American Tours

American Tours

Blacon Handbell Ringers made their first American Concert Tour in 1984 and have returned every three years since. The first visit was made following an invitation from the Ringers and Singers of the First United Methodist Church in Lakeland, Florida, who had stayed with us during one of their European Tours. We have been welcomed in Lakeland on each of our visits to the United States. All of our visits have also included a stay in Matawan, New Jersey from where we are able to travel into New York.

During each tour we have performed at the United Nations Headquarters and in St. Patrick's Cathedral whilst in New York. In Washington we have played during services at the vast National Cathedral of St. Albans and in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Roman Catholic church in America.

The later tours have included the West Coast. This gave us the chance to visit San Francisco, where we rang for the Sunday Eucharist at Grace Cathedral, in the open air at Fisherman's Wharf and Ghiradelli Square and, of course, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge.

Whilst in California we rang at the Crystal Cathedral, Garden Grove, Los Angeles. The service is broadcast coast to coast every Sunday morning - except in August, when we were visiting!

We have twice included Toronto and Niagara Falls in our itinerary and in 1996 we even dropped in to Las Vegas. Each trip has finished in Florida, where we stay with our good friends at the First United Methodist Church in Lakeland and from where we make our

visits to Seaworld and Disneyworld. On each of our visits we have been invited to perform in either the Magic Kingdom or the EPCOT Centre and we have met Mickey Mouse and Friends many times.