Strikepoint, an internationally-acclaimed handbell ensemble, will be performing at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 14 at Grace Lutheran Church (202 West Grand Avenue) in Eau Claire. This performance is part of the ensemble’s 2022 summer tour. Admission is free but a $15 donation is suggested. To support local music groups, Strikepoint is sharing 20% of the freewill donation with the Grace Music Program. Strikepoint is based at First United Methodist Church in Duluth, MN. The 11-member directorless ensemble is unique among touring handbell groups as a combination community/professional/church group and an adult/youth group. Bill Alexander, a nationally known handbell clinician and conductor, is the leader of the ensemble. Strikepoint is noted for capturing the enthusiasm of audiences with its dynamic style and accessible music. Concert selections range from a 1940s Glenn Miller ballad to Lady Gaga to a bluesy spiritual, and include both familiar and new music. Concert reviews have praised their “athleticism and showmanship,” “rhythmic precision, musical nuance and technical confidence,” with an “exceptionally creative bent!” Frequently heard after concerts: “If I’d known it was going to be this good, I would have brought all my friends.”

About Jan Adams