May 2026
An Enchanted Spring
Today’s concert will include selections from the below:
Exultate
/
Jason W. Krug – Composed for Embellish of Grand Rapids, MI
The Ash Grove
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arr. Matthew Compton & Alex Guebert
Enchanted
/
Taylor Swift, arr. Brenda E. Austin
Vivace
/
Brenda E. Austin
The Awakening
/
Brenda E. Austin
Fantasy No. 2 in C Minor
/
Arnold B. Sherman
Capriccio
/
Kevin McChesney
Nocturnal Fantasy
/
Emily Li
Be Still, My Soul
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arr. Alex Guebert
Golden
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arr. Nicholas A. Hanson
Wizards in Winter
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arr. Hart Morris
Celebration
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arr. Ron Mallory
From our Embellish Family to yours, we thank you for joining us today! 🌸
Thank you to the generous donors who enabled us to add a D#2 bell to our instruments! This aluminum handbell weighs 9lbs 4oz, and we are thrilled to be debuting it this Spring!
• Anonymous
• Brent Applegate
• Lauri Hoff
• Patricia Meyers
• Dan & Lonna Ondersma
• Ed & Melanie Tolsma
• Michael Wolthuis
Meet Our Ringers
The handbell ringers who make up Embellish are a dedicated group of musicians who are committed to changing the world with handbells!
Embellish Ringers:
Nathan Biller
Year first joined: 2005
A hidden talent: Can solve a Rubik’s cube in under 3 minutes.
Debi Buer
Year first joined: 2019
Other instruments played: I’m learning to play the mandolin!
Russell Cooper
Year first joined: 1999
Other instruments played: Cajon, djembe, bodhran, trombone, all satisfactorily.
Arianna Hiskes
Year first joined: 2018
The strangest food I enjoy: Cuy Chactado: Peruvian fried guinea pig. It’s better than it sounds!
Louisa Houskamp
Year first joined: 2026
Fun fact: I speak German!
Penny Kindraka
Year first joined: 2024
Other instruments played:
I’m a lyric coloratura soprano. “Voice” is certainly an instrument!
Laura Jen
Year first joined: 1996
The strangest food I enjoy: Ba Bao Fan
Melissa Reiffer
Year first joined: 2002
Other instruments played: I’ve played the violin since I was 3 years old!
Cindy Reimink
Year first joined: 2012
A hidden talent: I don’t need a timer when I bake cookies. My nose knows.
Lisa Sandee
Year first joined: 2003
The strangest food I enjoy:
I don’t enjoy strange food. If it’s strange, it shouldn’t be eaten.
Courtney Sheffer
Year first joined: 2016
Fun fact: I own 172 board games (and have played almost all of them)
Melanie Tolsma
Year first joined: 1997, 2023
The strangest food I enjoy: Boiled peanuts, especially at sporting events!
Russell Van Vlack
Year first joined: 2019
Other instruments played: Everything but the flute. I can’t play the flute. You’d only laugh.
Hannah Wheaton
Year first joined: 2018
Other instruments played: Getting back into piano has been one of my post-college projects.
Dennis Willemsen
Year first joined: 2008
A hidden talent: I can avoid answering questions about myself in 70 characters or less.
Heather Willemsen
Year first joined: 2008
The strangest food I enjoy: Nerds Gummy Clusters – introduced to me at an Embellish snack time!
Music Director: Brenda E. Austin
Year first joined: 2023
Brenda is a dynamic and energetic conductor, clinician, and composer, who has led numerous festivals and workshops, both nationally and internationally. She has more than 110 titles (and counting) of published handbell and sacred choral works.
Embellish is thrilled to take part in debuting some of her compositions and arrangements during our concerts!
An Enchanted Spring Concert + Tour
Many thanks to our host venues!
May 3rd
Matthews Performing Arts Center at Cornerstone University
Grand Rapids, Michigan
May 8th
Fourth Presbyterian Church
Chicago, Illinois
May 9th
First Congregational Church
St. Joseph, Michigan
May 10th
First United Methodist Church
Eaton Rapids, Michigan
Special Thanks
Thanks to the generous supporters of the Embellish Family
Donors
Ringers Circle
Dale & Elizabeth Deppe
Laura Jen
Linda Myers, in Memory of Shirley Myers
Ed & Melanie Tolsma
Ric & Stephanie Wiltse
Patron
Nathan Biller
Debra Buer
Russell Cooper
Jeannine Lanning
James & Marilou Reiffer
Cindy Reimink
Terry & Kenneth Reimink
Susan Stoddard
Hannah Wheaton
Dennis & Heather Willemsen
Donor
Brent Applegate
Linda Bartusch
Susan Bauer
Linda Burpee & Sara Smolenski
Robert & Susan Cobb
Caroline Downing
Esther J. Franklin
Anne Hiskes
Lauri Hoff
Louisa Houskamp
Enoch & Nancy Jen
Donna Kamerman-Houskamp
Jim & Penny Kindraka
John & Melinda Kopec
Deborah & Jess Larson
Hal Patchen
Ron & Joanne Rozema
Patricia Sanders
Hanna Schmiedeknecht
Michael & Judy Skrzycki
Bruce Van Vlack
Russell & Laura Van Vlack
Supporter
Laurie Austin
Becky Bosch
Phyllis Correia
Deborah DeVoe
Mike & Janet Dykema
Carol Dykhouse
Dawn Franchetti
Richard & Nancy Kitchen
J.E. Knoche
Paul & Ellie Kotowicz
Steven & Janet Peters
Elizabeth Reed
Barbara Schoenborn
Sharon & Keith Scott
Courtney Sheffer
Anastasia Tafelsky
Janet Vanwyk
Amy Wallenburg
Barbara Webber
David & Marjorie Wiltse
Kristin Wright
Donald Youngkin
Friend
Alicia Diesch
Amy DeBoer
Diane Thompson
Jasmine DiDiego
Heather Milton
Paula Berg
Greg Busenitz
Kent Dick
Jillian Endaya
Patrick Farrell
Mr. & Mrs. Lynn Francis
Sarah Greenwood
Shelia Guthrie
Calvin & Karen Jen
Marilyn Lake
Karen Mitchell
Linda Neiter
Susan Samsell
Nikki Simons
Kevin Singer
Audrey Stob
John & Susie Sullivan
Allen York
Linda Zimmer
Thank You
Special thanks to our hosting concert venues; Our trailer team: Dennis & Heather Willemsen (our trailer transporters) and Bob & Donna Houskamp (for their support of our trailer health); our fabulous Board of Trustees; our Honorary Associate Director Fred Gramann
Embellish is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization; your support via financial donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Local Arts
Thank you to the The West Michigan Arts Council for their ongoing support of the Embellish Family.
