Festival/Conference

June 26-29, 2025 | Worcester State University, Worcester, MA

​Handbell Musicians of America, Area 1 will hold its next Festival/Conference from Thursday, June 26 through Sunday, June 29, 2025 at Worcester State University. Festival/Conference is sponsored by Handbell Musicians of America, Area 1 for the benefit of the members of the Handbell Musicians of America and the members of the ensembles that they direct.

Handbell ringers, directors and educators from all over New England and beyond will gather for four days of educational workshops, massed ringing rehearsals, concerts, and the opportunity to network with others who share a love for handbells. The event culminates in a closing concert that is free and open to the public, featuring an hour-long presentation of handbell music rung by hundreds of ringers!

If you have never experienced Festival Conference before, you’re in for an unforgettable weekend with some of the nicest people, superb directors, and the best bell ringing in New England. If you’re a veteran Festival attendee, we look forward to reconnecting with you!

What’s New at Festival Conference?

We listened! Many of you indicated that you liked the shorter conference, but missed the free time and camaraderie of the longer conference.  So, we’re going back to starting on Thursday afternoon with load-in from 1pm-5pm, dinner from 4:30-6:00pm, and the opening bell at 6:15pm. Our first (shorter) rehearsal will start at 6:30pm followed by fellowship, team building, and classroom setup.

New this year is a Bronze/Tins mentoring program. If you are a Tins ringer interested in having a mentor, or a Bronze ringer that wants to be a mentor, sign up below. For more information on the Bronze/Tins mentoring program click here!  

NOTE: All bell sets must arrive and be set up on Thursday, but if individual ringers from your groups can’t show up until late on Thursday or Friday morning, they won’t miss too much.

There will be a Feature Concert with the Carol Ringers of Virginia as the guest choir on Friday evening. We will also have 3 mini-concerts. Those wishing to perform as soloists, small ensembles, or full choirs during a mini-concert are encouraged to sign up on the Group Registration form. However, due to time constraints, we may not be able to accommodate every performer that signs up.

We will gather in the Sullivan Auditorium for the biennial meeting  on Friday night after the Tins rehearsal, just before the Feature Concert.

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Registration

Important links and deadlines for FC25 Festival Conference registration:

• Group Registration – Start here to get your Group number
• Area 1 FC25 Pre-registration open January 20- Feb 15
• Early-bird access for pre-registered individuals open February 16 – February 28 
• Click here to see a list of courses that still have openings!

  Opening postponed until Saturday, February 22 at Noon

• Area 1 FC25 Attendee Registration for all open March 1 – March 31

Handbell Musicians of America Membership.

Area 1 events have always been run for the members of the Handbell Musicians of America in support of their goal of promoting the art of handbell ringing. Non-members are now welcome to attend Festival/Conference at a non-member rate as an introduction to all that Festival/Conference has to offer.

Members of the Handbell Musicians of America and musicians in their ensembles may attend Festival/Conference at the member rate, a $45 savings off the non-member rate. 

Everyone attending Festival/Conference will need to register individually as an Attendee, and will need a Group Registration ID to use when completing the Attendee Registration form. We ask that one person from each group assume the role of “Group Registrar” and be responsible for completing the Group Registration form. Individuals attending on their own will be considered to be a group of one, and will also need to submit a Group Registration.

NOTE: Those wishing to participate as Bronze Independent Musicians must complete and submit a Bronze Musician Application. If accepted, you will be given a Group Registration ID to use when completing the Attendee Registration form. You will be assigned a ringing position once your Attendee Registration has been submitted. For more information, visit the Festival Conference Bronze Division page.

Partial ensembles are welcome, and may attend either with or without their own equipment. Partial groups ringing on their own equipment can volunteer as Host ensembles, providing unfilled spots in their groups for others attending on their own or in smaller groups that will not be bringing their own equipment. Our Placement Coordinator will do their best to match these musicians with Host ensembles.

Please be aware that space this year will be limited and we encourage groups to join together as much as possible to form complete ensembles. We would like to fit as many people on the ringing floor as the space will allow. Participation will be determined on a first-come/first-served basis.

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

 Worcester State University will be providing all tables for the massed ringing floor. Therefore table rental is mandatory, but will be included at no additional charge. Total linear feet needed must be specified during registration.

New this Year!

In the past, in Area 1, we have called those who attend our festivals and other ringing events without their own equipment “Orphan Ringers.” We have decided to change our terminology and will now refer to these attendees more respectfully as “Independent Musicians.” 

Group Registration

The Group Registration form is used to

• Identify yourself or your group as a member or non-member of the Handbell Musicians of America
• Obtain a Group Registration ID for use on the Attendee Registration Form
• Choose the Massed Ringing Division in which you or your group will participate
• Reserve ringing space on the Massed Ringing Festival floor for groups bringing their own equipment
• Request placement as an Independent Individual or Independent Group for those attending without their own equipment
• Request to perform in a mini-concert

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Attendee Pre-registration

Those who submit the Attendee Pre-registration form along with a $125 deposit will secure an Early-bird discount of $50 and will have exclusive early access to the full Attendee Registration and Class Selection form from February 16 at 12 PM through midnight on February 28. Classes will be filled on a first-come/first-served basis, so you will want to register early. The Attendee Registration and Class Selection will re-open for all on March 1 at 12 PM EDT and will be available through midnight on March 31.

Important deadlines to consider:

• Area 1 FC25 Pre-registration open January 20- Feb 15
• Early-bird access for pre-registered individuals open February 16 – February 28
• Area 1 FC25 Attendee Registration for all open March 1 – March 31

If you pre-registered, you may submit your Attendee Registration at the Early-bird rate starting on Feb 16, 2025.  Your pre-registration deposit will be deducted from the total amount due at registration.

If you haven’t pre-registered, you may submit your Attendee Registration from March 1 to March 31, 2025 at the full rate.  Full payment will be due at registration.

Attendee Registration (Opens Feb 16, 2025) 

Everyone attending Festival/Conference will need to complete an Attendee Registration form, regardless of their level of participation. 

The Attendee Registration form is used to:

• Specify your level of participation
  • Festival ringer and Conference Attendee
  • Conference Attendee Only
  • Guest or Chaperone
• Choose your housing if wanted
• Select your Conference Classes if desired

Please make sure that you have a Group Registration ID. ( see Group Registration above)

What’s Included?

All registered participants will receive a complimentary Festival/Conference t-shirt and lapel pin. Additional charges will apply for music and special workshops. All participants are responsible for purchasing and rehearsing their music for the massed rehearsals ahead of time.

Overnight Conference Participants

The registration fees listed above for conference attendees cover housing, all meals from Thursday Dinner through Sunday lunch, and all tracks, classes, rehearsals, and scheduled events. All non-commuter participants will be housed in one of two buildings. Dorms in Wasylean are apartment-style with a refrigerator, and a shared bath for 4-6 people. Dorms in Sheehan Hall, where the dining hall is located, have either 2 double rooms or 4 single rooms, with one shared bathroom, and a communal kitchen on the second floor. 

NOTE: Additional charges will apply for music and special workshops. All massed ringing participants are responsible for purchasing and rehearsing their music for the massed rehearsals ahead of time. This year, there are a limited number of spots available on the ringing floor, so reserve your spot early!

Commuters

You may live close to Worcester, MA, or you may prefer to stay in facilities other than college dorms. The Commuter option is a reduced registration fee that will provide you with lunch, dinner and all Festival/Conference activities, but requires that you make your own arrangements for housing. 

Parking 

Parking is included in your registration fee. All vehicles will park overnight in the parking garage or the lot next to the Wasylean Hall dorms.  

Chaperones / Non-Ringing Companions

Participants under age 18 must be chaperoned; one adult (age 21+) chaperone must be present for every 6 ringers under 18. Chaperones will meet briefly at the beginning of F/C to learn expectations and emergency and disciplinary procedures. The Chaperone/Companion registration fees listed above cover housing, all meals from Friday lunch through Sunday lunch, and concert attendance. Those registered at this rate may not participate in classes or ring on the festival floor. Non-participating companions may also register at the Chaperone/Companion rate. 

* EARLY BIRD Deadline for Deposits is February 15.  Final payment of the remainder of the registration fee will be due in February when you complete your Attendee Registration.

** SCHOLARSHIPS: If you want to apply for a scholarship and can’t afford the $125 deposit right away, choose the ‘mail in a check’ option before the February 15 deadline, and indicate on your mail-in form that you are applying for a scholarship.

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Cancellation Policy

Registration cancellation/refund requests must be made via email to [email protected] on or before May 1, 2025. You will receive a full refund minus a $20 per-participant processing fee. No refunds can be made for cancellations received after May 1.

A registration may be transferred to another person; however, class selections cannot be changed after May 1. Housing assignments may be changed based on availability at that time. A class exchange system will be in place during the Festival/Conference to facilitate class changes.

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Scholarship Information

Scholarships are available on a variety of levels. If you are in need of financial assistance in order to attend this event, please review the scholarship information and application directions on our scholarships page.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Information about being a sponsor for Festival/Conference is listed on a separate page.

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How this will work:

• Each Tin ringer/position will be doubled by a Bronze Ringer for rehearsals AND the performance.
• For positions C4 to C7, Tins and Bronze ringers will alternate, with the doubled positions side by side.
• For the top four treble positions, the Bronze ringers will also be playing the 5th octave bells (the 7’s).
• The lower bass bell positions may be filled by additional Bronze Ringers. 
• The Bronze Ringers would stay in the same row even when their pieces are being performed.  The Tins ringers would simply sit when they are not ringing.  
• Mentoring pairs will be notified prior to the start of FC25 so that ringers can share preparation tips.

Tins Ringer must be:

• comfortable ringing next to a different ringer than usual.
• willing to accept helpful pointers and corrections.  

Bronze Mentors must be:

• friendly, approachable and easy to talk to.
• able to offer aid and corrections without coming off as critical.
• willing to ring the Bronze selections with extra bells on the tables and Tin ringers sitting behind you.
• willing to be assigned to the same position for all songs.
• prepared ahead of time, noting possible spots to review with your mentee.
• If you regularly ring with a Bronze choir that is on the ringing floor as a group, you must give up your spot with that group to an Independent (orphan) Bronze ringer – and your director must agree!

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Festival Repertoire

All participants are expected to purchase and rehearse the repertoire prior to attending Festival Conference. Photocopies of music are NOT permitted on the ringing floor. Music is available for purchase through Handbell World , except those pieces only available through Sheet Music Plus (direct links below).

Festival Conference Bronze Independent Musicians – Area 1 Handbell Musicians of America

*Find out if you Pre-Qualify!*

Please visit the special page we have for all things bronze division.

***WE WELCOME INDEPENDENT BRONZE RINGERS, TOO!* (i.e. those who wish to attend, but are not associated with a group that is attending.)

Please visit the special page for individuals wishing to be part of a bronze independent ensemble.

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Volunteers for Festival/Conference 2025

Consider yourself Asked!  If you can do any of the following things, please contact Lisa Arnold at [email protected]

• Drivers: We’re looking for people who love to play “Handbell Tetris”! We need drivers to pick up loaner equipment from organizations across New England, then tag, label, and document it. Finally, you get to load it onto a 16’ truck and deliver it to the conference at Worcester State University. Estimated time commitment:
  • Wednesday, June 25, 2025: 8:00am to 6:00pm – pick up rental truck & bells
  • Wednesday, June 25, 2025: 3 pm to 6 pm (and maybe after dinner) – moving equipment and setting up.
  • Thursday, June 26, 2025: 8:00am – 2:00pm (moving equipment and setting up)
  • Sunday, June 29, 2025: 4:30pm – 6:00pm – load truck for ride home
  • Monday, June 30, 2025: 8:00am – 6:00pm – return bells & rental truck
    NOTE: Truck rental, gas, tolls and lodging on Wed & Sun evenings are covered

• Equipment Roadies: We need help getting the equipment from the staging area to the classrooms on Thursday morning and back again on Sunday. If you are willing to help move and set up equipment in the classrooms, please let me know! Time commitment starts at 8am on Thursday.
• Faculty: Do you have a good idea for a class? Are you willing to teach something? If so, contact Stephanie LaShoto-Westfield at [email protected]
• If you want to help out, and the job is not listed here, please let us know! All of our committee members can use extra hands, even if just for a few hours during the festival. More opportunities will be posted as we get closer to the event.

Why should I go to Festival Conference at Area 1?

…to learn new things! Everyone, even the most advanced ringers can learn something new. Maybe it will be in a massed rehearsal, at a class for basic ringing, advanced techniques, an open discussion, or origami, yoga, steel or african drums, ballroom dancing, ear training baseball, how to be a one person handbell choir (using the Acapella app), or even while chatting at mealtime.

…to meet other bell choirs, talk with other ringers and directors, and ring some of the best music available today under the most superb directors

…because if you have never experienced it before, you’re in for an unforgettable weekend with some of the nicest people, and the best bell ringing in New England.

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What is Massed Ringing?

If you have never witnessed or participated in a Massed Ring, you are in for a spectacular experience! Imagine the floor of a college basketball arena, packed with 1000 feet of pad-covered tables, 3 choirs across, 10 rows deep, populated with hundreds of handbell ringers, all ringing in sync under the baton of one director. The visuals are amazing, the sound is inspiring, and the encounter is unforgettable.

Most importantly, massed ringing is an opportunity for personal growth. In a situation where you have multiple choirs all ringing the same piece of music, you can feel confident to reach a step or two beyond your usual ringing comfort level, knowing that there are many other ringers who will cover for mistakes and fill in missing notes.

Every ringer should experience a Massed Ring, and there is no better place to do that than Festival Conference.

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Ringing Divisions Explained

Tins – A division of massed ringing for beginning/emerging choirs that are generally ringing Level 1-2 music.

Coppers – A division of massed ringing for intermediate/more seasoned choirs that are generally comfortable ringing Level 2-4 music.

Bronze – A division of massed ringing for advanced skill-level choirs that are generally comfortable ringing Level 3-6 music.

For more information about the the handbell and handchime music difficulty level system, visit https://handbellmusicians.org/music-resources/agehr-music-2/notation-guide/

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My handbells are all bronze; what's this about tins and coppers?

Handbells are made of bronze, which is an alloy about 20% tin and 80% copper.  Handbell Musicians of America uses 'tins', 'coppers', and 'bronze' to group ensembles or ringers into approximate ringing proficiency levels. The group difficulty is generally self-selected by the group as opposed to assigned from the outside. Tins are typically beginning ringers and groups, just getting started on their handbell journey.  They may feel most comfortable playing music at a difficulty of level 1 or 2. A group progressing in skill will begin using the term coppers to indicate that they are an intermediate level group.  They may feel most comfortable playing level 2-4 music. Bronze level is the term used when referring to groups performing music at a higher difficulty level with strong musicality.  Bronze group most often perform music at difficulty levels 3-6 and beyond.

Opening Concert Info

Featuring: The Carol Ringers!

We are likely to livestream this concert.  Watch this space for links to come

Our featured Guest concert will be on Friday, June 27 from 8:00-9:30 PM In the Sullivan Auditorium at Worcester State University, 486 Chandler Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.  The concert will feature the Carol Ringers of St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Annandale, Virginia. The Carol Ringers have participated in many Area 1 festivals over the years, and most recently they performed at the 2024 National Seminar in Hartford, CT to help commemorate the 70th anniversary of Handbell Musicians of America. This concert will be open to the public, and we will be livestreaming it here, so check out the link TBD.

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Closing Concert Info

A link to purchase a recording of the closing concert will be posted to this website soon! Please be aware that we are only offering a digital download this year. Physical CD’s will not be available.

The closing concert will be livestreamed. The link will be provided on this page once it’s available. 

Worcester State University

The Worcester State University campus is centrally located in Massachusetts and less than a 90 drive from Boston, MA, Providence, RI, Hartford, CT and Concord, NH. The campus is nestled in the residential northwest side of Worcester—the second largest city in New England.

The map below shows where all of our activities will take place:

Housing Description

All non-Commuter conference participants will be housed in either Sheehan Hall or Wasylean Hall.

• Sheehan Hall has either two (2) double or four (4) single rooms with one shared bath. There is a communal gathering space on each floor, and a fitness area and shared kitchen on the second floor.
• Wasylean Hall features apartment-style living areas with 2 single rooms and 2 double rooms, housing 6 people per apartment. There are two bathrooms and two shower rooms per apartment, and each apartment is equipped with a kitchen and common area. The kitchen has a full sized refrigerator, sink, and oven/range.

Special Needs/Handicapped Accessibility

​The WSU campus is handicapped accessible. The dining hall, dormitories, classrooms, and ringing arena are close to each other and are handicapped accessible. Apartments in Wasylean Hall have refrigerators in the kitchenette for those who have medication that needs refrigeration. Sheehan Hall has a shared kitchen on the second floor. Special dietary, housing or accessibility needs must be detailed during the registration process, as adequate time must be provided to accommodate these needs.

Linens/etc

Linens for the bed and towels are included for 2025.  The rooms contain a bed, desk, and dresser.  They are not furnished with toiletries, desk lights, or kitchen housewares. Laundry Rooms are available in each dormitory.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms will have shower curtains and toilet paper provided.

HMA AREA 1 COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY

(Updated 1/26/2023)

PARTICIPANTS & AUDIENCE

Area 1 no longer requires masking for our events for participants or audience members.

All participants and audience members at Area 1 events are strongly encouraged to wear a mask in indoor venues, regardless of their vaccination status. The Area 1 board will revisit this policy and amend it as circumstances change and as required by venue.

DISCLAIMER

By attending/participating, you acknowledge and fully understand the nature and extent of the risk related to the COVID-19 virus and other contagious diseases and agree to attend this event at your own risk. You expressly acknowledge that COVID-19 is highly contagious, and infection can result in death, the risk of infection and transmission are higher in indoor facilities, there are no safety precautions that totally eliminate the risk of contracting COVID-19, and individuals with various underlying medical conditions may experience worse outcomes.

NOTE: Where state, local and/or venue policies vary from the Area 1 policy, the more strict policy will be in effect.

Worcester State University’s COVID-19 Precautions and Policies

In addition to the policy adopted by HMA Area 1 (above), We will be adhering to the Worcester State University requirements based on what phase we are in as a state and nationally.  The Worcester State University updated policies can be found at https://www.worcester.edu/about/conference-event-services/covid-19-requirements/

As of 1/26/2023, WSU will not be requiring masking for any of our attendees.