Who's Who in Handbells
An informational list

(TS) TEMPO SETTERS is the title given to a series of videos made to preserve AGEHR and
handbell history in the U.S.  These videos feature interviews and narratives of past presidents,
Honorary Life members, and others who have had an impact on handbells.

"*" indicates peson is deceased.

Use the Alpha button below to take you to the person you wish to find.

Community Groups are listed in ALL CAPS.

Colleges and Universities are listed in bold face type.




 

Callahan, Frances  --   Little Rock AR 72212  AGEHR Composer  --  Retired Assistant to Felix and Martha Lynn Thompson at St. James U.M.C., Little Rock, Arkansas.  Arranger and composer.

Calvin College  --   Grand Rapids, MI --    www.calvin.edu

CAMPANILE  -  Los Angeles, CA  -  Ensemble  -  Contact, KatRyn Howell  -  KatRyn@campanilemusic.com  - www.campanilemusic.com   -  1-877-DEADRINGER

CAPITAL CARILLON  -  Silver Spring, MD  -  Director, Ann Y. Schmidt  -  Contact, Ann Y Schmidt  -  74644.354@compuserve.com  -

CAPITOL CITY RINGERS  -  Lansing, MI  -  Director, Jane C. Wright  -  Contact, Kim Finison  -  info@capitalcityringers.com  -  www.capitalcityringers.com  -

Cappell, Nancy Clinician, Director --  St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, Annandale, VA 22003. --  703-978-3500 x32  --  ncappel@stmatthewsumc.org. -- Served 35 years as Director of Music at St. Matthew's, 32 years with handbells.  We have 10 handbell choirs - 3 children's, 4 youth, & 3 adult choirs.  I oversee all of them and direct 7 of them.  Our youth handbell choirs tour for 10 days each summer and attend a 3 day festival.  Our adult choirs attend a weekend festival each year.  We play at the Kennedy Center each year.  We have made 5 recordings, 3 CD's are available now.  I have directed festivals and workshop nationally and locally and have written a book of charts and directions for beginning handbell choirs.

CARO DE CAMPANAS DE PUERTORICO/Puerto Rico Handbell Choir - Carolyn Collazo, Director -
MSC 831, Winston Churchill Ave. #138, San Juan, PR 00926-6023 -  (787)644-8480 -  campanasdepr@hotmail.com - http://corodecampanas.tripod.com

Carscadden-Mifsud , Susan  --  185-B John Street, Ingersoll, Ontario CANADA    N5C 3G1 --  Toll-free:  1-800-704-4997 www.handbellgraces.com-- susan@handbellgraces.com --Owner of Handbell Graces and Regional Independent Sales Representative for Schulmerich Carillons, Inc.  Susan has a formal music education including an ARCT (Piano Performance), Bachelor of Music (University of Western Ontario) and Bachelor of Education (Queen’s University).  She has worked as an elementary school teacher, a private piano instructor and as a music school administrator. Susan was first introduced to handbells in 1975 and has played in several handbell choirs including Bronze Foundation, an auditioned ensemble in Toronto.  Her newly formed community handbell choir, Bells Ablaze, includes advanced ringers from across Southwestern Ontario.  She is founder/director of Bellissima Ringers, a handbell quartet. . As a handbell soloist, Susan has given numerous solo recitals throughout Ontario and has performed at events in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.  She is also very active as a workshop clinician.

CAST OF BRONZE  - Dallas, Texas   - Founder/Director,  Christopher T. Nabors    castofbronze.com
CTNabors@castofbronze

Castle,  Lois Jean  -- wcastle@pclv.com  --  Has been ringing handbells for more than twenty five years and directing since 1985.   Started handbell programs at  St. John's Presbyterian Church in West Los Angeles, California and Green Valley Presbyterian Church in Henderson, Nevada  where she has six handbell choirs.  In February, became the Handbell Director at Community Lutheran Church in Las Vegas, NV.  where she has three  active choirs,  ensembles and will add a children's handchime choir and a new beginner's choir this Fall.

CELEBRATION RINGERS  -  San Jose, CA  -  Director, Darlene Woodburn  -

CENTRAL FLORIDA RINGERS  -  Clermont, FL  -  Director, David A. Bushnell  -  FLRingers@yahoo.com

CEREAL CITY RINGERS  -  Augusta, MI  -  Director, Virginia Hylton  -

CHAMBERSBURG COM. HANDBELLS  -  Chambersburg, PA  -  Director, Ann Bowers  -    barnesa@aol.com  -

Cheek, Sharon --   Burlingame, CA, 94010 --   AGEHR Composer

CHESAPEAKE BRONZE  -  Friendship, MD  -  Director, Lynn Bogovich  -   lbogovich@comcast.net  --Contact, Joyce Terry  -  jetsam@erols.com  -  www.chesapeakebronze.peachhost.com/default.htm  -
301-855-4072/2461

CHICAGO BRONZE  -  Chicago, IL  Philip L. Roberts, Director  877-7WE-RING
(877-793-7464)  -  info@chicagobronze.com --  http://www.chicagobronze.com

CIRCLE CITY RINGERS - Indianapolis, IN - Director, Mike Keller - e-mail: info@circlecityringers.org  -- www.circlecityringers.org

Citrus College   --   Glendora, CA

CLASSICAL BELLS  -  Livonia, MI  -  Director, Darlene Ebersole  -  Contact, Millie Everson  -  info@classicalbells.com  -  www.classicalbells.com  -

Clay, Edna Resource Chm., Clinician  Edna  Clay 2906 Garth Road Huntsville AL 35801-     (205) 881-0884 eclayagehr@aol.com 1995-97 Resource Chairman, 1999 Directors' Training Chairman

Cochran, Kenneth  --  Chattanooga, TN  --  Early leader of Handbells.  Director of Community Handbell group in Chattanooga.  Former Minister of Music, First Baptist Church, Augusta, GA, where he led one of the first Handbell Choirs in the Southeast of the U.S.   Joined AGEHR in 1956.  Served as Minister of Music at Churches in Chattanooga and was on the faculty of McCallie School, one of the nation's premier college prep schools.

Collins, Sara  --   1021 Northwood Blvd Fort Wayne IN 46805-     (219) 484-6165  1991-1994 Denominational Chairman

COLONIAL ENGLISH HANDBELL RINGERS  --  Bowie, MD  -  Director, Mary Parker  --

COLUMBIA HANDBELL ENSEMBLE  -  Columbia, MO  -  Director, Debra Carr  -  197026@mizzou1.missouri.edu  -

COMMUNITY BELL CHOIR, THE   -  Flint, MI  -  Director, Mary Ann Korte  -  Joynce Nutzmann  -  jisnutz@aol.com  -

Conde, Karen - kconde@yumaed.org - Director of the Cindy Klein Memorial Handbell Choir.  The choir has been in existence for 27 years.  The choir was the very first Handbell Choir in Yuma, Arizona.  It is still the only choir that performs all over the city and county.  The second weekend in December for the last 26 years the choir has put on a Christmas Concert for the community.  Currently the choir consists of 5 octaves and 15 members.  The choir performs monthly at their home church, Trinity United Methodist Church, 3030 8th Ave., Yuma, Arizona.

CONMOTO --  "SWISSBELLS - Swiss Handbell Ensemble  -  Etziken SO,  Switzerland  - Director, Eric Nuenlist  - swissbells@gmx.ch  -  www.swissbells.org - www.conmoto.ch  -  +41 32 614 03 03 - Swissbells is one of the very few existing handbell ensembles in Switzerland"

COMMUNITY HANDBELL CHOIR  -  Ozona, TX  -  Director, Maridel Dudley

COMMUNITY HB OF SO. NEVADA -  Las Vegas, NV  -  Director, Janet Ty  -  clsneed@ix.netcom.com  -

CONCERT BELLS OF FORT WORTH  -  Fort Worth, TX  -    Contact, Karen Thompson  - kandylane@msn.com  - -www.concertbells.com

CONCERT BELLS OF WEST BROKFIELD  -  West Brokfield, MA  -  Director, Cynthia Baird  -

CONCERT CARILLONS HANDBELL CHOIR, THE - James Rutter Middle School,
Sacramento, CA – Paul W. Allen, Director -  pallen@edcenter.egusd.k12.ca.us

Concordia College  --   Moorhead, MN   --  www.cord.edu

Concordia University  --      Irvine, CA   --  www.cui.edu

Concordia University   --  Mequon, WI   -- http://www.cuw.edu/home.htm

Concordia University   --  River Forest, IL   -- http://www.curf.edu/

Concordia University   --  St. Paul, MN   --  http://www.csp.edu/

Cook, Elizabeth  --  Chairman:   Alberta (Canada) Guild of English Handbell Ringers --  78 Iroquois Cres.W, LETHBRIDGE, Alberta T1K 5J4   Canada  --  elizabeth.cook@lethsd.ab.ca,   Home,  rmcb@home.com

Cook, Kay Director  --  kaycook@earthlink.net. www.handbellexploration.com.  phone  888-553-9756 --  Kay formed her first handbell choirs in 1976 at First Christian Church in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1981, Kay became the director of handbells at Chaparral Christian Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 1982, she organized the Scottsdale Handbell Ensemble.  By 1985,  Kay had developed choirs at a number of area churches. All choirs attended AGEHR state and area festivals. That same year, 1985, Kay created Handbell Exploration, a seminar for directors and ringers. Kay’s passion has been the personal and artistic development of young people through performing and touring experiences. This opportunity prompted Kay to move into the performing arts arena in 1990 with the creation of DESERT BELLS and its premier touring group, BRONZEWORKS.  Her groups have performed with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra for 15 years.   BRONZEWORKS  ringers have toured the world and attended symposia in Australia and Japan.  Kay participated in the development of the first master’s degree program for handbells held in 1999 at Concordia’s Summer Music Program in Mequon, Wisconsin.

Coughenour, Carol  --  27439 Jarrod Blvd. Harvest AL 35749-7466 -- (205) 233-7999 --  1992-96 National Music Chairman, Conductor

Coulter, J. Richard,  (Dick) 15860 Poppy Lane, #9 Los Gatos, CA, 95030   -  (408) 395-0909  frandick@juno.com  --  Dick's involvement with handbells began in 1960 at Trinity Methodist Church, Newport News,  VA.  He says he was privileged to attend the first national conference in St. Louis and later, to be on the faculty of the first Directors Seminar--also in St. Louis.  I formed the St. John's Ringers, a high school group from St. John's Presbyterian Church, Berkeley, CA, that made three European tours, several national tours, and one to Hawaii.  The only person to be Chairman of two areas of AGEHR, Inc. without moving.  I was Chairman of Area IX which later became Area XII.  I have conducted massed choirs throughout the United States and as President of AGEHR, Inc., I was proud to be responsible for founding the first national children's festival/conferences. It was during my tenure that the concept of a curriculum for directors was set in place.  I was the founding director for the Bells Of The Cascades, a community choir in Portland, OR, known for its success with sponsoring handbell cruises.   I also served St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Salem, OR as Organist/Choirmaster which had three handbell choirs as well as an adult singing choir which made two tours of the United States and one to England.  Although officially retired, I am the Organist/Choirmaster at St. Luke's Episcopal of Los Gatos, CA. President of AGEHR, Inc.1989-91, Conductor, Clinician

Couper, Alinda B.  --   Reported to have "invented" 4-in-hands, Composer, Arranger

Cowan, Marlow & Frances, 340 N.W. 72nd St. Place, Ankeny, IA  --  Marlow and Frances Cowan have been involved in handbells since 1953.  In 1954, the Cowans founded the "Y.M.C.A. Boys Chorus and Bell Ringers" and "Choral Belles" girls choir, of Des Moines, IA, which they directed for 27.  The choirs, which boasted 50+ members in each group, toured the U.S. and abroad regularly, singing and ringing.  Through the years, over 500 children treated audiences, ringing handbells, as well as some highly unusual, novelty instruments such Deagan shaker chimes, Deagan cricket bells, saucer, piccolo, and cow bells.  CBR Handbell Repair, their refurbishing business, has been transforming old bells into new for over 40 years.  About 1500 bells pass through their shop every year.  They have restored handbells from 13 different foundries including:  Bells of David, William Dunn, Golden Bells, Jenco, Malmark, Mayland, Petit & Fritsen, Schulmerich, Shaw, H.R. Street, Taylor, Tru-Sonic, and Whitchapel.  Although retired from the Y.M.C.A. Chorus, the Cowans still actively promote the art of ringing by helping churches and community groups to start handbell choirs.  They provide "loaner sets" for those waiting for their new bells to arrive, and give workshops on ringing, organizing and directing bell choirs.  They direct the youth and adult bell choirs at their church, and the two do 8-10 solo/duet performances per year on handbells and their other novelty instruments.

CREATIVE OPTIONS  -  Jackson, MI  -  Director, Margie Brookshear  -

CRC RIVERBELLS, THE  -  Sacramento, CA  -  Director, Paul W. Allen  -  Contact, Susan Coddington-Allen  - sueca@ucfinc.com  -
 
 

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