to further the mission of the Alberta Guild of English Handbell Ringers. Each year the interest funds ALGEHR’s SEF Grant program and the Composer Competition.
The purpose of the Endowment Fund grant program is to provide financial assistance to individuals, bell groups or event organizers for projects that support the Alberta Guild’s mission statement. The five categories under which one can apply are of equal value and weighting – International Symposia, Provincial workshops or programs, capital purchases, outreach and scholarships.