The Belles form a tight-knit community in the walls of D-Wing

The sound of handbells echoes through the East auditorium at the Winter and Spring Concerts. With the soft ring and gentle vibration, the whole auditorium fills with a beautiful musical melody. The Belles of East, a group of 16 girls, are the talent behind this unique way of performance.

The Belles of East are one of three small groups here at East, along with Voce and Stay Tuned. It is the oldest small group at East, and has been here longer than its director, Mrs. Laurie Lausi has worked here. Teachers at East like Ms. Debbie Barr and Ms. Stacy Garson were in the group when they went to East. The Belles use actual handbells in their performances, in contrast to Voce and Stay Tuned, both of which perform a cappella.

The Belles of East are one of the few groups in the country to use this unique instrument. While the training and preparation is tough, the end product makes it worth it.

“It adds a really nice atmosphere and tone to all of the songs that we do. It’s just a very whimsical feeling,” says Usra Aslam (‘24), one of the Belles’ officers.

The Belles audition process starts very early. All of the small groups must first go through the same audition procedure. They practice basic skills like scales and sight reading during these tryouts. After this, aspiring Belles have a weeklong Belles training-focused workshop. This is where the handbells are first introduced, and the older members teach those auditioning how to operate them. They also learn a piece of the song that they are performing for the Fall Preview Concert. Then, they have a second audition where they sing the song they learned and play the handbells.

Their practice schedule is also very rigorous. They always practice once a week after school and determine the rest of the schedule based on their needs and what they have to get done for the week. Although their routine each week is different, they always rehearse during lunch three to four times a week.

Now for the planning: like any other small group during a practice, they start by going over the vocal sections. Because there are four voice parts: soprano 1, soprano 2, alto 1, and alto 2, they must ensure that everyone is singing their proper part and that everything sounds correct. The officers must figure out each time a member needs to ring their handbell after everyone has learned their vocal portion. The more seasoned Belles will play the harder handbell parts, and the “baby” Belles, or first-year Belles, will play the simpler sections, according to their level of experience. The performers must learn how to combine the voice part and handbell part into a single, unified sound after mastering them individually.

Although the handbell appears to be an easy instrument to play, it is not. “There is a really specific way you have to play it. You kind of have to make these little circles with your hand, it’s all in flicking your wrist. It’s hard to get the hang of,” says Aslam.

The Belles travel all over the South Jersey area to perform. The holiday season is when they are busiest, as they go caroling in Haddonfield and participate in holiday lighting events. They also perform at senior citizen homes, in addition to visiting all the elementary and middle schools. Additionally, in 2016, The Belles performed for Barack Obama’s Christmas party in the White House. Aslam says they “are desperately trying to get that for next year as well.”

The Belles are currently focusing their preparations on their upcoming Spring Concert, which is on May 18th. They will be performing a three song set, including “Travelin’ Soldier,” “Gone Away,” and “Mama Who Bore Me.” They also still have to go on the elementary school tours.

The Belles are also more than just a school singing group. They share a very close bond with one another. For Aslam, her favorite memory so far this year was the Belles’ group sleepover. This is an annual event, and they watched the movie “Anastasia” in honor of the song they performed, “Once Upon a December.”

Aslam takes great personal pride in performing this song in particular because she arranged and made it possible for them to perform it. She has loved “Anastasia” since she was in elementary school, and once she joined Belles, she knew she wanted to compose it. She spent a few months composing the song and figuring out the individual parts. Performing it with everyone “was such a beautiful experience,” she “worked really hard and seeing that come to life was very rewarding,”Aslam says.

Balancing Belles with other school commitments can be tough. Aslam and all the other members have had to make a few sacrifices like dropping a couple of clubs, or changing their schedules to ensure that their full attention and devotion is towards the group.
“Since elementary school it was a dream of mine to be in Belles. I just knew it was something that I always wanted to do,” says Aslam.

As for the impact Belles has had on Aslam’s experience at East, she says “it was a great way for me to find a sense of community right from the get go and I think it’s really been a safe haven and a place of refuge to come to Belles. I just love making music with all of the other girls in Belles and it is so gratifying seeing what we come up with throughout the course of each season.”

Belles is such a special small group and positively impacts all members involved and the East community.

“The whole ambience is so unique and special and the fact that we get to partake in something like that at East here is such a unique opportunity,” says Aslam.