Celebrating its 40th anniversary season, the Westminster Concert Bell Choir is composed of students at Rider University’s Westminster Choir College, which was the first institution in the world to develop such a program. Hailed for its virtuosity, the ensemble performs on the largest range of handbells in the world – 8 octaves, from C1 to C9. Many of the bells are made of bronze and range in weight from four ounces to 11 pounds; the Choir also uses the large “Basso Profundo” aluminum-cast bells that are a new phenomenon in handbell ringing. The Choir supplements its handbells with a six-octave set of Malmark Choirchime® instruments from C2 to C8 – the widest range in existence. The Westminster Concert Bell Choir has appeared on Public Television’s Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and several holiday broadcasts of the Today show, including one in which the ensemble was joined for a performance by NBC television hosts Katie Couric and Willard Scott. The choir has performed at Carnegie Hall twice during the Christmas season. Most recently, the choir was featured on New Jersey Network’s State Of The Arts program. The Westminster Concert Bell Choir's 2017-2018 season includes a series of performances in Princeton and throughout New Jersey, including the annual An Evening of Readings and Carols festival in the Princeton University Chapel. In May it will embark on a concert tour of the Southeast and Texas.