More than 40 years ago, Ron Bellamy had a musical revelation when he was introduced to an instrument that would dominate the rest of his life.

"I heard my first handbell in 1979, when I was 24," he recalled. "I have been a musician since second grade, but I had never experienced handbells until then."

He was attending a church service at a small church with an equally small handbell choir that happened to play in the service that Sunday.

"I was so struck by the sound that I spoke with the conductor after the service," Bellamy said. "I attended their rehearsal that very Thursday, and I've missed very few rehearsals since then."

The public will get to hear Bellamy's talent on the instrument when he performs in concert at Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, 777 S. Mount Joy St., on Friday, May 16, at 7 p.m. He will be joined in concert by his wife, Linda Lorgus, who will play the piano.

"Our concert will be a mix of sacred and secular music, the latter to help emphasize that bells are not just for church and Christmas," Bellamy said. "Our concert is titled 'Some of Our Favorite Rings' and will consist of selections that Linda and I have played over the many years we have performed together."

Bellamy has been the director of the Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren Memorial Bells Choir since 2006. It's a job he originally turned down when he was approached about it, because he was already directing bells at two other churches, had a full-time job and had three children at home. But the staff members at the Elizabethtown church were persistent, and eventually Bellamy accepted the role.

"After doing so, I actually added two more churches, meaning that I was directing handbells at five different churches at the same time!" he said. "Bell choirs normally rehearse for several weeks and present a musical offering to the congregation once a month. The obvious issue in my situation is that there are only four Sundays in the majority of months. The only way I was able to accommodate these choirs was due to the fact that three of congregations were in Lancaster, where I live." The timing of the churches' worship services allowed Bellamy to often work with two bell choirs on a given Sunday.

Now, after directing handbell choirs since 1997, Bellamy will be retiring from his last role as a director in June of this year.

Playing and directing handbells didn't just bring Bellamy a new appreciation for a musical instrument. It also introduced him to the love of his life.

"My wife and I met playing handbells for the Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble," he shared. "Linda is a lifelong church musician, something that runs in her family."

Lorgus has made a career out of teaching piano as well as leading church music programs and choirs, both vocal and instrumental.

"Her handbell choirs have performed in many venues, including Longwood Gardens and Disney World," Bellamy shared.

At the May 16 concert, audience members can expect to enjoy something more than the typical handbell choir people may have witnessed at their church.

"Attendees can expect an enjoyable evening of solo handbell playing," Bellamy noted. "Many people know handbell based on their church experience. This concert will not be that! As a soloist, with Linda as my accompanist, I will be playing the concert on two separate sets of handbells - a total of nearly 70 bells."

While it looks like a simple instrument when a performer is responsible for only one or two bells, the handbell is difficult to master, Bellamy said.

"Ringers are basically playing two notes of a piano keyboard and fitting their notes into a rhythmic pattern that has to coordinate with the other ringers in the choir," he shared. "Playing handbells in an ensemble requires a total commitment to the rehearsal/performance schedule of the group. If one ringer is missing, it is similar to a pianist playing a piano with two keys that do not work."

He noted that the teamwork and camaraderie involved in playing a piece of handbell music well far outweighs the logistics of getting a group together to practice.

He also hopes people will come out to experience the concert, which he said will feature music to appeal to a wide range of audience members.

"It will end with an Americana section that will lead us into Memorial Day and the start of the summer season," he said.

The handbell concert is free and open to the public. It will also be available via livestream at http://www.youtube.com/c/ElizabethtownChurchoftheBrethren.