Double Mallet Ringers

Founded in 2003 with the aim to promote handbell music, Double Mallet Ringers (DMR) registered non-profit-making organization in Hong Kong and is one of the most active Handbell Ensemble in Asia. It achieved significant recognition on local stages for its diverse repertoire from Baroque to newly-commissioned works and passionate performances.

DMR was originally formed by 11 players and the name “Double Mallet” was given representing the Arabic numeral “11”. Now DMR comprises 16 amateur handbell musicians, mainly professional music educators. During the past ten years, DMR offers a wide variety of concerts and performances throughout its annual season, including “Bells to the East” (2008), “Playing Tunes”(2009), “Hands+ Handbells = Harmony” (2010), and “Around the World in 80 Mins” (2011), “Musicarama 2012─Audio Visual, Handbell & Live Electronics”, “Perfect 10th” (2014), “Viva il numero” (2015) and “Ringing in the Breeze” (2016). In addition, DMR was frequently invited to be performer guests by various arts organizations, including Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Musicphilic Winds, The Hong Kong Girl Guides Association, Tuen Mun Children’s Choir, Times Square, Shatin New Town Plaza, and so forth. From 2007, DMR was also invited to be performer guests of the Hong Kong Handbell Festival every year.

Other than building and developing its local audience, DMR has continued to raise its international profile by participating in international conferences and performances regularly. DMR was invited to join the International Handbell Symposium held in Brisbane (2006), Orlando (2008) and Osaka (2010) respectively, and playing with other ringers around the world for joint performance.

DMR aims at pursuing artistic excellence, as well as serving to deepen the awareness and appreciation of handbell in Hong Kong. Apart from performing standard repertoire, DMR devoted to promoting local handbell music. In the concert “Musicarama 2012”, DMR presented new compositions of selected local composers, including Mr. Mui Kwong-chiu’s Song of Sakura (2008),Mr.Galison Lau’s The Echo from Above (2012), Mr. Hui Cheung-wai’s Resolute Calmness – As Daw Suu Reads Hugo (2012), and so forth. In addition, DMR commissions new works every year in order to explore and experience the new possibilities of handbell ringing. DMR has performed at The 14th International Handbell Symposium, playing a commission The Colour of Peace by composer Mr. Leung Chi-hin in the 14th International Handbell Symposium, which was highly popular with critical acclaim.