MHE AuditionsWe held auditions on August 19 and welcomed two new ringers. Taylor Schroeder and Anna Wozniak, we welcome you to the Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble! We look forward to making beautiful music with you.
We also encourage you to take some time to browse our website and learn what makes the Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble a unique musical group that plays a unique musical instrument. Visit the "About" page to learn of our history, ringers and directors! Take a glimpse of MHE behind-the-scenes by visiting our "Galleries" page! You may hear the magnificent sounds that handbells create by listening to audio recordings, such as What is this Lovely Fragrance arranged by Fred Gramann or watch a video recording of MHE in action as we perform Tin-Tin-A-Rumba by Andrew Duncan.
MHE has released a CD entitled An MHE Christmas Celebration! It would make a great gift for any of your music-loving family and friends!
Send us a message on our Contact Us page if you would like to purchase a CD or two. |
Welcome Jana!
MHE welcomes our new director!Jana Larson is a graduate of St Olaf College where she played and studied handbells with Jill Mahr. She also sang in the St Olaf Choir and studied conducting with Anton Armstrong. She earned her Master of Church Music degree with a handbell emphasis from Concordia University Wisconsin where she studied with John Behnke. She was the interim conductor of the Alleluia Ringers at CUW for the 2015-16 school year, and in the summer of 2021, she was an adjunct professor of music at CUW, teaching the Handbell Methods and Materials class for the graduate church music program. She has taught technique classes at area conferences and workshops throughout her community. She is the Handbell Director at Fox Point Lutheran Church. Jana rang with the Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble from 2011-2021. For the past two seasons she has sung with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus. After that brief hiatus, she is ready to come back to bells!
|
Hire us!
Not only can you hire us to perform for a special event or party of yours, we also provide traveling workshops to achieve our mission of "… educating, inspiring and informing others on the art form." Contact us for more information!
Testimonials ...
"Merry Christmas! I want to share the joy your bell concert brought my dad. I saw him for our family gathering on Christmas Eve. He would not stop talking to everyone about how the 'bell show' he went to brought a special way to get him in the Christmas spirit. 'You should see what they can do with these bells’! 'It sounds like what I envision angels sound like when they are having fun!' 'I want to start every Christmas season going to the bell show!' This from a man who really never enjoyed Christmas in my childhood. Thank you and the bell choir for bringing so much joy to my dad!!"
~ By daughter of a man who attended our Christmas concert December 2021.
"Your group is something very special. Yes, it's entertainment and there's nothing wrong with that. But entertainment works when you can back it up with great playing. You were artistic, detailed, technically flawless, amazing."
~ By noted composer, Kevin McChesney, handbell music composer, arranger, director and editor, following our performance at the National Seminar closing concert for the Handbell Musicians of America in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (2018)
"The Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble has become a highly anticipated and much loved part of our Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops tradition. MHE’s ringers are a talented, professional group that bring tremendous joy and energy to every performance."
~ By Mark Niehaus, MSO president and executive director, following our performance with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at their Holiday Pops concert. (2017)
"Our Concert Series has brought a variety of artists to Rockford for eleven years. Without a doubt, Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble's performance was one of the best. MHE was great to work with and the variety of music they offered was a big hit with our audience. We received many, many positive comments. On a scale of 1 to 10, MHE is an 11!"
~ By Martha Rolf, Concert Series Committee of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rockford, IL following our concert. (2017)
"The Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble, led by director John Behnke for one number, performed several times, including an unconducted, memorized number from the lip of the stage. They played with spirit, precision, and the almost balletic grace the bells require."
~ By Elaine Schmidt, Special to the Journal Sentinel, following our performance with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at their Holiday Pops concert. (2015)