Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble-A Community Ensemble

About Our Ensemble
Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble (PHE) is a community ensemble comprised of auditioned, advanced-level handbells ringers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. These dedicated and seasoned ringers (293 years of combined experience!) rehearse for three hours on Monday evenings in Ambler, PA. Many have active musical lives performing and directing outside PHE as well.

Musically, Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble appreciates a wide array of musical styles and moods with a repertoire spanning original compositions, arrangements, and transcriptions of classical literature. An advanced range of ringing techniques allows the ensemble to move beyond the traditional handbell sound and redefines the character of a single instrument, whether it's through percussive stopped sounds or poignant echoes or a shimmering decrescendo.

Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble was established in November 2003, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, and is a member of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR).

To book Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble for a performance or workshop in your area please contact us.

Our Mission
Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble strives to reach higher standards of musical excellence through the use of handbells and to explore the incorporation of other instruments in order to broaden the exposure of handbells to the performing arts. Through workshops, conferences, and community outreach programs, PHE promotes the art and education of handbell ringing. The ensemble seeks to educate and encourage public appreciation and interest in handbells through musical performance and to expand the use of handbells in music education.

Artistic Director & Conductor
Kermit D. Junkert has directed a variety of choral and handbell ensembles in Ohio, Minnesota and Pennsylvania for the past 20 years. In addition to being a national festival conductor, Kermit is a local, national and internationally known handbell clinician. He has taught at numerous AGEHR National Directors Seminars, Handbell Exploration Seminars, as well as International Handbell Symposiums and Handbell Exploration seminars in Japan, Korea, England, Australia and Canada.

Kermit has produced videos and books on handbells and handbell applications including "The Handbell Workshop", "Successful Ringing-Step by Step" and "Handbells in Liturgy". He is a Master Handbell Technician and has serviced Schulmerich handbells around the world. He has served as Vice-Chair of the Handbell Industry Council and as the Chair-Elect of Area VII of the AGEHR. His is currently the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Schulmerich Bells in Sellersville, PA. He holds a BS in Music Education from the University of Minnesota.

Presenter Opportunities
The Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble is honored to have been accepted onto the juried artist roster of Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour. This organization provides funding grants to concert presenters who wish to hire Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble for performances and residency activities. Funding may be available to support performance engagements with presenters in DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, WV, and the US Virgin Islands. For details, please visit PennPAT or contact Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble.

Board Members
Deb Heine, President
Gail Posey, Secretary
Rebecca Landon, Treasurer
Alan Pentecost, Ringer Representative
Kermit Junkert, Artistic Director and Conductor