About Us

Denver Bronze is an auditioned community handbell ensemble in the south Denver, Colorado metro area.

Mission Statement

Denver Bronze is dedicated to musical excellence and service to the community through artistic handbell performance and educational outreach.

Membership for the 2023-2024 season

Paul Gentry

Director Paul Gentry has been ringing handbells for over 30 years. In addition to directing Denver Bronze, he has been a clinician at many state and area handbell events and conducted the Northern Colorado Festival Conference in March of 2007, 2008, and 2012. Paul has a percussion background and played in the Colorado State University Marching Band.

Paul Gentry
Jonathan Albright

Jonathan Albright

Jonathan started ringing at Beth Eden Baptist School in 2000 and has been with Denver Bronze since 2013. He is a web application developer and maintains denverbronze.org. He's also a mail carrier for USPS. In his free time he enjoys bowling, hiking and board games with his wife and sons.

Jeanne Becay

Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Jeanne took piano lessons and sang in choir throughout high school. At Austin College in Sherman, TX she sang in the A Cappella choir. Jeanne graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with an MA in Math in 1968. Jeanne was married in 1969 and began her lifelong career in computer programming with the Texas Highway Department in Austin, eventually forming her own consulting firm. Jeanne moved to Denver in 1989 and saw handbells at Trinity Methodist and began ringing in 1990. She has rung in groups of all sizes, from solos to full choirs. She joined Bells of the Rockies in 2002 and has rung with Denver Bronze since its inception in 2009. She enjoys subbing for other groups as well. Jeanne has two sons, Steve and Ryan and she became grandmother to twins Austin and Tyler in 2012 and Charlie in 2015.

Jeanne Becay
Sue Boarman

Sue Boarman

Sue has been ringing handbells since 1989. She has been ringing with Denver Bronze off and on since 2010. She also currently directs the Celebration Ringers handbell choir at Wellshire Presbyterian Church in Denver. She retired from her career as a pharmacist in 2018. She and her husband love hanging out with their two dogs, Kody and Finn, riding bikes and spending time in the Colorado mountains.

Kristen Buckley

Kristen joined Denver Bronze in 2018 and is thrilled to be playing with such an amazing group. Her introduction to handbells happened when she was playing clarinet in her church orchestra in Texas many years ago and she was asked to play handbells for the Easter service. After moving to Colorado, she finally found a church handbell ensemble to play in and has been playing for 6 years. She is currently playing at Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church.
Kristen is a former flight paramedic and is a pediatric nurse at Children's Hospital Colorado. She lives in Aurora with her husband John, her son Sean, 3 cats, and their dog. In her free time she enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, photography, and reading. And of course she is an avid Broncos and Rockies fan!

Kristen Buckley
Shirley Culp

Shirley Culp

Shirley’s Love of handbells dates back to an early age when she became a convenient substitute in her father’s youth bell choir at church. She continued to ring throughout high school, but took an extended break after leaving home, getting married and raising a family. When her own church acquired a set of bells, she was eager to begin ringing again. How the art of handbell ringing had changed over those years! She has embraced new techniques and a variety of music over the past fifteen plus years ringing with her church group. She is grateful for the opportunity to ring with Denver Bronze.

Cynthia Fretland

Cynthia started playing handbells in Fargo, ND in 1993 then moved to Minnesota and continued playing from 1999-2014 when she and her husband relocated to Parker. Cynthia has been playing with Denver Bronze since 2014. Her life outside of handbells includes her husband of 47 years, 2 children and their spouses and 2 beautiful grandchildren. Her other hobbies include golf, quilting, reading, and traveling.

Cynthia Fretland
Sally Garwood

Sally Garwood

Sally is a Wellness Coach, homeschool mom and handbell lover. She started ringing as a teenager and fell in love with bells then. She has been ringing with Denver Bronze since its inception. In her free time (if there is any) she loves reading, running, and coffee dates with friends.

Michelle Girard

Michelle has been ringing handbells more on than off since 1977. She holds music performance degrees on piano and carillon (with a double major in Political Science), is the church musician at St. Paul Presbyterian Church, teaches piano, and is a professional accompanist in Aurora, CO. She is grateful for her family, and for their support of her music.

Michelle Girard
Lorrie Hart

Lorrie Hart

Lorrie Hart has been ringing handbells for 25 years and joined Denver Bronze in 2007.  She has rung in church choirs and been the director of a handbell choir as well. She is currently the chair for Handbell Musicians of America, Area 11.  In her daily life, she has a daughter, and is a psychologist in private practice in Littleton.

Beth Himes

Bio coming soon!

Beth Himes
Mary Elizabeth Phillippe

Mary Elizabeth Phillippe

Mary Elizabeth began ringing bells in 1988 and has been playing with Denver Bronze since 2011. Mary Elizabeth holds a music degree in piano and oboe as well as Elementary Education teaching Kindergarten. During her free time Mary Elizabeth enjoys spending time with family, skiing and gardening.

Trudy Pohawpatchoko

Trudy started ringing in her church group in Kansas City, becoming a virtuoso on C7-C8 – yes that is the entire octave! After moving to Colorado she rang at her church and ventured into community bells with the Rocky Mountain Ringers, ringing the Hilte method (SATB positions) on Whitechapel handbells. Trudy is now the director of the handbell choir at her church and has enjoyed ringing with Denver Bronze over the last 10 years. When not ringing she enjoys spending time with her husband, Calvin, and their dog Zoe.

Trudy Pohawpatchoko
Debbie Sakagawa

Debbie Sakagawa

Debbie Sakagawa began ringing handbells in 2000 at Smoky Hill UMC and immediately fell in love with the art of handbell ringing and the beauty of many ringing as one instrument. She joined Denver Bronze in 2023 and has been blessed to ring at an International Handbell Symposium, Carnegie Hall, and Disney World. She is so appreciative of the support and encouragement of her husband and bell ringing children in this journey. Debbie is the CFO/COO for Keller Williams Realty DTC. When she’s not working or ringing, she loves spending time with family, traveling, and all sorts of crafty projects.

Becky Stevens

Becky began ringing chimes in 1998 and the following year began ringing and directing handbells. She is the Director of Music Ministries at Smoky Hill UMC in Centennial, CO, which keeps her busy with many groups to include choirs, brass, strings, woodwinds, and handbells. Joining Denver Bronze gives her the opportunity to be on the “other” side of the table, ringing versus conducting and she is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Denver Bronze. Becky enjoys living in the country with her llama and cats and spending time with her family and friends, which includes 5 grandsons who know a mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows is always waiting for them at her home.

Becky Stevens

Upcoming Events

  • May 11, 7:00 PM
    Wellshire Presbyterian Church
    2999 S Colorado Blvd, Denver, CO
  • May 19, 3:00 PM
    Smoky Hill United Methodist Church
    19491 E Smoky Hill Rd, Centennial, CO

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