Handbell Links

Handbell Organizations

• American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (http://www.agehr.org)
• AGEHR Area 7 [Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Manitoba] (http://www.areaviiagehr.org/)
• Bell Choirs on the Net (http://www.ringem.org/misc/choirs.html)

Handbell Resources

• HANDBELL-L (http://www.ringem.org/mailist/)
  
• Handbell Ensemble Facts and Trivia by Paul Schaper (http://members.aol.com/nwbell/sidenotes.html)
• Handbells and Handchimes FAQs by Jack Kearns
  (http://www.knology.net/~jkearns/faqindex.htm)
• Handbell Recordings and Playlists by Jason Tiller (http://home.comcast.net/~tiller30/handbell-recordings.html)
• Handbell Resources Page by Paul Kingsbury (http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kingsbur/Bells.html)

Handbell Manufacturers

• Malmark (http://www.malmark.com/)
• Schulmerich (http://www.schulmerichbells.com/)
• Whitechapel (http://www.whitechapelbellfoundry.co.uk/)

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Handbells: A Brief History

Handbells were invented in 17th century England when neighbors of bell towers tired of listening to long change-ringing rehearsals. Handbells permitted the rehearsals to take place in the spirited warmth of pubs. Handbells were first brought to the United States around 1840. They were popularized by P.T. Barnum as a circus attraction. After this, handbell teams went into the Vaudeville circuit.

In the 1940's people began ringing handbells in American churches. Handbells were first manufactured in the United States in the 1960's. Today there are over 10,000 handbell choirs in North America. Approximately 1% of these are community groups such as MACH. The rest are affiliated with churches and schools.

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