CAROLYN KLEIN vividly remembers the big fire on Main Street in Ellicott City in 1984.

She still sees the gingerbread houses in Leidig's Bakery and the beautiful bisque dolls in the shop next to Leidig's burning.

Klein rushed to the fire as an Ellicott City volunteer firefighter. Now, she is administrator of Ellicott City Fire Department Station No. 2, which is housed in the new station building at Montgomery Road and Old Columbia Pike.

Klein coordinates the volunteers who staff the Fire House Museum at Church Avenue and Main Street in Ellicott City.

The museum houses two bells -- one donated by the B&O; Railroad to the fire department as its first bell, and one purchased by Ellicott City.

The second bell was crafted by J. Regester & Son and placed into service on July 4, 1896. It had a deeper tone and a wider range than the first bell and sounded an alarm different from all other bells in Ellicott City.

This Christmas, volunteers from around the county have built a train garden in the bay that usually houses the department's 1929 American LaFrance pumper firetruck.

The pumper is also on display -- as is information about fire safety -- as part of the station's holiday-season open house. Information: 410-313-2602.

A memorial in front of the new station honors two volunteers who died in a fire on Christmas morning in 1953.

Charles P. Ditch, 44, and Joseph A. Stigler, 34, were killed when a chimney fell on them.

Bells of St. John's

Neighbors close to St. John's Episcopal Church likely would have heard the big bell at the old fire station when it sounded fire alarms years ago.

Neighbors can still hear the church bells of St. John's.

The bells ring daily at 7 a.m., noon and 6 p.m., and as services end.

This year, volunteers from the church dressed as Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. Others lent goats and sheep to re-create a living manger scene starting on Christmas Eve.

The living creche will continue every evening from 6 p.m. to 8: 30 p.m through Thursday.

Christmas bells

At the First Lutheran Church almost directly across Frederick Road, specialized bells, called "clochettes," rang in the 7 p.m. Christmas Eve service.

The clochettes are small bells arranged in a star, each bell with a slightly different pitch.

Situated on the very top of the organ case, the bells are hit by a clapper that moves at a constant speed, creating a joyful, magical tinkle.

Nelda Clelland, interim organist and music director at First Lutheran Church in Ellicott City, prepared Christmas Eve services filled with music.

The 7 p.m. service featured five arrangements with the Jubilate Bell Ringers.

Norma Durvin and Jennifer Burnham played the handbells in a duet, with organ, of "He Shall Feed His Flock" from Handel's "Messiah."

The 5 p.m. service featured a junior hand-chime choir, in which 9- to 12-year-olds played hand chimes -- musical instruments shaped like giant tuning forks.

Ringing and singing

Sixteen pupils from Elkridge Landing Middle School sang and rang handbells for travelers Tuesday at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

They sang and played "Jingle Bells" as they walked from place to place.

Chrystie Adams, the teacher who directs the handbell choir, rehearses with the pupils every Tuesday after school.

Some had played the hand chimes at Rockburn Elementary.

This year, the pupils asked her to resume rehearsals of the handbell choir, which had been inactive for several years.

She did. Adams welcomed all pupils who wanted to participate, including some from special education and gifted and talented programs.

She uses the "ring and sing" technique, so that pupils who cannot read music can play. Where to ring is noted above the words of the songs.

They play sing-along tunes and classical selections.

The group includes eighth-grader James Harvey; seventh-graders Christopher Dick, Carol Wong, Valerie Buxton, Heather Arbaugh and Cori Harrison; and sixth-graders Crystal Quarles, Gavin Cunningham, Michael Swearingen, Alison Fleming, Dustin Dixon, Kelly Rivera, Stephanie Will, Brandon Hutcherson, Katie Wright and Victoria York.

Adams grew up in St. Charles, Ill., and started teaching Elkridge children in 1982.

She says she loves the down-to-earth community in which parents support the music program -- and their children.

Her pupils played for more than an hour Tuesday and said they felt that they had played for 10 minutes.

Afterward, some did notice that their arms were tired from ringing bells weighing more than 1 pound.

"They work together to do something that they love," Adams said. When they play, "time becomes a different dimension."

Magical handbells

As a child in Canton, Ohio, David Claus found the handbells "magical."

He couldn't carry a tune or hold a note, but he was inspired by the music director at his church to play the handbells.

The two enthusiasts still pass notes back and forth at Christmas.

Claus moved to Ellicott City 18 years ago to take a job.

Later, he offered to help start a handbell choir at the First Presbyterian Church, which he attends with his wife, Gail, and their children, Adam, 7, April, 5, and Erin and Ethan, both 2.

Claus directs a group of 14 people, who range in age from 14 to older than 50.

They include neighborhood residents Debbie Arczynski, Debbie Carpenter and Janet Johnston.

The group practices on Thursday evenings.

They learn to vary the sound of the bells by changing the snap in their wrists, gripping the bell differently, hitting it on a mat or hitting it with a mallet.

The handbell choir performed at Florence Bain Senior Center Dec. 11 and at First Presbyterian Church Dec. 13.

With the right acoustics, Claus says, the full sound "hangs in the room."

Big bell

For years, residents in Elkridge have heard the sound of the big bell of St. Augustine's Church.

It peals daily at noon and 6 p.m.

The church installed an electronic bell carillon -- called "The Prince of Peace" -- in 1995, to honor the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The Westminster chimes sound short melodies on the quarter-hour; the carillon has been playing carols for the season.

Recently, the church turned off the bells so that workmen could renovate the bell tower.

The work has stopped for Christmas, and the bells will sound throughout the season.

Lifted voices

Norma Smith, who lives off Ilchester Road, has heard bells on a clear summer's day from a distant church.

As a member of the Alleluia Choir, she sang at the Howard County Detention Center on Tuesday.

The inmates rose in the middle of their concert, she said, to give the group a standing ovation.

Goodwill and cheer

The Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum invites you to a Holiday Celebration of Goodwill and Christmas Cheer from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow.

The event will include the opening of Ellicott City, Catonsville, Oella Arts -- a community gallery exhibit of the work of artists from those communities, and a Kwanzaa commemoration.

The museum is at 300 Oella Ave. Information: 410-887-1081.

Pub Date: 12/28/98