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The idea of forming a Roanoke Valley community hand bell choir rang soundly with Roanoke resident Joe Kennedy, minister of music at South Roanoke United Methodist Church.

"I've wanted to do it for about 10 years. She was the catalyst that kicked me into gear and said, 'Let's do it,' " Kennedy said as he pointed toward Roanoke County resident and hand bell ringer Katherine Shaver.

"I contacted him long before we moved here," Shaver said. "I had seen that Joe had been involved with the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, so thought that maybe he might know of, or be interested in, doing something."

Before moving back to Roanoke in the fall of 2004, Shaver and her family lived in Raleigh, N.C. The 30-year-old, 20-year bell-ringing veteran said she "stumbled" into the Raleigh Ringers, the internationally acclaimed community hand bell choir.

"The Raleigh Ringers are different from a lot of church hand bell groups, which obviously mostly focus on sacred music. The Raleigh Ringers play a mix," Shaver said.

Shaver performed with them during 2002 and 2003, pregnant with daughter Emma Kate for most of the second year. When she mentioned the Raleigh Ringers were also known for playing rock 'n' roll, citing "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, I had to hear it for myself.

On the group's Web site, www.rr.org, I was able to listen to snippets of songs. Having never attended a hand bell event and not knowing what to expect, I was taken aback by the moving rendition of "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Kennedy and Shaver saw the Raleigh Ringers perform in November at Shaftman Hall. "The place was completely sold out; a very enthusiastic crowd," Kennedy said. "From that we said, OK, Roanoke is ripe for this sort of thing here."

In the formative stages -- even a name has yet to be decided -- this hand bell choir is looking for a few more expert ringers. Rehearsals have begun on Monday evenings at First Presbyterian Church.

"It's in its very infant stage," Kennedy said. "We're looking to pick up the best ringers we can find throughout the Roanoke area. There's a huge variety of techniques, different sounds that we could get from these bells. I want people who know those techniques and use them fluently."

Ringing a bell and being able to make it sing take more than just shaking it. Each bell corresponds to a single key on a piano keyboard, Kennedy said. "I want good music readers first of all. People who read treble and bass clef as a keyboard player would."

The choir will be using 61 bells, played by 13 to 14 ringers, with each person assigned to at least four bells and some using more.

"We don't know yet when the first concert will be," Kennedy said. "We're still in the formative stages, but we're working to a major public concert."

Shaver said, "I think there are a lot of preconceived notions actually about what hand bells are. I would hope that we could change some of those notions by taking it to a higher level and really present a concert that just exceeds people's expectations."

In an area that boasts a local symphony, an opera company, ballet, theater and choral groups, a community hand bell choir strikes a common chord that Kennedy thinks people will welcome.

"We know there are so many people participating in hand bell choirs in the Roanoke Valley as evidenced from the Raleigh Ringers concert," Kennedy said. "We know they'll be strong supporters of it."

For more information, call 344-4437, ext. 13.