“Only a group of individuals who are master musicians in their own right, and who work with each other over the steady course of many years, can attain the oneness of mind required to create this level of dynamic shape and sensitive phrasing with handbells. Just thinking about the New England Ringers’ interpretation of the piano works of Debussy makes me all goosebumpy.”

Michael Olbash

Director of Music, The United Church of Christ in Medfield

Medfield, MA

New England Ringers is a fifteen-member community handbell ensemble of highly energetic musicians playing the most advanced level of handbell literature. Offering exciting performances, NER amazes listeners and receives enthusiastic reviews from audience members of all ages. NER performances are a blend of lively and diverse musical moods and styles. Repertoire includes classical transcriptions, familiar favorites, and original compositions. The outstanding music is matched by touches of entertaining humor and the artful visual presentation of the ensemble playing this unique instrument.

One of the major goals of the ensemble is to introduce audiences to the incredible music that can
be made on this impressive instrument. The group strives to achieve a level of musicianship that is bringing handbells greater recognition and acceptance in the world of musical performance.

NER members descend on Greenfield, MA, every two weeks from throughout New England to rehearse. Some ringers (the truly bell-crazy ones) travel more than two hours each way to rehearsals. These marathon rehearsals are powered by plenty of coffee and chocolate, both of which flow freely. Between meetings, ringers rehearse individually and in sectionals throughout the region. Current members come from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

New England Ringers was founded by some of the region’s most talented ringers in 2000 for the purpose of attending and ringing at the National Directors Seminar of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers in Buffalo, New York. Following that event, the ensemble continued with the mission of performing challenging music at its highest level. Membership is offered to qualified and interested ringers by invitation of the ensemble.

NER rings on a core instrument of six octaves of Schulmerich Handbells and seven octaves of Malmark Choirchimes. The original five-octave set was received as a gift from an anonymous donor in February 2004.

  Audio Files

• Capriccio K. McChesney
• Passacaglia G.F. Handel arr. W. Griffin
• Spirit Wind J. Bartsch
• Greensleeves arr. K Moklebust
• Symphonia on Hyfrydol arr. K. McChesney Duet with Piano
• Osse Shalom N. Hirsh arr. S. Nelson
• Lumiere F. Gramann
• Sabre Dance A. Khachaturian arr. M. Thompson

  Video Files

• Dorian Dance - M. Joy - View the entire video on YouTube
• Sharon's Song - D. Allured - View the entire video on YouTube
• Fantasy No. 3 in G Minor - A. Sherman - View entire video on YouTube
• Pine Apple Rag - A. Sherman - View entire video on YouTube
• In The Mood - View entire video on YouTube

EDWARD G. HENDERSON, JR. began ringing handbells in 1962 (he claims he was only two at the time!) and has been directing handbell choirs since 1985, including more than 20 years as director of youth and adult handbell choirs at Tewksbury Congregational Church, Tewksbury, MA. He has served on the Board of Directors of Area I of AGEHR in various positions for many years, and has been an organizer, clinician and conductor at numerous local, area and national handbell events. Ed, an electrical engineer by day, manages the customer support operation for a company that produces analyzers used to measure levels of gaseous oxygen. He is an antique car enthusiast and a huge NASCAR fan, enjoys skiing and snowmobiling and loves to spend time with his wife Sue, family and friends at their lakeside home in New Hampshire.

ROBERT ANNIS of Belchertown, MA, has been ringing handbells since 2009 when a handbell choir replaced the jazz band at his high school, and he absolutely loves to ring. He is currently a freshman at UMass Amherst and is studying Physics.

TIM BENNETT of Amherst, MA, has been ringing handbells since 2003. He currently directs the bell choir at Wesley United Methodist Church in Hadley, MA and works as a studio assistant at a pottery studio in Leverett, MA.

ALAN BETTS of Pittsford, VT, has been the “voice of NER” for Holiday concerts since the first holiday concert. He starred as Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady at the Paramount Theater in Rutland, Vermont in 2008. In his other life as Atmospheric Research in Pittsford, he is Vermont’s leading climate researcher and a frequent speaker on climate change issues around the state. He is a commentator for Vermont Public Radio, and a columnist for the Sunday Environment section of the Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus.

ASAKO BURR of Winchester, MA, spent her early childhood in Tokyo. She has been ringing for over 15 years and rings with the Carilloneers of First Congregational Church in Winchester, MA and the Carillon of Hancock Church in Lexington, MA. Asako and her husband Chas have attended International Handbell Symposia in England, Korea, Australia, Orlando, FL and Osaka and have participated in a handbell cruise to the Caribbean. They have two grown daughters, one on the West Coast and one in Sweden. Asako works as a librarian at the Cary Library in Lexington.

CAROL ELMORE is from Chelmsford, MA, where she lives with her husband and five children. Carol is a patent attorney and owner of Elmore Patent Law Group, PC where she practices intellectual property law specializing in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. She has been ringing handbells since she was 8 years old. In her spare time, which there is very little of, she enjoys being a church youth leader, gardening, renovating her antique home and watching soccer games and gymnastics meets. Carol is serving this year as NER’s President.

LIZ FAFARD ALMSTROM of Oxford, MA. She has been ringing at her church, First Congregational Church of Oxford, for over six years. Liz has been involved with music for most of her life having played the clarinet for fifteen years. Currently a Virtual Assistant working with entrepreneurs and small businesses, she also volunteers her time and her home fostering homeless dogs with a local rescue.

GAIL GRANUM of Worcester, MA, was born and raised in Wisconsin and Illinois where she studied a variety of musical instruments in the public schools. Violin became her instrument of choice with private lessons and two full orchestras filling her musical schedule. Gail graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a Master’s Degree. Gail has enjoyed ringing handbells for 20 years. Formerly, she was a professional teacher and successful business woman. Currently, she is a substitute ringer with several handbell choirs, and performs in smaller, seasonal handbell ensembles. Her passions include both child care and elder care, nature, hand crafts, and tutoring. Gail is the Massachusetts State Chair for the Handbell Musicians of America. Gail is serving this year as NER’s Vice President and Booking Manager.

KAREN JAMES of Pittsford, VT, is NER’s Assistant Director and began ringing bells when her church acquired a set in 1983 and she became the director a year later. Karen holds a B.M. in Music Education from the University of Lowell (MA) with further studies at Hartt School of Music, University of Vermont and Orff-Schulwerk in England, and has been performing and teaching music for more than 30 years. She has helped to organize and run many local, Area, and National ringing events, and was selected to ring with the Dream Team at SEE, the Solo/Ensemble Ringing Extravaganza, in the summer of 2007, an event especially tailored for the needs of handbell soloists and ensemble ringers.

SARAH LEBRUN of Westford, MA, learned to play bells while in the womb. She started as an NER roadie while her mother, Debra, played with NER many years ago. She now joins us with 13 years of ringing experience. She credits her mother, former NER ringer Janet Anderson, and the Congregational Church of Littleton for her amazing skills. In her spare time she is an artist and writer. She also likes to hike, kayak, and ski. Sarah is looking forward to share her home with a new cat some time soon. .

TIM POTTER, currently of Lynn, MA, has been around handbells since before he was born. Originally from Littleton, MA, he started ringing twelve years ago at the Congregational Church of Littleton. Handbells have always played a large part in Tim’s life, as he participated in many handbell events while growing up. Now, away from his hometown, he rings at the First Congregational Church in Reading, MA along with his mother and brother. While Tim is a passionate musician, he is also interested in theater lighting and sound, and while currently engaged in other activities, he hopes to return soon to school in order to pursue those interests.

PAT PRANGER of Wallingford, VT is a self-employed CPA. She has been ringing handbells since 2005 and currently rings with the Rutland United Methodist Church bell choir. Pat is also an enthusiastic choral singer and sings with two community choruses as well as singing in local community musical theater productions. She recently returned from a choral tour of Italy with the Castleton Collegiate Chorale. When not ringing, or singing, Pat can be found volunteering for many local arts organizations. Pat is currently serving as the Vermont state chair of the Handbell Musicians of America.

NORALIE SARVER of Pepperell, MA, began ringing handbells while in college at Purdue University and has been ringing ever since. She currently rings with the Sounds of the Spirit choir at the Congregational Church of Littleton, MA. Noralie works as an Electircal Engineer at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. In her spare time she enjoys exploring New England, having recently moved here from Colorado.

JENNIFER SHERBLOM of Westford, MA has been ringing since she was eight years old. Introduced to music at a young age, she has tried her hand at a variety of instruments including the piano, flute and violin, but her interest in ringing handbells has remained constant throughout. She was previously a member of the United Ringers, an inter-generational group based at the Congregational Church of Littleton, MA, which she originally joined at its inception in 1997. In addition to her interest in music, Jennifer holds a BA in Japanese Language and has an ongoing interest in developing her language skills. She recently combined these two interests by attending the 14th International Handbell Symposium that was held in Osaka, Japan in August 2010.

KIMBERLEE STREPKA has been teaching music for more than twenty years and is the author of Handbell Artistry from the Inside Out: Laban Movement Theory for the Handbell Musician, to be published by GIA Publications in 2012. Kim received a BMEd. from the Hartt School of Music, a MMEd. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is currently a music education doctoral student at Boston University. She has done graduate work at the Choral Institute in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and at the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies in Manhattan. She directs two handbell choirs at the Pioneer Valley Christian School in Springfield, MA, and serves on the Handbell Musicians of America, Area 1 Board as the Education Liaison. www.motionlanguage.com

LYNNE WELSH is from Manchester Center, VT, where her family owns and runs a motel, The Aspen at Manchester. She received a B.S. in Music Education from Gettysburg College with further study in Orff-Schulwerk, World Music Drumming and choral music. Lynne is thrilled to be on the “ringing side of the table” again after many years of directing church handbell choirs. Currently the director of The Tall Spire Ringers of the First Congregational Church, she also works as the Guidance Office Assistant at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester.

SUSAN WILBER of Hamden, CT, has been playing handbells since 1988 at Spring Glen Church in Hamden, where she also directs the Chime Choir. Sue is also the Director of the Revelation Ringers and the Psalm Ringers at First Congregational Church in Watertown, CT. She is the former CT State Chair of Handbell Musicians of America, and currently serves that organization as the Chair-Elect of Area I; in her “spare” time she enjoys playing the organ and has substituted at her own church and elsewhere in the area. Sue also enjoys solo ringing and ensemble ringing and is the proud mother of three grown children and one granddaughter. A graduate of Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA, Sue has worked for many years in the financial services industry and currently is the Office Manager of the CT Conference, United Church of Christ.