At 82, Carolyn Livingston found herself learning something new when she joined the bell choir at St. John's Herr Estate in Columbia, where she lives.

"It's really neat to be able to say that I did this at my age," she said. "I like that this is something to make my brain work. It's fun, and we all have a lot of camaraderie."

Her choirmates agreed, including 71-year-old Joni Leuck, who was particularly proud of the group's first performance earlier this month. "I loved being able to walk out the door afterwards and say, 'I just did that!'" she stated.

The St. John's Herr Estate bell choir is made up of seven members who range in age from 71 to 88. Some had musical experience when they joined the group, but others had never played an instrument and could not read music.

The bell choir is a project of the Rev. Dione Klepetka, Luthercare chaplain. "I was looking for a way to add more music to our worship service," she said, noting that in her decade as chaplain, residents had inquired about starting a bell choir.

While she liked the idea, the reality of creating the choir was daunting. The bells are expensive - costing thousands of dollars - and St. John's didn't own any. Then Klepetka learned from a resident that St. John's Lutheran Church in Columbia had bells, so she worked out a partnership with the church to borrow the instruments.

At the end of November, the retirement community residents held their first rehearsal. Practicing often proved difficult because they had to take the retirement community's bus to the church to use the bells. They also had to modify their plans to accommodate the needs of each player. Some couldn't use both hands to play. Others couldn't lift the heavier bells. Many of the members couldn't even get the bells to make a sound.

"There was nothing more frustrating than lifting the bell to ring it and nothing happened," said choir member Charles Scharnberger, noting that playing the instrument is harder than it looks.

Still, Klepetka and the choir persevered. "It was a steep learning curve for all of us," said the chaplain, who serves as the choir's director.

On Jan. 8, the choir pulled off a perfect rendition of "Silent Night" during a Sunday service at St. John's Herr Estate. Asked if she was nervous performing in front of the crowd, choir member Emi Furness said no, joking, "Considering our audience, half of the people can't hear us anyway."

With the success of their first performance under their belts, the choir members are ready to tackle more music. The members are looking into purchasing tone chimes, a sort of modified handbell that's less expensive and easier for seniors to play.

The bell choir has given the members a chance to make new friends and provide entertainment for their fellow residents. "We feel like we've accomplished something," said choir member Anita Perrone. "We've been able to bring pleasure to other people."

For Ruth Snyder and Janet Hilgert, the choir has offered an opportunity to indulge in their fondness for music while also providing a challenge. "I wasn't sure I was coordinated enough to do this, but I'm really glad I tried," Hilgert said. Added Snyder, "It's been a lot of fun."