Westminster Bell Choir

The Westminster Concert Bell Choir, conducted by Kathleen Ebling Shaw, is composed of students at Rider University’s Westminster Choir College, which was the first institution in the world to develop such a program.

Hailed for its virtuosity, the ensemble performs on the largest range of handbells in the world – 8 octaves, from C1 to C9.  Many of the bells are made of bronze and range in weight from four ounces to 11 pounds; the Choir also uses the large “Basso Profundo” aluminum-cast bells that are a new phenomenon in handbell ringing.  The Choir supplements its handbells with a six-octave set of Malmark Choirchime® instruments from C2 to C8 – the widest range in existence.

The Westminster Concert Bell Choir has appeared on Public Television’s Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and several holiday broadcasts of the Today show, including one in which the ensemble was joined for a performance by NBC television hosts Katie Couric and Willard Scott.  Its holiday performances have been heard annually on National Public Radio’s Performance Today, and it is included on NPR’s Christmas Around The Country II recording.  The choir has performed at Carnegie Hall twice during the Christmas season.   Most recently, the choir was featured on New Jersey Network’s State Of The Arts program.

The ensemble joined Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Charlotte Church and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for a critically acclaimed 15-city tour entitled “A Royal Christmas.”  The Choir has made 11 solo recordings.

Tickets are also available by sending checks to Music in the Somerset Hills at P.O. Box 729, Bernardsville, NJ 07924.

All ticket sales are final.