Church hosting Wesley Bill Ringers

First Presbyterian Church is welcoming a special youth handbell choir for a free concert next week.

The Wesley Bell Ringers, a music ministry of Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, will perform at First Presbyterian on Tuesday, June 18. The free concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

It will be the ninth show of the group's 58th annual summer tour. The 16 teenage ringers will play more than 150 handbells and hand chimes.

From its beginning in 1963, The Wesley Bell Ringers, a music ministry of Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, has been open to any youth dedicated to learning the art of handbell ringing and caring for their fellow ringers.

The choir began with nine youth ringers and 25 bells and in its six decades of performing, more than 500 young people have participated in the choir.

The choir has performed at the U.S. Capitol, national monuments, Disney parks and handbell festivals across the country.

The choir has been featured at numerous handbell festivals around the United States, and performed for The National Music Educators convention. The groups the choir has performed with include the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, the choir was invited to record with The Piano Guys on their album "Christmas Together."

This year, the choir was invited to perform a solo concert as the featured youth choir at the Ringing Up! Festival on Saturday, June 15, hosted by Area 11 of the Handbell Musicians of America.

Highlights from its summer tour include Disney’s "Go The Distance," Léon Boëllmann’s "Toccata from Suite Gothique," Sondra Tucker’s "Christmas Kaleidoscope," and commissioned selections from noted handbell composers Kevin McChesney and Joel Raney.

The church is located at 417 N. Fourth Ave. A free-will offering will be accepted to support the choir.

For information about The Wesley Bell Ringers, go online to thewesleybellringers.com.