Madison Area Concert Handbells

media release: One of the largest and finest handbell choirs in Wisconsin will perform Impressions in Bronze, a concert of all original compositions on May 20 and 21st.  Showcasing the seismic innovation that has taken place in the art of handbell ringing in recent years, this concert reimagines the capabilities of a handbell choir.

Saturday, May 20 – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church – 7:00 pm; Sunday, May 21 – Christ Presbyterian Church – 3:00 pm.Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.  Tickets can be purchased at madisonhandbells.org.

Madison Area Concert Handbells (MACH) will take full advantage of the largest collection of handbells and chimes in Wisconsin, which allows them to incorporate 7 octaves of sound into their work.  MACH has over 80 handbells and chimes, with bells ranging from 9 ounces to over 10 pounds and chimes as large as 5’7”.  Music in this show will range from soothing melodic pieces to exciting contemporary numbers. Those who have not witnessed the unique level of coordination among these 18 auditioned ringers will soon see that, unlike some forms of music, every member is critical to make the music come alive.  Handbell ringing is a visual as well as auditory art, and performing the music is a well-choreographed show for the audience.

Nicholas Bonaccio, a classically trained percussionist and member of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, is the music director of MACH.  He has performed with symphonies across the Midwest and as far away as Hawaii, in addition to Broadway Across America’s touring productions at the Overture Center.  His musical interests also extend to rock, where he played with the band Evanescence.

MACH President Wesley Swords notes, “A MACH concert is unlike any other concert you have attended.  It is both a musical and visual feast.  We have a tremendously talented group of ringers who will open your eyes to just what is possible - you will be amazed!”

MACH has performed at Wisconsin’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, the Monona Terrace Convention Center, the Elvehjem Museum of Art, Olbrich Gardens, Milwaukee’s Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, the Stoughton Opera House, the Gard Theater in Spring Green, the opening of Madison’s Overture Center, at the Middleton Performing Arts Center and Sinsinawa Mound, and with the Madison Symphony Orchestra at their Christmas concerts in 2000, 2003, 2004, and