Welcome to the website for the Bournemouth Youth Handbell Team!

The Bournemouth Youth Handbell Team, now in its 18th year and directed by Cathy Beeby, is an advanced ensemble of talented & skilled young musicians. As part of our education programme, our aim is to develop the general musicianship, sight reading, confidence and Teamwork skills of our Team members who are encouraged to integrate their own instrumental / vocal / improvisational skills and to compose music for the Team to showcase in rehearsals & performances. We embrace a wide range of musical styles, engaging with audiences both locally and further afield.

Watch an exciting performance of ‘Zoot Suit Riot’ with BYHT & Liquorice Clarinet Quartet – March 2024

In 2019, the BYHT celebrated their 15th Anniversary at the Christmas Festival Concert, which featured the current Team and Alumni Team Members. In recognition of the long-standing contribution she has made to youth handbell ringing, Cathy Beeby was awarded the Honoured Member Certificate by the South West Region of the Handbell Ringers of Great Britain at this event.

Despite three lockdowns during the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020/21, the BYHT still met together online when we couldn’t rehearse, every week during term-times. After a staggering total of 31 weeks of “Quiz-time Tuesday,” we were so ‘together’ as a team, enabling us to click straight back into our routine of live rehearsal and performance extremely easily.

Since then, we have won awards at the Bournemouth and Croydon Music Competitions Festivals, performed in collaboration with other ensembles, as well as presenting our own regular Christmas and Summer concerts, not to mention flexing our biceps and brain cells at Ten Pin Bowling and exciting Escape Rooms respectively. Read our full BYHT – Biography, which includes some video clips of us in action! Click here to see our BYHT – Gallery.

Our 2024 Calendar features more exciting partnerships; please click here to go straight to the BYHT – Events page for performances listings. This includes the performances we’ve presented over the last few years, to give an idea of the huge range of things we do.

We look forward to seeing you at our concerts over the coming months. If you’re able to support us financially, please click here for the BYHT – Sponsorship page.

For further information, please contact us on 07900 511016 or by email: catherinembeeby@gmail.com