Strikepoint of Texas History

Strikepoint of Texas, Inc. History

With the encouragement of friends and with a specific goal in mind, Melanie Bankston decided to organize a community handbell team in the fall of 1991. Twenty-two charter members from the Kingwood/Humble area and Mrs. Bankston became known as Strikepoint of Texas, the Kingwood-Humble Community Handbell Teams. In order to accommodate everyone who wished to ring, Strikepoint of Texas was divided into two teams -- one that rehearsed in the mornings and one in the evenings.

December 9, 1991, was the date of Strikepoint's first concert. Concerts are presented twice a year -- usually December and April -- and are held in various churches in the Kingwood/Humble area.

Strikepoint of Texas became known internationally with their June 1993 concert tour of England and Scotland. In 1996 they added Austria, Germany, and Belgium to their list of European countries where Strikepoint of Texas has performed.

In April 1997, Strikepoint of Texas performed in Nacogdoches, Texas, at First United Methodist Church. The concert was arranged through Stephen F. Austin State University, alma mater of Mrs. Bankston who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in May, 1975. Locally, the group has shared its musical talents with elementary schools, hospitals, businesses, and organizations.

n June of 1999, Strikepoint of Texas traveled to Williamsburg, Virginia, where they performed in historic Bruton Parish Church. Two other concerts were given in Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Wanting to make a difference in the surrounding Houston area, Strikepoint of Texas agreed to donate the proceeds of its Christmas concert series to an organization or individual needing assistance. Donations were made to FamilyTime, and to the family of Nina Hunt, a well-known and respected music teacher in the Kingwood area who died of cancer in April 2001.

In 2000, Strikepoint of Texas celebrated its ninth season of concerts by highlighting the heritage of the English handbell. By selecting English and Welsh music and having a team travel to Great Britain, Strikepoint of Texas set out once again to share its music with the world. Concerts were presented during July & August, 2000 in the ancient cathedrals of Exeter, Llandaff, and Lincoln, which are located in the beautiful English and Welsh countryside. A 2002 concert tour to the Washington D. C. and Annapolis, Maryland areas featured popular and well-known patriotic music where Strikepoint of Texas performed at the United States Naval Academy Chapel, in front of the Lincoln Memorial, at the Old Post Office Building as well as at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.

In March, 2003, Strikepoint of Texas, after receiving an invitation from State Representative Joe Crabb, traveled to Austin where a performance was given by both teams in the historic Texas Capitol Rotunda. A number of patriotic selections performed by the handbell teams were enjoyed by the lawmakers and tourists alike.

As of April, 2007, Strikepoint of Texas. membership includes 26 ringers representing 14 area churches with Melanie Bankston continuing to serve as director. Their concerts entitled .An Evening with Dobrinski,. featured music entirely by Cynthia Dobrinski, award-winning handbell composer, arranger and clinician, who accompanied the group on organ and conducted her signature piece Rondo Passacaglia. In addition, Dobrinski presented a free one-hour Composition Workshop on April 28 at Kingwood First Baptist Church as part of the Creative Connections Program of Meet the Composer, Inc., and Mid-America Arts Alliance