On the third Tuesday of May, Old South Church plays host to the Boston Handbell Festival, an annual celebration of handbell musicianship co-sponsored by the Back Bay Ringers and Old South.

The Boston Handbell Festival is the continuation of a musical tradition of handbell performance at Old South Church that stretches back almost a century. The Boston Handbell Festival brings together local community handbell ensembles–the Back Bay Ringers, Merrimack Valley Ringers, New England Ringers, and Old South Ringers–and this year's invited guest choir the elementary school group Highland Chimes of Danvers, for an evening of massed and solo ringing in Old South’s beautiful sanctuary. The massed pieces will be conducted by our guest clinician, Dan Moore

The concert is free and open to the public and it's a great opportunity to experience them for the first time. Mulit-ensemble performances include choreography, singing, (even surprise baseball hats or pirate costumes) as well as a memorable massed piece involving five choirs and Old South’s stunning Skinner pipe organ.