Carillons Handbell Choir

Redding, CA

The Carillons Handbell Choir is an inter-generational handbell choir sponsored by First Presbyterian Church and St. James Lutheran Church of Redding, California.  The musicians have a collective experience of 256 years of ringing.  We perform on 54 Schulmerich handbells  and 43 Schulmerich Melody-chimes. The handbell ringers are all volunteers who are passionate about the art of handbell ringing and share their enthusiasm by playing regularly at both of the sponsor churches as well as ringing at community events, weddings and funerals.  We also present programs at area retirement homes and nursing homes.  Rehearsals are on Thursdays, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.  We play the first Sunday of every month from September to June, plus special church festival services.  The bell ensemble is open to individuals in fifth grade through adult (who have at least one year of musical instrument experience). The Carillons  attended the Rogue Valley Handbell Festival in Medford, Oregon from 2001 to 2006; the Siskiyou Summit Handbell Conference in Ashland, Oregon since 2007; the National Handbell Spectacular in Norfolk, Virginia in 2004; the Area 12 Conference in 2006, 2010, and 2012; the International Handbell Symposium in Orlando, Florida in 2008.  We have hosted the Redding Handbell Festival with the Simpson University Handbell Choir since 2008.  We took a mission trip to Wittenberg, Germany in 2011 and helped the Castle Church start a bell choir. We joyously returned to Germany in 2014 to participate in their first annual handbell festival.