"Thank you for inviting me to be a part of the anniversary celebration! Where did the time go?! It was an honor to work with all of you and renew friendships and make new ones. If you venture to the mountains of western NC, be sure to stop in Brevard! "
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This spring marks our 25 season of ringing and bringing the joys of handbell music to our community.
We celebrated at our concert on May 10th with Michael Helman, our founder and guest conductor, and a very enthusiastic audience! Thank you, Michael for returning to mark the occasion with us and for sharing your beautiful and haunting melodies that were a wonderful addition to the program. Thanks to all the former ringers and subs who attended as well. Thank you to Music Director Jeff Nicely and the team at St Paul's United Methodist Church for hosting the event and providing a delectable reception after the concert. And of course, thank you to Artistic Director Kerry Dietz for selecting our repertoire and for expertly leading the ensemble through the first half of program. Click here to enjoy the concert! Click here for a complete listing of our public spring concerts. Come celebrate with us! Our celebration program features original favorites by our founder, Michael Helman, including Prayer for Peace, Metamorphosis, Dance Before the Lord, Nocturne in C Minor and a piece entitled, Exaltation, Reflection and Dance, composed originally for the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble. Also on the program are several festive contributions by other well known handbell arrangers/composers including: Duke, Glenn and Woody arranged by Alan D. Reese, Intermezzo IV from Carmen arranged by Kevin McChesney, Passage by Kerry Johnston, George Bizet's Farandole, transcribed by William H. Griffin, and Nocturnal Fantasy by Emily Li. |
Wilmington Handbell Ensemble is the only community based handbell ensemble in Wilmington. Membership is by audition or invitation and the group draws from various church bell choirs in New Castle County. The purpose of the Wilmington Handbell Ensemble is to educate and introduce audiences to the beautiful and varied repertoire for handbells as well as promote excellence in musicianship among its members. In addition to their own concerts, the Ensemble has played at Longwood Gardens, First Night Wilmington, Christmas in Old New Castle, Christmas Open Houses in Salem and Woodstown, New Jersey, Brandywine River Museum, and Delaware Art Museum. They have also been featured with the Newark Symphony and the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware and the Wilmington Madrigal Singers in their holiday concerts.
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April 5, 2025... Eighteenth Annual Jonathan Beech Memorial Concert donations in support of The Neuro-Oncology Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have reached over $12,000 and climbing. WHE was proud to once again support this worthy endeavor as guest artists on a stunning program featuring musicians and choristers from the Delaware Valley and Kennett Square communities. Click here to listen. "Your three chosen selections really summarized our Memorial Concert philosophy and the Christian faith perfectly. And of course they were performed so artistically! The variety of sounds that your ringers achieve is amazing --- For the passages where the chimes provided an accompaniment effect, I could have sworn that you brought an organ with you!" Donna Beech, Conductor Praise for the concert... ~A truly beautiful and exceptionally inspiring performance for all attendees to behold. Such an artistic event. Congratulations to ALL musicians—singers and instrumentalists, for sharing your musical talents this special day—a most powerful and meaningful expression of our aural art which, unfailingly, transcends and comforts during the most challenging of times. ~Fantastic concert as always! ~I loved, loved, loved the concert! Private Performances WHE also performs private concerts (not open to the general public) upon request and availability at retirement communities and nursing homes in the Delaware Valley area. Locations for 2025 include: Country House Wilmington, DE - April 28 Assisi House Aston, PA - May 3 Riddle Village Media, PA - May 12 |
In remembrance
Thank you to Sharon Neff for having memorial donations sent to Wilmington Handbell Ensemble in memory of her mother, Christine Neff, who was a ringer in our group before her untimely death.” February, 2018
“Thank you to Ann Stokes Neff for her generous donation in memory of Dotte Leach Chisholm, former music director of Grace Lutheran Church of Somers Point, NJ.” May, 2018
