Rings to
Inspire the artistic development of a
Noteworthy ensemble, which promotes the
Growth and appreciation of handbell ringing by
Serving a variety of audiences.

Phyllis Kirk – Phyllis is a well-known handbell conductor. She has conducted Handbell Festivals in 38 states, in 9 of the 12 Areas of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, National Handbell Festivals in Iowa and California, 3 Handbell Festivals in Canada, and was sent to represent the American Guild as conductor at the International Handbell Symposium in Australia. She served 2 terms on the National Board of the AGEHR. She loves handbells, and specializes in producing a variety of sounds made by different techniques of handbell ringing. Her ultimate goal is always to produce beautiful music, whether a robust Toccata or a smooth, exquisite Pavanne. Phyllis also directs the Newcomer Singers; is Minister of Music at Grace Christian Church (DOC) in Helena, AL and is Chair-elect of Area VI of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers.

Anne Graves – Anne began ringing bells at her church, Shades Crest Baptist in Bluff Park, where she continues to ring with the Jubilation Ringers. She also directs the Allegro Ringers at Shades Crest. Anne plays flute in the orchestra and sings in the choir at Shades Crest. Anne also enjoys playing the celtic harp and is a member of the International Society of Folkharpers and Craftsmen. Anne graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Business from Samford University in Birmingham and is president and owner of SECO Performance Centers. Anne is married to Stan, has two grown children, Leah and Matt, and is the proud grandmother of Anna Marie and Amelia.

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Becky Stough – Becky has always loved music. She sings and plays cello, electric bass, string bass, percussion and handbells. She started playing bells in 1998 when she moved to Birmingham and now can't imagine her life without them! She can play 4 in hand (when the need arises) and is currently playing F2-E3 (not 4 in hand). Becky was a part of the organizing team and also the first and current president of Embellishments. She has participated in many regional festivals and the 2000 International Handbell Symposium in Birmingham, England, the 2004 Symposium in Toronto, Canada and 2006 Symposium in Brisbane, Australia. In her spare time, she enjoys her work as a Licensed Massage Therapist (Line forms at the right!), Administrator for the Gadsden Community School for the Arts at the Cultural Arts Center in Gadsden, AL and spending time with her family.

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Beth Weeks – Beth considers music to be a great blessing in her life, mostly because of the enduring friendships with teachers, directors, and fellow performers.   Born and raised in Toledo, OH, piano lessons began at age 5, and studies continued with Virginia Snyder through high school, then at Ohio Wesleyan University for two years with concert pianist Joanne Hopper.  She played clarinet in high school band and orchestra, and soprano and tenor recorder in a city-wide ensemble for performances at the Toledo Museum of Art and local churches.  She was an accompanist on piano and harpsichord for soloists and choirs in music competitions.   A member of Christ Church United Methodist in Birmingham, she has been a handbell ringer there for about 10 years.  She has served as interim pianist at the church on occasion, and has sung many years in the Chancel Choir there.  Beth joined Embellishments in January, 2008, after substitute ringing for several years.  She and husband Shane are the parents of two grown children.  Since earning her BA, SCL, in Botany/Micro from Ohio Wesleyan and M.S. in Botany, from University of Georgia, she has owned and operated EMLABS, Inc. for over 25 years, providing electron microscopy services to hospitals, pathology groups, and medical researchers.

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Donna Williamson – Donna has been playing handbells for 15 years and with Embellishments for 4 years. She started playing bells with her church handbell choir and never Stopped! She also plays the piano and flute. She is a pharmacist and works for Davis Drugs in Columbiana.

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Elizabeth Judd – Elizabeth was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario and was graduated from The University of Toronto where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Physical and Health Education. She played in many local, provincial and state badminton tournaments as well as the Canadian and American Open Championships. After moving to Birmingham and raising a family she was asked to join the handbell choir at her church. She has been playing bells ever since. As a member of the former Covenant Ringers, she played in many Bell Festivals in the USA as well as Japan, England and Canada. She is an original member of the Embellishments.

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Jim Kimble – Jim is an ophthalmologist specializing in retinal blood vessel diseases. He learned to read music and play a little piano from his mother at an early age, played brass in junior high through college, then sold his French horn to pay for his wife's wedding ring. He has been playing handbells in his church choir since 1980, and has been teaching third graders to ring since 2006.  Embellishments "hooked" him the first time he heard the ensemble play, in December 2004.

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Laura Thuirer - Laura got hooked on handbells as she earned a bachelor's degree in music education at Florida Southern College and has been playing ever since. She earned a Master's degree in mathematics education from the University of South Florida and has been teaching middle school mathematics for 26 years. In 2007, Laura became a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence Mathematics.  She is currently teaching 8th grade Algebra at Homewood Middle School and coaching the Algebra Math team. Since 1986, Laura has served as a Province President for Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity, guiding collegiate and alumni chapters in the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Having served several United Methodists churches in Florida directing children, youth and adult choirs and handbell choirs, she now enjoys just singing and ringing in her church choirs in addition to ringing in Embellishments since its inception.

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Marilyn Crotty – "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord..." Marilyn discovered handbell ringing when asked to “sub” in a church singing/ringing ensemble and was immediately captivated! Shades Crest Baptist Church is her “other” home, where she serves in music ministry: as church pianist, assistant to the Minister of Music, and handbell director. She and her husband, Manson, met at a French horn audition "eons ago," and claim to be the original Marilyn-Manson!  They are proud to be parents, grandparents, musicians, and… Auburn alumni!

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Melissa Whetstone - Music has always been an important part of Melissa's life, especially handbells.  She began playing bells at age 7 and has been playing ever since.  Throughout her teenage and early adult years, she played in handbell choirs directed by Dr. Norman Johnson, a nationally known handbell clinician.  She has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada playing bells with Dr. Johnson's choirs.  After getting married, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia.  While living in Atlanta, she played in the Golden Bells of Atlanta, Atlanta's premier professional handbell choir, under the direction of Roxanne Golden.  Melissa moved back to Birmingham in 2005 and took a short break from playing bells.  She is excited to be playing bells again!

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Nancy McCracken - Nancy has been ringing handbells almost as long as she has been breathing. One afternoon, while waiting for a ride home with the choir director after Junior High Church Choir, she was asked to fill in a vacant spot in the Senior High Bell Choir. She was hooked and has been ringing ever since. As well as ringing with Embellishments since its inception, she has over 36 years' experience playing in church choirs, ensemble groups, duets, and solo ringing. She majored in Music at Huntingdon College, but needed to find a way to pay the bills. This led to her earning a Master of Science Degree in Physical Therapy from UAB. A Senior Physical Therapist at Lakeshore Rehab Hospital by trade, she views ringing as one of the ways she keeps in touch with music, which was always her first love. She enjoys being a part of the only single instrument that is played by multiple performers. Husband Paul is infinitely patient and understanding of the time commitment involved, and his support is treasured.

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Richard Dickson - Richard became interested in ringing handbells in 1990 when, while waiting for a church directory picture to be made of the Chancel Choir, he was asked to grab 2 bells and be in the picture of the handbell choir. The rest is handbell history. He has always sung in church, school, and civic choruses as a baritone/tenor since elementary school in Birmingham, AL. And a few early years of piano lessons has helped grasp the art playing handbell music. He is one of the original members of "Embellishments" and has always played bass bells since its inception. He attends Canterbury United Methodist Church in, Mountain Brook, AL. Richard has three grown children, two daughters in Raleigh, NC and one son, an Army Special Forces Medic at Ft. Bragg, NC and one granddaughter also in Raleigh.

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Rita Fulton – Rita earned her BA in Mathematics from Birmingham Southern College and is currently an actuary for Protective Life Insurance Company. She developed a love for music at a very young age, began piano lessons in the second grade and organ lessons in the fourth grade. During Rita's high school years, she played flute and oboe in her high school band and was the organist for the youth choir at her church. Her love for handbells began in 1983 when she began playing with a church choir. Rita was a member of Christ Church United Methodist's handbell choir from 1984 - 2007 and was the director of this choir from January 2000 - May 2007. She joined Embellishments in 2002. Rita is the mother of two grown daughters and their husbands and is the proud grandmother of three beautiful grandchildren.

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Rusty Andrews - Rusty has been playing handbells for over 30 years. She began playing with the Covenant Ringers at Shades Valley Presbyterian Church. She has attended Handbell Festivals throughout the country and attended International Handbell Symposiums in USA (Albuquerque, NM), Canada, Japan and England. Rusty is a charter member of Embellishments. She also plays piano and clarinet. Rusty is the Church Hostess at Shades Valley Presbyterian Church.

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Ruth Howald - Ruth recently moved to Birmingham with her husband, Scott Montgomery*, from the Baltimore, Maryland, area. She has been ringing in church choirs, auditioned choirs and solo/duet for a really, really, long time (longer than she likes to think about) and has NO other hobbies. Well, she does enjoy reading, traveling, cooking (and eating!), Iron Chef, and visiting wineries with Scott. She is now the “other actuary” in Embellishments (since Rita was here first) and is VP and Chief Actuary with American Mining Insurance Company.

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Scott Montgomery - Scott is a third-generation Oregonian who recently moved to Birmingham with Ruth Howald, his wife of over 20 years. After earning his Masters degree in Nuclear Engineering from Oregon State, he moved to Washington, then Minnesota, Maryland, Moscow (Russia), Maryland, Louisiana, Maryland, Sydney (Australia), Maryland, California, Maryland and on to Alabama. Scott's hobbies include golf, photography, home winemaking and traveling. The credit (or blame, depending on who you ask) for Scott's 20-plus years of handbell ringing in church and community choirs and other small ensembles goes to Ruth, as well as singing in church choirs for the last 15 years.

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Sybil Watson – Sybil began singing in her church choir at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery when she was in kindergarten and started taking piano lessons at eight. She always wanted to play handbells but, since the church had White Chapel bells, seventh grade was the youngest age she could join the bell choir.  And the rest is history!  Sybil has been playing, and singing, with Canterbury United Methodist Church for many years and was a member of Embellishments in the early years.  After taking a few years off, she is now back.  Sybil has participated in many handbell festivals in the United States as well as the International Handbell Symposiums in Japan, England and Australia.  Sybil has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Birmingham-Southern College and is employed at Management Data, Inc. as a Business Analyst.  She also has three children in the form of Pomeranians named Sadie, Smut and Bud.

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Tricia Parks – Tricia's interest in music began with piano lessons in the third grade. Active in high school and college bands and an accompanist for vocal students in college, her involvement with music faded after graduation. It was rekindled when she decided to join her church handbell choir almost twenty years ago.  She is a member of the handbell choir at Christ Church United Methodist and joined Embellishments in 2004. Tricia is recently retired which, of course, gives her more time to practice handbells! She met her husband in their high school marching band (he played the trumpet). They have two grown children.

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