Handbell Choir Gotha

Made possible by the gift of 49 handbells from the Epiphany Lutheran Church in Dayton, Ohio (USA), the Handbell Choir Gotha was founded in 1987. At present, the group has over 40 members, who come together in five different formations; its members include children, adolescents, and adults, ranging from five years of age to well over 70. Today, the ensemble boasts a set-up of 66 handbells, which span a range of almost six octaves, and 49 chimes, covering a range of four octaves. Works written for handbells form the core of the ensemble’s repertoire, although the musicians also perform sacred music and arrangements by well-known composers. The ensemble has appeared across Germany on numerous concert tours, as well as in Great Britain, France, and the USA.
Matthias Eichhorn teaches at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater ‘Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’ in Leipzig and is a member of several ensembles as a double-bass player (at home in various musical traditions). His mother, Elke Eichhorn, directed the Handbell Choir Gotha between 1987 and 2005, encouraging Matthias to begin playing the handbells at the age of eight. He was appointed as the ensemble’s artistic director in 2006.