Resource Articles

After the Prelude
The prelude is finished – now what can a bellchoir do to enhance the worship experience? Let’s think creatively! As we think about unique roles handbells and handchimes might play in worship ...More

More Ideas for Handbells in Worship
We have such a wealth of information from many experts in the field of handbell ringing published in the Overtones magazine. If we are smart, we keep each issue and have amazing reference material at our disposal. I realized this as I started researching ...More

Making Handbells and Enhancement Through Surprise
In my years directing church handbell choirs, I have found significant challenges to making handbells a meaningful and integrated part of a worship service, rather than an occasional add-on prelude or postlude. There are usually space issues and lots of logistics ...More

Recruiting and Retaining Ringers in a Church Setting
In a world with ever-increasing demands on time and talents, finding and keeping ringers is a challenge that can make or break a handbell choir. People look to their church as an outlet for worship, a place for learning and sharing their faith ...More

Ringing-In of Christmas Morning
At the stroke of midnight, the church bell or lowest C handbell strikes 12 times. Once the 12th chime is rung and dies away, three to five groups of handbell ringers, each stationed around the sanctuary, begin to play peals in C Major (without damping) ...More

Ringing the Psalms
The Book of Psalms is the hymnal of the Bible. Expressing a wide range of emotions, needs, and feelings of the People of God, the psalms have been at the heart of the Judeo-Christian worship. There has been renewed interest in making the psalms central in prayer ...More