“They played with expert musicality, lots of movement, and the fervor of an experienced concert choir. ... they were able to pull off a fantastic repertoire set with stellar musicianship for a standing-room-only crowd who gave ... three standing ovations ....”

Michael Kastner
Former Director of Rocky Mountain Ringers, Denver, CO

Co-Founder of STEP

New England Ringers is a fourteen-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, Rhode Island, 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.

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.

ASAKO BURR of Winchester, MA, spent her early childhood in Tokyo. She has been ringing for more than 15 years and currently 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, and Orlando, FL and have participated in a handbell cruise to the Caribbean. They have two grown daughters, both living on the West Coast. Asako works as a librarian at the Cary Library in Lexington.

JEANNIE CUSHMAN of Rutland, VT, began ringing in Colorado Springs in 1988. She rang in Rhode Island at the Peace Dale UCC from 1993 to 1996. Since moving to Vermont, she has rung at Grace UCC from 1997 to 2003, and with the Bells of Joy under the direction of Karen James since 1998. Jeannie has enjoyed ringing at the annual "Distinctly Bronze" national advanced event since 2003. She played violin through her freshman year at Brown University, and has sung in church choirs including during her graduate school years at Duke University. Jeannie works as a physical therapist for PACE Vermont/Rutland.

CAROLYN ELMORE is from Chelmsford, MA, where she lives with her husband and five children.  Carolyn 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.

LIZ FAFARD is from 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.

MARTHA GOODMAN of Norwood, MA, first active in music as a singer in church and community choirs, began ringing handbells in the mid-1980s. She is Handbell Director and substitute Chancel Choir director at First Congregational Church UCC in Reading, MA and handbells teacher at Lincoln School in Providence, RI. She enjoys cooking for friends and family, reads voraciously, and is a proud citizen of Red Sox Nation. A graduate of Boston University with a degree in business administration, Martha is self-employed as a human resources and employee communications consultant.

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. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Master's Degree. Gail has enjoyed ringing handbells for 20 years. Currently, she is a regular ringer with four handbell ensembles and a barbershop singer with two Sweet Adelines choruses. Gail is serving this year as NER's Vice President.

ANNE HIMEBAUGH of Watertown, MA, has played handbells since second grade, when she began ringing at her church in Cincinnati. While studying for her Bachelor's in Civil Engineering, she toured nationally with the Purdue University handbell ensemble. She continued ringing at Blacksburg United Methodist Church while pursuing her master's degree at Virginia Tech. Anne has recently moved to Massachusetts to begin her structural engineering career and is excited to have a new ringing home with NER.

KAREN JAMES of Pittsford, VT, 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.

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.

KAREN WALKER, originally from Oklahoma and currently a resident of Warwick, RI, has played handbells for more than 20 years in many different choirs located in Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Connecticut and Rhode Island. She rings with the Jubilate Ringers, an ecumenical group based at St. Luke's Church in East Greenwich, RI, and she also serves on the Rhode Island Handbell Advisory Board. In her spare time she enjoys gardening and cooking, and is an avid bridge player. Karen lives with her husband, Michael, and has one son, Adam, who lives in New York City. Karen is currently serving as President of New England Ringers.

KIMBERLEE STREPKA of East Longmeadow, MA is the director of the Bronze Ambassadors, an auditioned teen handbell ensemble from Newport, VT. She also directs two handbell choirs at Pioneer Valley Christian School in Springfield, MA. Kim received her B.M. in Music Education from the Hartt School of Music and her M.M. in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.. She has done graduate work in Laban Movement Analysis and is an advocate for the use of dance vocabulary in the handbell rehearsal.

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. Lynne is serving this year as NER’s Secretary.

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 AGEHR, and currently serves that organization as the Treasurer 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 with her three grown children. A graduate of Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA, Sue has worked for many years in the financial services industry. Currently, she is the Office Manager of the CT Conference, United Church of Christ.