Carla’s history
Carla Sue was born in England. She began playing handbells in 1987, after hearing a handbell team playing Christmas carols in a pub! She joined the Wokingham All Saints handbell group, and stayed with that group for more than twenty years. Carla also spent a number of years as a member of the South East Region Bell Orchestra. She also performed with the Rowland Ringers Ensemble and St. Nicholas Hurst Handbell Ringers.
While living in England, Carla was also a member of Pizzazz Handbell Trio, representing the UK at a handbell festival in Tallinn, Estonia. She was also involved with the Finchampstead handbell project Inspiration. This community volunteering project was nominated for a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2012.
An overseas move!
Larry and Carla met online in 2008, on a site for handbell musicians. After spending time in a long-distance relationship, they successfully navigated the U.S fiancée visa (K-1) process. Carla moved from England to the USA in August 2012. She and Larry had a handbell-filled wedding in California in September 2012! Carla maintained her connection with the UK handbell community through her continuing involvement in Inspiration International. This project continues the community work started by Inspiration. Its mission is to share the joy of handbell music with young and elderly people in southeast England.
In recent years, Carla has participated in Distinctly Bronze West, and attended an International Handbell Symposium in Florida. She has been a participant at the annual Bay View Week of Handbells since 2010. She has has also taught and performed at handbell events in the USA and Europe. Carla is currently a member of the Kalamazoo Ringers – one of the oldest continuously-operating bronze-level community handbell choirs in the USA.
West Michigan’s smallest handbell choir!
After their wedding in 2012, Larry and Carla embarked on a new handbell adventure by creating music for just eight bells. Their duet performance repertoire extends across the entire spectrum of hymns, classical music, Christmas carols, and folk music. They continue to be surprised at just how many musical selections they can play using just eight notes.
In July 2016, Larry and Carla moved to Holland, Michigan, in search of rain, snow, and icy winters.
If you’d like Larry and Carla to perform at your event, you can book them for concerts, weddings, Christmas and holiday performances, and worship services. Larry and Carla can also teach classes and workshops in various handbell techniques. If you want to know how to play handbells in the traditional British 4-in-hand style, Carla will be happy to show you how!
