About the Capital Ringers

Kevin B. Chamberlain, artistic director

Kevin B. Chamberlain is the Artistic Director of Capital Ringers. He was born in Southern New Jersey but grew up in Seaford. Kevin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in music with an emphasis in church music and organ from Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. He earned his Master of Music degree in church music and organ performance from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Kevin is currently working on a Doctoral degree in Christian worship from the Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida.

Kevin has been ringing handbells since his first year at Asbury University in 1998, and he continued ringing handbells throughout college and graduate school. He directs the handbell ensemble at his church and has been ringing with Capital Ringers (at various times since 2013). Additionally, Kevin serves as the Pastor of Music and Worship at Avenue United Methodist Church in Milford, and he serves on the faculty of Polytech High School in Woodside, where he teaches music.

He serves as the Assistant Director/Accompanist for the Mispillion Children’s Chorus in Milford, Delaware (a non-profit community children’s chorus). Kevin is an active member of the Fellowship of United Methodist in Music and Worship Arts and serves as the Director of Lay Servant Ministries for the Board of Laity of the Peninsula-Delaware Conference of the United Methodist Church.

History of Capital Ringers

On April 25, 2004, former Artistic Director Linda Simms met with local church handbell ringers in Kent County, Delaware, to determine if there was interest in establishing a community handbell ensemble committed to performing challenging sacred and secular music. Soon thereafter, Capital Ringers, an ensemble of handbell and handchime ringers, was formed.

Capital Ringers Inc. established a non-profit (tax-exempt) IRS 501(c)(3) status in 2005.

Initially, Capital Ringers borrowed equipment from a local church, until 2007 when the group began acquiring its own bells and chimes.

Capital Ringers currently owns the largest set of handbells and handchimes on the Delmarva Peninsula. The ensemble performs on 6 octaves (73 bells) of handbells, 5 octaves (61 bells) of Whitechapel Handbells (made in London, England), and 5-1/2 octaves (67 chimes) of handchimes.

We have restructured!

During the COVID-19 shutdown, a Task Force on Organizational Restructuring met virtually over more than two months to generate recommendations for changes to the board, organizational structure, and bylaws. The changes were adopted by Capital Ringers Inc. membership on June 28, 2020. Click the button below to read more.