Penobscot Bay Ringers

Our Ringers

Several of our ringers have decades of handbell experience, while some have only just discovered the satisfaction that comes from ringing handbells. Our common denominator is the love of making music together and the desire to share the art of ringing with others.

Currently, our ringers hail from eleven different towns in the Midcoast area, some traveling over a half hour to attend our weekly rehearsals. Penobscot Bay Ringers is a dedicated team of musicians!

Contact us if you are interested in ringing with our group. We are always in need to substitute ringers, as well.

Bethany began ringing handbells in 2017, when she joined Penobscot Bay Ringers. She currently serves as Recording Secretary to the Board of Directors. She has been playing piano for more than five decades and has served as a church pianist for nearly 20 years. Living in Rockland, Bethany enjoys spending time with her two daughters and four grandchildren.

Mya began ringing handbells in the 7th grade after the organ lessons weren’t going so well.  She continued ringing through high school and college then took a break during military overseas assignments.  Mya enjoys ringing at Distinctly Bronze and Area 1 events around New England.  There are lots of things to love about PBR – repertoire, friends, director – and especially the name Penobscot Bay which ties us all to the Maine coast.

BJ has been ringing with Penobscot Bay Ringers since 2009. She started ringing the BIG bass bells and has slowly worked her way up to the top of the table. She has enjoyed learning the various techniques of ringing smaller bells and continues to master her skills as a treble bell player. BJ is the third grade teacher at Prescott Memorial School in Washington, Maine. BJ loves to sing, cook/bake, ride snowmobiles with her husband, and cheer from the sidelines/bleachers for her twins Tanner and Abby.

Ann Jillson Walker began playing handbells in 2005 with one of six handbell choirs at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Ct. She and her husband Fred grew up in this area and upon returning in 2010 she was pleased to find PBR had an opening. She has played several positions from C4/D4 to G6-C7 four-in-hand and loves their camaraderie, their music and their mission. A retired Ob/Gyn, Ann has also volunteered with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Area Interfaith Outreach. Her best volunteer job is providing childcare for her two granddaughters. She and Fred love to ski, hike and travel.

Mandy has been playing handbells since 1983, at age 13. She was a founding member of the Holy Cross Episcopal Church bell choir in North Plainfield, NJ. Mandy has played in church handbell choirs in Rockland, Maine and Bethlehem, PA. She enjoys learning difficult passages with challenging notations and involved techniques. After all the hours of practice, Mandy loves how the music comes together beautifully during a performance. Mandy loves the synergy and camaraderie of Penobscot Bay Ringers; the support and encouragement we provide each other and our enthusiasm to create moving, heartfelt music. 

Lyn is in the process of writing a wonderful little bio to fill this space. For now, this little blurb will have to do. Stay tuned for the mini bio of Lyn!

Dionne has been ringing with Penobscot Bay Ringers for 3 years, and prior to that rang with the First Congregational Church of Searsport, Maine handbell choir.  She is now the Director of that group, along with being the Music Ministry Director and Organist. She rang bells in Denver, Colorado for 10 years, and loves to attend mass bell ringing events. Dionne loves the camaraderie of playing in Penobscot Bay Ringers, and has enjoyed the various concert venues that the group performs in.  When not attending to musical duties, Dionne enjoys going to concerts with her husband Bart, and visiting friends and family in Denver, Colorado.

Buffy first attended a handbell concert when she was in high school; it piqued her interest. In college she took a handbell ringing class as an elective and truly enjoyed it. The opportunity to play in a choir never occurred to her until many years later when she saw an article in the Free Press featuring the Penobscot Bay Ringers. She inquired and was invited to join the choir in the fall of 2013. Buffy was excited for the opportunity; she knew it would be a unique musical experience and a healthy challenge. Buffy was graciously tutored by an experienced ringer for the first few months. She quickly came to love ringing and has been playing ever since! Buffy finds great joy in making music and ringing with such wonderful people and talented ringers. 

Steve Barrett discovered ringing in 2018 at First Baptist Church in Westwood, MA, in the company of people who had begun ringing as soon as they were tall enough to reach the table. When he moved to Maine, his director, Dan Moore, told him to be sure to check out Penobscot Bay Ringers. Steve became the choir director at First Congregational Church in Searsport, and rings there as well, under the able direction of fellow Penobscot Bay Ringer Dionne Haase. He loves the versatility and willingness to take on challenges that the group has demonstrated. 

Rebecca is new to handbells.  She comes from a long and varied history in music including solo, accompaniment and ensemble groups playing many instruments, but most proficient in voice and piano, as well as having some experience with leadership, music arrangement and transcription.  She was first introduced to bells as a full-time guest of On a Ring and a Prayer at the Second Congregational Church of Warren in 2024.  She then served as a regular substitute ringer for Penobscot Bay Ringers in 2025 and now holds a full-time place at the table.  She enjoys learning new skills and loves the challenge of keeping up with a highly skilled group of ringers.

Rebecca works as a psychotherapist, volunteers at the Pope Humane Animal Shelter in Thomaston, and loves gardening, knitting, pickleball, and yoga.

Fran is in the process of writing a wonderful little bio to fill this space. For now, this little blurb will have to do. Stay tuned for the mini bio of Fran!

Lynn first played bells in the late 1980’s with the Claire E. Thompson Handbell Choir at the First Congregational Church in her hometown of Lincoln, Maine. Once her young daughter started school and she returned to education, handbells took a back seat until she retired and the pandemic was over. Lynn took up the bells again with the Lincoln choir, and wanting a challenge to keep her mind engaged, she tried 4-in-hand. Apparently she was mildly successful as they let her continue week after week! After moving to Rockland in mid-2025, she contacted the Penobscot Bay Ringers and was invited to practice as a sub during the fall. She now assists Felicia with the heavier bells, which is keeping her mind and her arms challenged!

Felicia Robinson started ringing handbells in 1994 at the First Congregational Church of Rockland. She began ringing in the bell chior with her grandmother and was also in the family handchime choir with her mother. In her 30 plus years of ringing Felicia has rung with seven chiors and directed one. She started ringing with Penobscot Bay Ringers in 2010 and was immediately drawn to the bass bells and has been a bass bell ringer ever since. Felicia really enjoys ringing the lower octave by herself but will occasionally share a bell or two.

Amy Rollins began ringing handbells at the First Congregational Church of Camden in 2006. She joined Penobscot Bay Ringers in 2008 as a founding ringer and became Artistic Director for the group in 2013. She loves developing each season's musical repertoire and leading the group to and through performances. Occasionally she puts the conducting baton down in order to ring with the PBR Ensemble. Amy is proud to be part of this handbell community that strives to promote peace and harmony throughout Midcoast Maine and beyond.

Debra is the President of the Penobscot Bay Ringers. Her full profile can be found on the Our Board page. 

A special thank you to Aidan Kaczynski for several of the ringer's headshots and for much of the beautiful photography through out the website and in Our Gallery

Please check out Aidan's work at:
AKZ Photography