CANADIAN HANDBELL MUSICIAN SHOWCASE

Emily Li – Conductor, Administrator, Ringer and Handbell Advocate

Learn about how Emily fell in love with handbells in her teens, created a handbell academy in Hong Kong that is still thriving, and what she has been doing since she moved to Ontario, Canada.

To see previous videos please click the links:
Annie Hergott
Jane Kristenson
Lisa Kyriakides
Morna-June Morrow
Tammy-Jo Mortensen
Jan Nordstrand
Betty Radford
Camille Ream & Susan Galloway
Debbie Rice
Jim Winslett

Jan Nordstrand – Musician, Teacher, Conductor, Ringer

Learn about Jan’s experience teaching handbells in the school systems of Saskatchewan and British Columbia, conducting at the 2016 International Handbell Symposium, leading an award winning group of teenagers, and now transitioning into the world of adult handbell choirs. Jan is the clinician for the St. Albert, Alberta location of Canada Rings! (2026).

Jim Winslett - Composer, Arranger, Conductor, Ringer and HMC Board Member

Interviewer Wanda Costinak dives into the backstory on how the lack of sheet music for trumpet eventually led to Jim’s passion for arranging and how an unlikely friendship with a pair of 70-yr-old London gangster rappers led to the creation of an award-winning handbell piece - even though he hates rap music. Through all the twists and turns in the story, it’s music that holds it all together.

Tammy-Jo Mortensen – Conductor, Organist, Clinician, Adjudicator, Performer

Meet Tammy-Jo Mortensen from Edmonton, Alberta. Learn about her amazing and varied musical career and her philosophy on supporting Canadian Composers and Ringers alike!

Camille Ream & Susan Galloway – Conductors, Ringers, Business Owners, Classic Bronze Founders

Come meet sisters Camille Ream and Susan Galloway from Alberta! Camille and Susan take us through how they started in handbells, became conductors, ran their own handbell business, and became the founders of the now infamous Classic Bronze Festival.

Jane Kristenson – Musician, Teacher, Ringer, Arranger

Jane Kristenson has been a life-long musician. She started by learning the piano at an early age, became a school music teacher, then a church musician, handbell ringer, handbell director and handbell music arranger.

In her interview with Tammy-Jo Mortensen, Jane talks about her fascinating musical journey and her passion for handbell ringing.

Debbie Rice - Conductor, Advocate, Past-President Handbell Musicians of America, Past-Chair International Handbell Committee, IHC Handbell Laureate Award Recipient

Debbie Rice has been involved in handbells around the world. As a conductor and adjudicator, Debbie has worked with ringers of all ages. Most recently, Debbie represented Canada in Hamamatsu, Japan and conducted Betty Radford’s “Beyond the Horizon”. There she was also presented with the IHC Handbell Laureate Award at the Final Banquet.

In this June 2024 interview, Sharon Vogrinetz has a conversation with Debbie about her transition from opera to handbells, her prior appointments in HMA and IHC leadership, what brought her to Canada, and the essential element that ringers should embrace early in their rehearsals.

Morna-June Morrow - Conductor, Technician, Clinician, Educator, Historian, Handbell Musicians of Canada Honourary Lifetime Achievement Recipient

In the following interview by Patsy Andrews-Vert (filmed by Jewel Casselman) Morna-June gives us some insight as to how and why her life is filled with bells and music.

Annie Hergott – Conductor

Annie Hergott, Calgary AB, has been involved in the Canadian handbell scene for many years. In addition to extensive involvement with provincial and national handbell organizations, she is also the founder of Bow River Handbell Musicians Society, a community-based handbell organization in Calgary.

In this interview, conducted by HMC and BRHMS Board member Jim Winslett, she discusses how she got started in handbells, the opportunities and challenges with heading a community-based society, conducting a handbell ensemble, and getting things up and running again in a post-covid environment.

Lisa Kyriakides – Conductor

Conductor Lisa Kyriakides, from Newmarket, Ontario, has been chosen as the Canadian Conductor for the International Handbell Symposium, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Recently, Lisa was interviewed on Zoom by composer Betty Radford. She talks about her musical experiences, how she got into the world of handbells, her approach to conducting at the IHS, and what she wants the ringers to know about Mosaic.

Betty Radford - Composer

Composer Betty Radford, from Edmonton, AB, has written many pieces for handbells. Her Mosaic was selected by the Handbell Musicians of Canada to be the Canadian representative composition at the International Handbell Symposium in Hong Kong and subsequently in Nashville, Tennessee (USA) in 2022.

Betty was kind enough to sit down with John Hooper in the backyard of videographer Emmy Okazawa-Bortolin to talk about her musical journey, her inspirations, and her music. Her hope is that Mosaic will “represent the broad spectrum of Canada” and that ringers and listeners will “enjoy it and learn a little more about Canada”.

A review score and recording of Mosaic can be found at From The Top Music. In addition, other music of hers has been awarded recognition are included in HMC’s Canadian Handbell Compositions Spreadsheet You can learn more about Betty by visiting her website. More about the International Handbell Symposium can be found at https://www.internationalhandbells.org.

As HMC contemplates more potential interviews, if you know someone who you feel should be showcased, we would love to hear from you! Click here to contact us.

HANDBELL MUSICIANS OF CANADA