Concert Bells of Fort Worth is an auditioned community handbell ensemble of advanced ringers from the North Texas area. We are dedicated to musical excellence through artistic handbell performance.
This page includes "What People Are Saying" as well as Conductor and Ringer Biographies. Highlights of our history can be found here.
Beautiful control of dynamics. At every tempo, ringers' motions were synchronized and mastery of the instrument was obvious...
marvelous conservation of motion.
CBFW is the ‘total package’: they have that elusive balance of technique and musicianship; they communicate with the audience; they do educational outreach; they gather a broad base of support, then keep proving themselves worthy of it.
Bravi.”
Martin Morley
Handbell Clinician and Conductor
Past Chair, AGEHR Area IX
Stephanie Rhoades, CBFW Conductor, is Associate Director of Music at Grace Presbyterian Church in Plano where she directs children’s and middle school handbell choirs, a children’s vocal choir, and supervises a graded children’s choir program. She also teaches 1st and 2nd grade music at Parish Episcopal School in Dallas. Ms. Rhoades earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Yale University and Master of Sacred Music degree from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.
The daughter of two musicians, she began playing violin and trumpet at a young age, has been active in handbell ringing for over twenty years (including solo/ensemble ringing), was a member of the Dallas Handbell Ensemble, and Interim Director of Concert Bells of Forth Worth (Christmas 2000). Her experience includes directing children’s, youth and adult handbell choirs and she is currently Past-Chair of the Area IX Board of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers. During the last several years she has served as President of the Greater Dallas Handbell Association, Past-President and Secretary of the Dallas Chapter of Choristers Guild and as a local clinician in handbells and children’s music.
Pam Adams has been ringing handbells since 1989 at First United Methodist Church - Richardson, where she remained an active ringer until the spring of 2007. While pursuing her BBA in Marketing at Baylor University, she rang with the Baylor University Handbell Ensemble under the direction of Debra Jackson. She is currently the Publications Chair of Area IX, and rings and subs in several ensembles across the metroplex. Pam is employed for a jewelry manufacturer/wholesaler as an Account Specialist. She and her family reside in Mesquite.
Kari Daelke is a graduate of Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana and began ringing handbells in 1980 when her sorority big sis suggested she come to the first rehearsal of a new beginner handbell group she was directing. Who knew it would develop into a lifelong passion for ringing that has included concert tours, ringing in church and advanced community groups, attending many area, national and international ringing events such as Loire Valley Handbell Festival in France, Distinctly Bronze (2004, 2005, 2007) and the Inaugural UK Bronze 2006 in England. She is a member of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Dallas where she rings and helps select and coordinate repertoire for the adult handbell choir. She also rings in a small ensemble, The Sounds of Six. Professionally, she is a full time as a graphic artist / pre-press manager at Rapid Reprographics in Dallas.
Elizabeth Garvin joined Concert Bells in the Spring of 2004. She began ringing handbells in the Alief Independent School District over 19 years ago. While at Alief Elsik High School, under the direction of Molly Ness, Elizabeth rang in an advanced handbell class, Monday through Friday, where all music was performed memorized and without a director. While at Texas A & M University, Elizabeth’s handbell director offered her the opportunity to direct a children’s handbell choir. She was ecstatic! Teaching children how to ring handbells was no longer a dream; it was reality! After graduating in 2001, she’s been able to continue directing a children's handbell choir at First United Methodist Church Richardson. Elizabeth works at Concentra as a QA Analyst and lives in Lewisville with her husband, Dan Garvin, and has a wonderful stepdaughter, Danielle.
Jean Harden, charter member and treasurer of CBFW, started to ring handbells in 1994 at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Denton, Texas, and is now Director of Adult Handbells there. She has taught at regional and national AGEHR conventions and served on the Board of Area IX. A music librarian by profession, Jean has also been active as a musicologist and has taught musicology, music history, music bibliography, and music librarianship at the university level. She received degrees in music and librarianship from Emory, Cornell, and Syracuse Universities and is a published author of articles about music. She moved to Denton to take her current job as a music librarian at the University of North Texas.
Qunida Hatfield received her Bachelor of Music degree from Oklahoma State University. She began ringing handbells in 1981 and within a few weeks became the director. After almost 15 years as Director of Music organist/handbell director at St. Philip Presbyterian Church in Hurst, she retired. Her career in church music has spanned over 35 years. She is looking forward to playing with her grandchildren and seeing where the Spirit leads.
Cathy Herring is a graduate of the University of North Carolina with a degree in Music Education. Originally a violinist, Cathy has been ringing handbells for over 25 years at First United Methodist Church of Richardson where she also directs a youth handbell choir. Cathy and her husband Bill have a daughter Lee, two sons, Charles and Patrick, and a grandson, Corbin. She is employed as the comptroller of OnLine Insurance Services.
Nancy Jarrett has been ringing handbells for over 15 years and she directed the youth and adult handbell choirs at the First United Methodist Church of Coppell for 3 years. She is a graduate of UNT with a Bachelor of Music (Summa Cum Laude) and Master of Music in Horn Performance. She is an active freelance musician and has performed with many metroplex ensembles including the Dallas Wind Symphony, Richardson Symphony, Las Colinas/Garland Symphony, Orchestra of New Spain, East Texas Symphony, Abilene Philharmonic, San Angelo Symphony, and Lone Star Wind Orchestra, as well as numerous musical theatre productions. Nancy also maintains a studio of about 55 horn students in Coppell ISD. On those rare occasions when she has free time, Nancy enjoys cycling or reading a good book.
Valerie Martin is a member of the First United Methodist Church Bell Choir in Grapevine. She is on the faculty in the Radiologic Technology Program at Brookhaven College. She has played handbells for 18 years, and also plays Piano and French Horn. Valerie has two children who play Piano and Violin – a son, Taylor, who is thirteen, and a daughter, Madison, who is eight.
Carol Lynn Mizell is a Band Director at Strickland MS in Denton, the Conductor of the Denton Community Band (since 1978), and is Handbell Director at First United Methodist Church, Denton. She served as Co-conductor of Concert Bells of Fort Worth for two years. She holds B.M.E. & M.M.E. degrees (plus extensive post-graduate work) from the University of North Texas. Carol Lynn is an active Conductor and Clinician for area and national handbell events. She is a published composer, and holds membership in Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, and Sigma Alpha Iota. Carol Lynn and her husband, Bob, have two daughters, Michelle Mizell Corazao and Jennifer Mizell Bollinger, and sons-in-law Marc Corazao and Bob Bollinger.
Kathleen Parsons lives in Richardson, where she is active in the music program at the First United Methodist Church. She rings in an Adult handbell choir, coordinates and directs in the Children’s and Youth Bell Choir Programs, directs the Joyful Noise K-1 Children’s Choir and serves as the back-up accompanist for the Children’s Choirs. Kathleen sings in and serves as the warm-up pianist for the Chancel Choir. She plays the violin as a soloist with the Chancel Choir and in the church orchestra, as well as performing as a soloist and coordinating a string ensemble for weddings and events in the Dallas area. Kathleen rings in the Brookhaven College Handbell Ensemble, has served on the Greater Dallas Handbell Association board, and teaches piano and violin lessons. She has a degree in Music Education from Southern Methodist University. Kathleen and her husband Terry, a Psychotherapist in Dallas, have a daughter, Laura; a son, Adam; and a grandson, Wyatt.
Brenda Swindle has been ringing handbells for 15 years. She began ringing and still rings with The Ruth Greer Handbell Choir at First Presbyterian Church, Richardson. She rang with Brookhaven Handbell Ensemble under the direction of Bonnie Riddle for over 10 years. Always open to new ventures and challenges in handbell ringing, she currently enjoys being part of The Sounds of Six and Concert Bells of Fort Worth. Brenda attended the University of Texas at Arlington and has been the staff secretary at First Presbyterian Church, Richardson for the past 10 years. She resides in Garland and keeps busy with three teenagers, husband and choral and handbell rehearsals.
Lori Talbott began ringing handbells over 30 years ago. She was privileged to ring handbells at Christmas time with her high school band and the rest is history as they say. Through the years she has rung in various church choirs and community groups. Highland Park Presbyerian Church is particularly fun to ring at because they have the “Big Bass Toys” as Lori likes to call them. While she rings handbells by night and weekend, she manages a cardiology specific imaging center by day. She lives in Plano with her son, Jordan, and delights in fixing up the house, yard and pool when she has the time.
Karen Thompson is an Associate Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth, where her duties include conducting three handbell choirs. She is also the founding and current President of CBFW. Karen has enjoyed teaching and conducting handbells at clinics, festivals and workshops all over the United States. Karen has served in numerous capacities for the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR) including national committees and the Area IX Board (Texas and Oklahoma) and was recently elected chair-elect for Area IX.
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