Area 5 spring festivals are two-day massed ringing events open to all Handbell Musicians of America members, held annually in March or April. Attendees rehearse together under the baton of the guest conductor, culminating in a final concert at the end of the event. It’s an opportunity to learn from and fellowship with other members of the handbell community.

In addition to massed rehearsals, a spring festival may also include classes and seminars, handbell vendors, and an opening concert by a well-known choir, soloist, or small ensemble. Each spring festival will vary. Please visit the Events Calendar for upcoming festival dates and details.

In general, a spring festival starts on Friday afternoon and continues through Saturday early-evening, concluding with the closing concert. The specific schedule will be published online closer to the event and will be available in the program booklet provided to all attendees.

Unless otherwise stated, all meals during the spring festival are on your own.

You are responsible for purchasing and rehearsing the music prior to the event. All choirs must learn the massed repertoire. Coppers and Tins choirs need only learn the repertoire for their level.

All attendees should have legally purchased paper copies of all music on hand at the event. Photocopies are not allowed without proof of license or proof of purchase.

Digital copies of music are allowed. Please read the HMA Tablet Policy below.

Orphan/independent ringers should communicate with the director of their assigned choir and/or the event Registrar to work out whether the repertoire will be provided for them or if they will need to purchase it. You can contact the registrar at [email protected].

Repertoire notes from the guest conductor regarding problem solving, corrections, and other items may be sent at various times before the event. Check with your director to see if they received any notes, or check the Area 5 website.

General event information will be posted to the Area 5 website. Specific information and updates will be emailed to the individual who registered for the event using the email address provided during the registration process. This is typically the choir director.

It is very important that we have an accurate email address for you when you register. If you typically only check your email once every several days, you may want to check it more frequently after you register. If we attempt to contact you to confirm your registration and the email address is wrong on your registration, your registration may be cancelled. 

We are unable to email all members of a choir, only the individual who registered. This individual is responsible for forwarding any updates or communications about the event to the rest of the choir members as needed.

Event registration is online using the Area 5 registration system hosted by JotForm. This is the only way to register for Area 5 events.

If the JotForm service is up and available, the registration system is considered available. Area 5 cannot be responsible for issues you may experience accessing the internet from the location where you intend to complete your registration.

If you intend to register from a location where you frequently experience Internet connectivity issues, you may want to consider being at an alternative location at the time registration opens. Or you may wish to have someone else do your registration. Make sure it is someone that you trust with your registration.

Some individuals feel quite comfortable using computers and doing things online like shopping and registering for events. Others feel less comfortable. If you fall into the less comfortable category, you may want to have a tech-savvy friend assist you when you register.

• Your contact information including email address, mailing address and cell phone number. Make sure your contact information is correct, especially your email address. If we attempt to contact you to confirm your registration and the email address is wrong, your registration may be cancelled.
• The number of ringers you intend to register.
• The number of orphans/independent ringers you can host and their ringing positions. Hosting orphan ringers is not required. However, if hosting one or two orphans would make the most efficient use of your table space, please include this information in your registration. We want to be able to include as many ringers in the event as possible.
• The amount of table space you need, which is the total number of linear feet of space you need to accommodate your choir and any orphan ringers you would be willing to host. Also include space you may need for chime racks.
• Whether or not you intend to rent tables or bring your own.

Coppers and Tins refer to the general proficiency level of the choir, with Coppers being more proficient than Tins. In general, a Tins choir may ring level 1-2 music and stretch themselves with level 3. A Coppers choir may ring level 3-4 music and stretch themselves with level 4+ or 5.

Proficiency is not related to the age of the choir. A choir just starting out may be a Copper, while a choir that’s been ringing for decades may be a Tin. Of course, this is very subjective and varies from choir to choir.

As a side note, copper and tin are the two metals that make up the alloy bronze, which is what handbells are made of.

Yes, you can! Please contact the registrar at [email protected] prior to registering. You will receive a discount code to use during the online registration process.

Yes! During the registration process you can indicate your interest in hosting orphan/independent ringers. You can also designate which ringing positions are open, if you know them, which will assist in the assignment of orphan ringers to your choir. Prior to the start of the festival, we will let you know what orphan ringers have been assigned to ring in your choir.

Yes! You should register yourself as an orphan/independent ringer using our online registration. Let us know the ringing positions you would like to be assigned if you have a preference. We will assign you to a handbell choir on the massed ringing floor and notify you as to the details of your assignment prior to the start of the festival.

The Area 5 Photography Policy can be found here.

Full registration amount less $20 per person will be refunded if notification is received by the late registration date (for the 2025 Spring Festival, this date is March 1, 2025). No refunds will be given for cancellations received after this date.

Please contact our festival registrar for help with the registration process. You can contact them via email at [email protected].