The Bayou City Bells was formed in November 2007 as the brainchild of Bill Nave and Barbara Inzer. We are of all ages and backgrounds, and we welcome members and audiences from all walks of life. In the fall of 2014 David Lee was selected as the new Musical Director.
Our objectives as a group are:
1. To promote the diverse art of handbell ringing in the greater Houston, Texas area.
2. To develop educational opportunities for youth and adults to learn the art of handbell ringing.
3. To participate in handbell festivals, workshops, and retreats for the purporse of continually improving our ringing skills and technique.
4. To ring a wide variety of sacred and secular music.
5. To challenge ourselves and each other to grow musically, spiritually, and professionally in a creative, caring and nurturing atmosphere.
6. To serve our community and choir with professionalism, pride and respect.
We are available for your special occasion! We play weddings, Christmas venues, and all manner of concerts large and small. If you're interested in a handbell choir for your special occasion, please contact us here.
Our objectives as a group are:
1. To promote the diverse art of handbell ringing in the greater Houston, Texas area.
2. To develop educational opportunities for youth and adults to learn the art of handbell ringing.
3. To participate in handbell festivals, workshops, and retreats for the purporse of continually improving our ringing skills and technique.
4. To ring a wide variety of sacred and secular music.
5. To challenge ourselves and each other to grow musically, spiritually, and professionally in a creative, caring and nurturing atmosphere.
6. To serve our community and choir with professionalism, pride and respect.
We are available for your special occasion! We play weddings, Christmas venues, and all manner of concerts large and small. If you're interested in a handbell choir for your special occasion, please contact us here.
Margaret Bremer first rang handbells for one day in fifth grade and at that point determined that if she ever saw them again, she would learn to play them. In 2002 she got that opportunity and has been ringing at least twice a week ever since. Margaret has rung in several Houston area church choirs, including Chapelwood Methodist, St. Luke's Methodist, Memorial Drive Presbyterian, and her home church, St. Andrew's Presbyterian. Some of her best ringing memories were made while a member of a performing handbell quartet as a part of Houston Community Handbells. Currently, Margaret works at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church as the calendar and event coordinator.
Sharon Brumley started ringing bells in 1995 at First Presbyterian Church in Houston, rapidly being infected with the "ringing disease." She was formerly a member of both the Houston Festival Ringers and Houston Bronze Ensemble. Sharon organized the Chancel Bells handbell quartet in 2001 and they ring throughout the city as requested, always having a terrific time. Sharon and her husband Arthur retired from professional careers in 2004 and have been thoroughly enjoying the best job in the world - RETIREMENT!
John Campbell has played bells for 15 years now. He has played with First United Methodist in Ponca City, OK; with Kingwood United Methodist in Kingwood, TX; and now with Bayou City Bells. He is happily retired from a 36+ year career at ConocoPhillips.
Sharon Campbell began ringing bells in 1978 in Ponca City, Oklahoma. She is a native Oklahoman and proud of her Okie roots. It was there that she was instrumental in forming a four-in-hand quartet and expanding the program to include a beginning adult group. Upon moving to the Houston area in 1995, she joined the Houston Bronze Ensemble, where she rang for eight years. Throughout her career as a ringer/director, Sharon has been fortunate to ring under the batons of some of the genre's most revered directors. Sharon enjoys quilting, crafting in general, jigsaw puzzles and collecting teapots. She also plays
piano and recorder and has arranged some solo and duet music for bells.
piano and recorder and has arranged some solo and duet music for bells.
Mary Harper learned to ring bells as an adult when the Unity Church of Christianity began a bell choir in the early 1990s. When that choir disbanded, she moved to First Congregational Church (FCC) and joined the Decibells. She took piano and flute lessons growing up, but likes bells because she doesn't have to worry about breath and tuning. Playing with a group is more fun for her than playing alone on a piano, but is grateful that her parents made her practice. A retired social worker, she's the president of the Fibromyalgia Association of Houston and very active in FCC. Mary lives with her four cats near Rice Village.
Jim Mayo began
ringing bells at age twelve under the direction of Don Allured in Lake
Charles, Louisiana. He is a past member of Houston Festival Ringers
under the direction of Andrew Bowen. Jim has played trumpet and French
Horn at various times in his musical past. He is currently a Pest
Control Technician residing in Sugar Land, Texas with his wife, Janet,
and dog, Gracie.
Jennifer Richie was instantly drawn to handbells after first seeing them when she joined Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston. She has been ringing with the Wheeler Avenue Bells of Praise since 2009 and started with Bayou City Bells in 2014. She started playing flute at the age of 10 and currently plays flute and piccolo in the Wheeler Avenue Orchestra. Jennifer earned a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University-Kingsville and works as a Project Manager in Research and Development. In her spare time, she enjoys wreath-making and building miniature model homes.
Ken Snell formerly rang with the Houston Festival Ringers for several years, and after a break, this is the second community-based group he has been a member of.
Lucy Thompson is a founding member of the Bayou City Bells, and is also active in the music program of First United Methodist Church in Livingston, TX. She taught public school music for 27 years, the last ten teaching handbells to 4th, 5th and 6th graders. She has helped several area churches establish handbell programs. She started playing solo handbells in 1998, and still is a frequent handbell soloist in the East Texas and Louisiana area.
Jay Ward is no stranger to handbells, with most of his family being active musically, especially in handbells. Jay plays handbells at First United Methodist Church, Missouri City, along with his dad and his mom, Lizan, who also rings with Bayou City Bells.
Lizan Ward is a member of a family who has been active in music in the church and in the community. Along with her husband and her son, Jay, she plays handbells at First United Methodist Church in Missouri City, where she and her husband also sing in the choir. All of their children have been active in music, and many still are active with handbells. She is also an avid runner and triathlete.
Paula Webber Whyte started playing handbells in 1995 at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in the Parish Handbell Choir. She rang many years with Houston Festival Ringers under the direction of Andrew Bowen. She once was a member of First Presbyterian Church's handbell choir and has substituted at Bellaire United Methodist Church numerous times. She has also subbed at First Congregational Church in Hunter's Creek Village and St. Martin's Episcopal Church. Paula is married to Chris Whyte and has two children, Stephen, 24 and Brittany, 16. Presently, she is a homemaker who enjoys music, gardening, reading and is an active volunteer at Memorial High School.
Lynn Wisda Lynn Wisda has lived in Houston for 45 years. She has played handbells for 30 years, and has been a member of Bayou City Bells since 2009, a year after the group formed. She is the Director of Volunteers at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. In her spare time she enjoys her three grandsons and playing golf with her husband, Mike.
David Lee, Musical Director was born in Charlotte, NC, moved to Greenwood, SC when he was 10, and graduated from Greenwood High School. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Winthrop University and a Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from Southern Methodist University. He has served churches in Charlotte, NC, Sherman, TX, North Little Rock, AR, and Houston, TX. David first rang handbells in graduate school in a friend's church handbell choir, but didn't realize his love for them and for the challenges of making music with handbells until he moved to North Little Rock. In addition to his church position there, he served as the handbell director for the North Arkansas Conference Children's Choir Camp for 5 summers, and he served on the planning committee and faculty for the Area 6 Regional Festival. He has directed both vocal and handbell choirs of children, youth and adults. When not directing handbells, he is an avid reader, cook and cake decorator. He lives with his partner Shannon Stewart under the rule of two sweet and feisty cats, Harpo and Lucy.