Area 5 - Handbell Musicians of America

06/08/2026

The Circle City Ringers of Indianapolis held their annual Spring Concert featuring a myriad of different pieces such as Echoes from a Weary World and Pirates of the Caribbean which were featured in Area 5’s recent Music of Muncie Festival to a few modern classics like Let it Go, Margaritaville, and Mamma Mia!

Photo taken from the Circle City Ringers page

06/04/2026

The Detroit Handbell Ensemble has had an excellent concert series titled “Seasons of Love” with performances in Westland, Clarkston, and their home city of Detroit! 

These ringers have a couple more performances planned and we are very excited to see them perform on July 17th at the Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar in Cincinnati!

Photos taken from the Detroit Handbell Ensemble page

Their Concert Schedule can be viewed on their website located at this link: https://ringdetroit.org/events

06/01/2026

Area 5 has been bustling with concerts these past few weeks! We would like to congratulate Columbus Rings of Ohio on an excellent season featuring performances at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital & Ronald McDonald House in Columbus followed by another performance at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Westerville, Ohio and concluding with a performance at the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

We at Area 5 would also like to wish their director and former Area 5 Chair Jarod Ogier well in his retirement from artistic director of Columbus Rings and express our gratitude to him for his services to both his choir and to the Area 5 Board.

Photos taken from the Columbus Rings website and page

05/09/2026

Greetings, Area 5! We would like to remind our followers that there is still time to register for the HMA National Seminar July 14-18 and we are excited to welcome the seminar right here in our own Area, in Cincinnati, Ohio! The HMA National Seminar provides a unique opportunity to meet fellow musicians who share passion and enthusiasm for the art of handbells. Throughout the week, different handbell classes will be offered featuring various ringing techniques in addition to a series of performances!

In previous years, Area 5 choirs have performed at National Seminar but this year we are tremendously excited that four choirs from our Area will be performing including Queen City Bronze, Detroit Handbell Ensemble, Trinity Ringers, and Bronze Ringers of Floyd Central!

Here are some photos of our members at previous seminars, and registration information for the event including pricing and hotel information can be found on the website for Handbell Musicians of America located at this link: https://handbellmusicians.org/event/national-seminar-2026/

04/27/2026

Did you know Area 5 owns 10 three-octave sets of handchimes that we loan out every year? Think you could put one to good use? Good news: We still have several sets available for the '26-'27 loan period!

Visit our website to learn more and apply for a chime grant today!
https://area5.handbellmusicians.org/chime-grant/

04/15/2026

Wooster (OH) UMC is hiring a part-time handbell director! Know someone who might be a good fit? See the post below for details.

🎶 Now Hiring: Share Your Musical Gifts! 🎶

Wooster United Methodist Church is seeking musicians to help lead and enrich worship through two part-time opportunities in the heart of downtown Wooster.

✨ PART-TIME ORGANIST / CHOIR ACCOMPANIST
• 10–15 hours per week
• Support weekly worship + special services (Advent, Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week)
• Play a beautifully restored 1953 Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ (updated by Schantz in 2011!)
• Collaborate with the Colla Voce Choir (rehearsals Thursday evenings, singing most Sundays at 10:00 a.m.)
• Previous experience playing organ and accompanying choirs required

🔔 PART-TIME BELL CHOIR DIRECTOR
• ~5 hours per week
• Lead a vibrant 5-octave handbell choir with a rich history dating back to 1972
• Direct monthly worship participation + opportunities for regional festivals
• Supported by an enthusiastic and appreciative congregation
• Handbell experience preferred

📍 Location: 243 N. Market St., Wooster, OH
📞 Office: (330) 262-5641

📧 How to Apply:
Contact Rev. Dr. David Rittgers at [email protected]

Include a brief resume highlighting your musical and spiritual leadership experience.

🎵 Whether at the organ bench or the bell table, this is an opportunity to use your gifts to inspire worship and community.

👉 Know someone who would be a great fit? Share this post!

04/06/2026

We hope our followers have had an excellent start to the Spring Season! Today we’d like to highlight the performance of the Forté Handbell Quartet this Thursday, April 9th in Cincinnati!

Based in Colorado Springs, Forté is an advanced quartet marked by artistry, energy, and dedication to their craft. In pursuit of musical excellence, Forté strives to explore, innovate, inspire, and glorify God through the gift of music.

Resonance describes a sound that is deep, full, and lingering. In presenting this concert, Forté invites you to slow down, listen, and share in the range of emotions offered by this music. We hope that what you hear will echo in your heart long after the final note fades. Known for their skillful, energetic performances and diverse repertoire, Forté will captivate audiences with a wide range of musical styles. Resonance features beloved original compositions for handbells, familiar movie themes from How to Train Your Dragon and Titanic, contemporary and traditional Christian music, and baroque and classical favorites. Together, these varied selections create an engaging and accessible concert experience for listeners of all ages.

https://fortehandbells.org/

03/27/2026

Columbus Rings is holding a search for a new artistic director -- please share with anyone you know who might be a good fit! See the post below and the Columbus Rings website for more details.

We're looking for our next Artistic Director! If you or someone you know is interested, check out https://columbusrings.org/artistic-director-job-posting/ for more details!

03/23/2026

To our 2026 festival attendees:

Thank you so much for spending your weekend with Area 5 and Conductor Jason Krug in Muncie! It was a terrific weekend of music-making and forging connections with fellow handbell musicians, and we're so glad you joined us for it.

We'd like to take a moment to ask you to share your feedback about the festival, so we can better serve you in years to come. Click the link below to take the survey, which should take 5-10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your time!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKnYKgFqmy4GzuK-cPLS4w-gOrRrqCnV1G04sAeNOn2pLjVg/viewform