Maine Spring Ring 2026
Spring Ring provides an opportunity for ringers to meet, share experiences, have fun, and develop musicianship and ringing skills. This event is sponsored by the Handbell Musicians of America for the benefit of its members. Registration is available only for current members of the Handbell Musicians of America, or members of any ensemble they represent. Individuals, small groups, partial choirs, and complete choirs are all welcome.
Date:
Saturday, April 11, 2026
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location:
Event Schedule
| 8:00-8:45 | Check In |
| 8:45-9:00 | Welcome |
| 9:00-9:55 | Massed Rehearsal |
| 10:00-10:55 |
Coppers Rehearsal Workshop #1: Tins |
| 11:00-11:55 |
Tins Rehearsal Workshop #2: Coppers |
| 12:00 |
Lunch Solo Choir Rehearsals During Lunch |
| 12:45-1:40 |
Coppers Rehearsal Workshop #3: Tins |
| 1:45-2:30 |
Tins Rehearsal Workshop #4: Coppers |
| 2:45-3:35 | Massed Rehearsal |
| 3:35-3:55 | Prepare for Concert |
| 4:00 | Public Concert |
*Note: There will be an opportunity for choirs traveling from away to set up on Friday evening.
Contacts
Dana Humphreys
ME State Chair
Handbell Musicians of America, Area 1
[email protected]
Susan Schultz
Event Registrar
Handbell Musicians of America, Area 1
[email protected]
978-273-2226
Event Details
Choirs from Maine and New England are invited to come together for the day to ring in a massed event under the direction of clinicians Kevin McChesney and Samantha Beschta. We will have two rehearsals to practice together the Massed, Tins and Coppers arrangements, one each in the morning and the afternoon. We will conclude the day with a public concert at 4 pm. There will be an opportunity for selected choirs to perform solo pieces during the concert. Registration will open in January.
PLEASE CHECK ON THIS WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS AS THEY ARE ADDED!
Clinicians
Kevin McChesney graduated with highest honors from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a Bachelor of Music in Composition and Music Theory. A career composer and arranger of handbell music, Kevin has over 1000 handbell titles in print and is one of the very few musicians who has made handbells a full-time vocation.
He was Music Director of the Pikes Peak Ringers, a virtuoso handbell choir based in Colorado Springs, for 30 years, and was also the Artistic Advisor for the Atlanta Concert Ringers for many years. His work with PPR included the premiere and thirteen further performances of his Concerto for Handbell Choir and Orchestra, and a recording with world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Kevin is the handbell editor for Jeffers Handbell Supply and the RingingWord catalog. He is also co-founder of STEP, the Solo To Ensemble Project (sonologymusic.com). He has been in demand throughout the handbell world as a composer/arranger, workshop clinician, and festival conductor.
Kevin was Music Director of the National Honors Handbell Ensemble, an intensive performance opportunity for advanced teens, for their first five events. He has conducted at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park, Disney World, and his music has been played on the Boston Pops stage. He has won numerous awards, including winning American Guild of English Handbell Ringers Composition Contests and Jeffers Composer of the Year.
As a continuation of his career-long focus on mentoring of handbell choirs, conductors, and composers/arrangers, Kevin now devotes considerable energy to bringing opportunities to other teachers, conductors, performers, and writers.
Stemming from a lifelong passion for the classical guitar, Kevin is the founder of ClassyGuitarMusic.com, a web resource for original works, arrangements, and transcriptions for classical guitar. He has also created ClassySheetMusic.com, a website providing wide-ranging music for orchestra, band, vocal choir, and keyboard.
Kevin lives in Colorado Springs, CO, with his wife Tracy and their cat, Aileen.
Samantha Beschta is the Assistant Director for Chime In! Music with a Mission based out of Bethlehem CT. Chime In! is a multi-generational family of handbell choirs- recently adding four new youth ensembles (two singing, two ringing) to the mix.
In 2015 she co-founded the Connecticut Handbell Musicians. She is the Director of this process-oriented group of ringers who use the summer to stretch and grow- enhancing their skills and enriching their musical experience. With no barriers to entry this is the perfect place to learn and try new things.
She has taken the podium at various events around the country including Bronze Under the Sun, Connecticut Spring Ring, Crucible Youth Handbell Festival, Area 1’s Winter Workshop, and internationally at Classic Bronze in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
On a smaller scale, she loves leading workshops in technique and musicality for individual groups. Her greatest joy is the rehearsal process: kneading and molding the notes and rhythms into emotions and musical expression. That is where the magic happens!
Samantha rings full-time with Chime In!, the New England Ringers, and is one-third of the handbell trio FaLiSaD (pronounced “Felicity”), who thrive in tight harmonies, rhythmic impossibilities and having too many bells to handle.
Samantha has always loved music, joining choir at age 6 and playing various instruments. She has been ringing handbells since 1995. She received two B.S. degrees in Vocal Performance and Acting/Directing, and has studied conducting under Rick Wood, Dr. William Payn and Kevin McChesney.
She lives in central Connecticut, where she and her husband Mike are raising two amazing up-and-coming bellringers, Dashiell and Penelope.
Ringing Repertoire
We have selected the following pieces for the event. Please purchase and begin rehearsing the music before the Spring Ring. In accordance with the Handbell Musicians of America guidelines, all music used must be original purchased copies. No photocopies will be allowed.
MASSED
Grazioso, Arnold Sherman (L2+), Red River Music, # MRRHB0042
Recollection Timothy Waugh (L2+), Choristers Guild, MCGB973 (full score w/ accompanying instruments), MCGB974 (3-5 octaves w/ accompanying instruments), DCGB974 (same 3-5 octaves as above, digital)
My Lord, What A Morning, arr. John A. Behnke (L3), Hope Publishing Co., # MHP1877
TINS
Meditation On An Irish Folk Melody, arr. Rick Holdsworth (L2), Ring Out Press, # MRO3400
Oh, Happy Morning, Cathy Moklebust (L1+), Choristers Guild, MCGB1309 (full score with percussion parts), MCGB1310 (2-3 octaves with optional percussion), MCGB1311 (3-5 octaves with optional percussion)
COPPERS
Eleanor Rigby, arr. Ron Mallory (L3), Jeffers Publishing, # MJHS9528
Freedom, arr Kevin McChesney (L3+), Sonology Music
NOTE: Select the license type in the drop down menu applicable to your choir
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.
Partial Choirs and “Independent Ringers”
All ringers are encouraged to attend, either as individual “independent” ringers or with a partial choir of any size. All are welcome! We will match you up with a host ensemble as best we can.
What to Bring
Each ringer should bring gloves and comfortable shoes. Each choir (partial or whole) should bring bells, chimes, mallets, foam, table covers, music, music stands, and tables. If your choir has a uniform or concert dress, you are encouraged to wear it for the performance.
Registration opens in January, more information to come soon!
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations may be made by contacting the Area 1 Registrar via email at [email protected]. Refunds will be issued for cancellations submitted before March 7, 2026 in the amount charged less a $2 processing fee. No refunds can be issued after that date.
Scholarship Information
Scholarships are available on a variety of levels for members of the Handbell Musicians of America and the ensembles they direct. If you are in need of financial assistance in order to attend this event, please review the scholarship information and application directions on the scholarships page of the Area 1 website.