Handbells at Concordia are preparing for two exciting events– their end-of-year concert on Fri. May 1, and for Concert Handbells, the Music Department’s USA 250 tour to Carnegie Hall in New York. 

The May 1 spring concert will take place at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Lake Forest from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The concert is free and no tickets are required. The concert will feature all three of Concordia’s handbell groups– Concert Handbells, Spirit Bells and Resound (a quartet). 

Anna Roettjer, a sophomore in Spirit Bells, stated that audiences for the concert can expect “a lot of really cool and surprising music full of many different techniques and fun songs.” She added, “My favorite song that we’re playing at the concert is called ‘Exultate’ and it is a really energetic and joyful song and I’m really excited to perform it!”

Troy Randall, a junior in Concert Handbells and the Resound quartet, said, “My favorite piece we are playing for the end-of-year concert is ‘Nexus’ by Matthew Compton. It's a fast, fun and energetic piece of music that was very difficult to put together, but it's a lot of fun to play now that everyone has it down by muscle memory. It is a 22-page piece of music that we complete in under four minutes.”

The concert promises to showcase the best of Concordia’s handbell program, including some of the highest level handbell musicians in the country. 

Concert Handbells will also be a part of the USA 250 New York tour in May alongside other Concordia music groups such as the Concordia Choir and Concordia Brass. On the tour, they will give concerts, view musical performances, and sightsee. The tour will culminate in a performance at the famed Carnegie Hall on Sat. May 9, conducted by Dr. Christian Guebert, Dr. Jeff Held, Dr. Michael Busch and Erik Der. 

Randall said, “The thing I am most excited about for the Carnegie Hall tour is being able to perform in Carnegie Hall. It is probably the most famous concert hall in the world, and being able to perform in such a prestigious venue is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

The concert will see the premiere of Guebert’s newest work, “Inscriptions,” as well as other music by American composers to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States. Following the concert there will be an exciting reception cruise around the Hudson River. 

Roettjer said, “My favorite part about being in handbells is getting to see all of the different parts come together to make a really cool piece. I also love the community that comes along with it.”

Randall said, “My favorite part of being in handbells is all the problem-solving you have to do. You may initially look at a piece and think your part is physically impossible, but after a few weeks of hard work, it comes together.”

These concerts will showcase the best of Concordia’s handbell program. For more information about the May 1 spring concert featuring all three Concordia handbell ensembles, visit https://www.simpletix.com/e/handbell-spring-concert-tickets-233457. For more information about the Carnegie Hall/New York Tour visit https://www.cui.edu/arts/music/events/concordia-carnegie-2026.

Tags: Handbells, music

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