“Our spring 2023 concert series was WHE Will Rock You—yes, rock music arranged for handbells,” says the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble’s artistic director, Kerry W. Dietz.
The ensemble includes 17 musicians, some of whom have been ringing for as many as 60 years. Most got their start performing in church choirs. It’s a diverse group, brought together by their enthusiasm for ringing. The most senior members are approaching 80. The youngest ringer is in his 20s.
“Our purpose is to entertain as well as to introduce audiences to the beautiful and varied repertoire of music for handbells,” Dietz says.
This year’s holiday program marks the 10th anniversary of the release of the ensemble’s first CD, “A Little Bit of Christmas,” which includes such Yuletide favorites as “Jingle Bell Boogie,” “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen,” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
WHE has played at Longwood Gardens, retirement communities, and numerous churches. One concert venue was Trinity Episcopal Parish in Wilmington, where choirmaster and organist David Simmons had recently discovered a languishing set of handbells and a library of handbell music. Ensemble members quickly chimed in with an impromptu clinic.
“David was interested in putting the bells to use, so before the concert, the WHE ran a mini try-your-hand-at-handbells read and ring,” Dietz recalls.
Prospective ringers, including a few who had rung before, played the chords to “My Country ’Tis of Thee” and “Amazing Grace.” The handbells resonated with the group, and Trinity now has eight ringers who perform during worship once a month.
Handbells date back to 1660 when William and Robert Cor cast the first tuned bronze handbell in the Wiltshire Foundry in England.
Tune ringing was a popular pastime in Britain in the mid-18th century, becoming an integral part of village life. The art form didn’t make it across the pond until the early 1900s when Margaret Shurcliff, a music lover from Boston, brought home a set of eight Whitechapel handbells from a trip to England.
WHE is sponsored by St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Wilmington, which provides handbells, other equipment, and rehearsal space. Members practice together for two hours each week, although many ringers put in time on their own. Each ringer is responsible for at least two handbells, which can weigh up to 15 pounds each.
“What brings us together is our love for playing handbells and sharing our music with enthusiastic audiences of all ages,” says charter member Ruthie Toole, who has been ringing for 54 years.
To learn more, visit wilmingtonhandbellensemble.org.
Wilmington Handbell Ensemble Holiday Concerts
- December 7, 4 p.m.: Ebenezer UMC, Newark
- December 8, 4 p.m.: Lima UMC, Media, Pennsylvania
- December 9, 7 p.m.: Woodlawn Library, Wilmington
- December 21, 4 p.m.: Westminster Presbyterian Church, Wilmington
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