Capital Ringers to kick off spring handbell concerts April 20

The Capital Ringers’ Springtime in Paris concert series will kick off at 4 p.m., Saturday, April 20, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 301 King Charles Ave., Rehoboth Beach. 

The handbell ensemble’s challenging repertoire includes vignettes from the whimsical “Carnival of the Animals” by Camille Saint-Saëns.

“The ringers have been hard at work practicing the whimsical work by Saint-Saëns, imagining themselves as a lion, chicken or maybe a graceful swan,” said Kevin Chamberlain, Capital Ringers artistic director. “You will recognize hints of many familiar melodies as you listen and laugh.”

The ringers will also perform selections by Claude Debussy and other French composers. “The other works incorporate flowing melodic lines full of triplets and sixteenth notes, requiring rhythmic precision and great musical sensitivity,” Chamberlain said.

The ensemble’s tech team has produced video accompaniments that include everything from turtles doing the can-can on the streets of Paris to the nocturnal beauty of Debussy’s “Clair de Lune.”

Additional shows are set for Sunday, April 21, at Presbyterian Church of Dover, 54 South State St., Dover; Saturday, April 27, Avenue United Methodist Church, 20 N. Church St., Milford; Sunday, April 28, Mary Mother of Peace Catholic Church, 30839 Mount Joy Road, Millsboro; and Saturday, May 4, St. Martha's Episcopal Church, 117 Maplewood St., Bethany Beach. All performances begin at 4 p.m. Ticket information varies by location.

For details on how to purchase tickets, go to capitalringers.org. Guests can always show up at the door.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Capital Ringers ensemble has the largest collection of handbells and handchimes on Delmarva.