BELL CHOIR PROGRAMS
Bell Choir Programs by The Presbyterian Church of Morris Plains, NJ
English handbells have been a part of the Presbyterian Church of Morris Plains, NJ since 1968. Typically, one of our handbell choirs will be featured at our Sunday morning worship service. You can also see one of our handbell choir programs performing locally, regionally or internationally! You do not have to be a member of our church to join any of the choirs. We offer handbell choir programs for the novice and experienced handbell musicians. Programs are open to adults, junior and high school students for all ages and skill levels. Learn more about the Bell Choir Program opportunities available at PCMP:
Church Bell Choir Program Opportunities
Cadet Bell Choir: A choir for beginner ringers of all ages. All are welcome! Cadet ringers begin in second grade and above. Our multigenerational Cadets are for anyone who does not read music or has not had any previous handbell ringing experience. We rehearse on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month from 10:30-11:30. We ring in church as scheduled, 4-5 times throughout the school year, and participate in the annual Handbell Appreciation Concert in May.
Director Debbie Rossetti
Mezza Bell Choir: Intermediate handbell choir for those who have rung bells before or have a good foundation of reading music. All ages are welcome! We rehearse on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, as well as the 5th when applicable, from 10:30-11:30. We ring in church, as scheduled, 4-5 times throughout the school year. We typically ring on Christmas Eve and have an end of the year concert with all the choirs in May.
Director Amy Traver
Walsh Memorial Bell Choir: Our High School Choir has a long history of high standards in handbell choir ringing. The group rehearses on Thursday nights from 6:30-8:30, plays the third Sunday of each month within worship, and also performs concerts locally. Walsh culminates its season with a tour at the end of June. Follow our tour highlights on instagram @wmbcbells
Director Amy Bozza
WMBC Quartet: occasionally we are blessed to have a dedicated, select group of 4 experienced ringers from the Walsh Memorial Bell Choir. The quartet coordinates additional practice time together and performs in worship throughout the year.
Director Kathy Opsasnick
Grazio Bell Choir: A group of adults who love to play bells together! Grazio ringers regularly play within the church services and at various venues in Morris Plains and the surrounding communities. The group rehearses Monday evenings at 7:00pm from October through May and rings the second Sunday of the month. If you have some handbell playing experience and would like to join, come along to one of our practices!
Director Carl Loutzenheiser
Loutzenheiser Legacy Choir: Our newest handbell choir was established and is named to honor the long-time director of our handbell programs, Carl Loutzenheiser. The Legacy choir is made up of Walsh alumni and other adult ringers with several years of handbell experience. The Loutzenheiser Legacy Choir typically rehearses on the second and fourth Sundays of each month from 10:30 to 12:00, and the members endeavor to ring in church on the fourth Sundays as well as at the annual Appreciation Concert.
Co-Directors Melissa Csengeto & Evan Lorey
About The Walsh Memorial Bell Choir (WMBC)
The Walsh Memorial Bell Choir (WMBC) was established in 1968 and named to honor a previous pastor, Rev. Joseph E. Walsh. In the following decades, the ensemble has been an active community ambassador for handbell ringing as well as an advocate for preserving and promoting English handbell choirs in church, music education, and in the community.
Composed of auditioned 6th-12th grade students from various communities in New Jersey, WMBC ringers tour annually and participate regularly in festivals, conferences, concerts, community outreach performances, and other events. Recent tours have included Washington D.C., Switzerland, & Myrtle Beach. In addition to touring nationally, the ensemble has also performed in Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Walsh Memorial Bell Choir Outreach
Walsh Memorial Bell Choir ringers are strong advocates for promoting English handbells in churches, schools, and in the community. Our program has 50+ years of experience and we are always excited to share the joy of ringing with new or struggling handbell programs within the context of their Sunday morning services.
If you would like WMBC to perform in an outreach capacity at your church, school, or community center, we take up approximately 18’x12′, plus space for the director to conduct.
Handbell Ringing Group
Our handbell choir programs are always open for new members. Church membership is not a requirement. Ringers have the opportunity to perform at Sunday services, and our handbell choirs are often invited to play at local community events. For more information, contact Carl Loutzenheiser, the director of our handbell programs via email: carl.bells@mppresby.org.
