Donated bells help choir perform after fire destroys Maryland church

Dec. 12--Before her children's church bell choir began to play for a group of senior residents, Rita Becker spoke in front of news cameras with a small waver in her voice.

"I just felt like we need some joy," said Becker, the youth bells director for the Lazarus United Church of Christ. "We decided we were going to come tonight -- snow and fog and all."

Compared to the challenges the Lineboro, Md. church has faced in the last 10 days, Monday's weather conditions that slowed the group's trip were a minor inconvenience.

The outing to the Lutheran Retirement Village at Utz Terrace in West Manheim Township was scheduled weeks ahead of time as a way for the kids to share their musical talents and Christmas spirit with residents of the home.

But that was before the fire. On Dec. 3, their 160-year-old church was destroyed in an early morning blaze.

"I cried a lot," 16-year-old choir member Brittany Lippy said. "I didn't believe it until I went outside and saw the flames from my driveway. The rest of the day was just a blur. I really didn't want to be at school."

Jeremy Sperlein, a bell choir member and volunteer fireman, was on the third engine to approach the burning church. The 18-year-old said it was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

"It was hard when we were pulling out of the station and heard 'fire through the roof,'" Sperlein said. "It just felt unreal, like I was still asleep and it was a nightmare until I pulled up and saw it. Then it was just -- wow.

"A lot of fires, your adrenaline rushes. But that one was scary to see. You just didn't know what to think."

The structure sustained roughly $1 million in damages. Insurance will help cover the cost of rebuilding the 4,640-square-foot church, but all the contents inside will need to be replaced, Becker said.

Among the destroyed items were the choir's three octaves of bells, three octaves of chimes, mallets and sheets of music. All were reduced to ash and scrap metal.

When she started the bell choir 21 years ago from congregational donations, the value of the nearly-40 bell collection was $4,000, Becker said. Now a new three-octave set is valued at $10,000.

The loss was still trivial compared to some of the church's other needs, she said. With great luck, Becker hoped the church would be able to rebuild its three bell choirs by next fall. But that wouldn't help them with the group with its scheduled trip to Utz Terrace. Becker believed they would have to cancel.

The young musicians had always showed enthusiasm, but Becker was not expecting their emotional response after losing the bells. At a prayer vigil last Tuesday, two of the younger girls in the choir came to her with tears streaming down their face.

"I couldn't believe these simple little bells mean so much to so many kids," Becker said. "Many of the kids were texting me, sharing their loss."

After the vigil, a member of the Glenrock-based Bethlehem Steltz Reformed Church asked if Becker's choir would want to borrow their bells. Becker knew she had to say yes.

John Dorr, the pastor of Steltz Church, said his congregation has a long history, beginning in the late 1700s, and understood how painful it must be to lose so much history all at once.

He said his church was happy to help, and has offered worship space and materials to Lazarus UCC members while they rebuild. This past week, the Lazarus congregation worshiped at the Lineboro Volunteer Fire House.

"It's like in your neighborhood," Dorr said. "If your neighbor's house burns down, the other neighbors rally together to do what they can."

Once other churches heard about the donation, they pitched in as well. The Westminster Church of the Brethren supplied mallets and Gettysburg United Methodist lent chimes, fulfilling Becker's instrumental needs.

Seeing aspiring, like-minded musicians in need, an auditioned hand bell group based out of Maryland, the Westminster Ringers, paid the overnight shipping fees and retail costs for sheet music.

At the retirement village, Becker prefaced the concert by telling the audience that her groups didn't have quite as much practice time as usual. Eleven elementary school-aged students played carols while looking out at smiling retirees.

The next group of secondary education musicians played a few other Christmas anthems, including their favorite, "The Little Drummer Boy," made special with a snare accompanist.

Becker explained that hand bells require a level of teamwork that other instruments do not. Each player holds only two bells at a time, limiting their individual range. They are the mechanisms of the instrument and must pay careful attention to the group's tempo to stay on point.

Lippy has gotten a thrill out of traveling to play at retirement homes since she was in the elementary choir.

"As a little kid it was really cool just to be able to play in front of people, but now we like to see the smile on the adults faces," she said.

When the groups finished playing, Becker delighted the residents, handing out song sheets so they could join the choirs in singing half a dozen Christmas carols. In turn, the residents surprised the choir, presenting it with a donation for the restoration of their church.

"We know there were many treasures you lost that can never be replaced," resident Rosalie Hobbs said. "We have a loving, caring family here and want you to get what you need to restore the church."

After the concert, Hobbs said it was a delight having the kids play at their community center. She was happily surprised to find out that her great-niece was among the musicians.

"We always look forward to things like this, especially with kids," she said. "It was wonderful, and I can't imagine, with unfamiliar bells and losing their music, I don't know how they pulled it all together so fast."

It's been a little more than a week since the fire, but Becker said the congregation is regaining its strength after receiving so much outside help. She's thankful that no one was hurt. With the bell choir taken care of, she said there are still other areas of the church that are in need.

"We have had unbelievable support from the community," she said. "It's like our pastor said, it's almost like everyone lost a grandmother. It's a loss and it's huge. But with a very strong congregation, patience and support, hopefully we'll get through it and be stronger for it."

Contact Adam Michael at 717-637-3736 ext. 123

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