who we are
Queen City Bronze is a professional, community handbell ensemble based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The ensemble includes 14-17 advanced ringers dedicated to the challenges of performing music at the highest level. Under the direction of Joe Galyon, Queen City Bronze concerts offer an eclectic mix of musical styles featuring jazz, folk, classical, spiritual, and original compositions. The ensemble has commissioned three works for advanced handbell choirs including arrangements of For Good from Wicked, Thriller, Fly Me to the Moon, and an original work called Queen City Portraits.
The group was founded in October of 2008 under the direction of Jennifer Cauhorn. To increase awareness, understanding, and appreciation for the art of handbell ringing, Queen City Bronze has performed concerts presenting full-length programs in concert venues and churches. The ensemble has also appeared with the Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Men’s Chorus, Blue Ash Symphony, and Cincinnati Camerata. Performances have also been requested by Handbell Musicians of America Area 5 and Music Teachers National Association. In addition to performances, Queen City Bronze offers educational and training events throughout the tri-state for individuals and groups.
A FEW Words About Us
QCB’s Director
Joe Galyon engages people from all walks of life in music ministry at Church of the Saviour United Methodist. With a passion for developing church musicians of any age, he oversees a comprehensive program of choral, handbell, and instrumental ensembles that enhance weekly worship and unique liturgical services. The handbell program includes three graded children’s choirs, a youth choir, and two adult choirs. He generated ongoing interest in ringing through leadership training, community performance, festival participation, and commission premieres.
As a handbell conductor, Joe leads festivals, masterclass, and training sessions for large-scale events and individual congregations. In 2024, he assumed the role of Music Director for Queen City Bronze, Cincinnati’s Premiere Handbell Ensemble. As a composer, his handbell works are published by Jeffers Ringing World Publications, Hope Publishing, From the Top Music, and Sonology Music. His first Alfred Music publication is scheduled for release in 2025.
Joe earned music degrees in piano at Samford University, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and the University of Cincinnati. As a pianist, he has held teaching positions at Earlham College and Northern Kentucky University, and his performances have taken place throughout the eastern United States and in the United Kingdom.
Ringing together to create a unified sound
Get to know our ringers a little bit! While we are better together, every handbell musician’s commitment and presence are crucial to building one piece of music with our ensemble. Our success is measured by the sum of our parts.
Meet Our Ensemble
Linda Allen
QCB Board President
Linda started ringing handbells in 2011 with Trinity Tower Bells at Trinity United Methodist Church in her hometown of Milford, Ohio, and joined Queen City Bronze in the fall of 2015 at the encouragement of her sister, Kathy Kellum, one of the group’s founding members.
Linda’s appreciation for music began with piano lessons in elementary grades 1-6 and continued throughout her school years where she played trumpet in junior high and high school, and later in the marching band and concert band at Morehead State University, Morehead, KY.
Upon graduation from MSU with BA degrees in English and psychology, Linda spent many successful years in the educational publishing industry in the areas of editing, book production, and staff and project management. Linda later transitioned to the financial services industry where she provides annuity and insurance support for Sauer Wealth Planning | Raymond James in Loveland, Ohio.
Linda enjoys advancing her handbell skills by attending HMA (Handbell Musicians of America) regional and national events. While she usually rings in the battery or bass in QCB, Linda has recently learned to ring four-in-hand in her church handbell group.
Greg Bayless
Equipment Manager
Bio coming soon!
Gretchen Bradburn
Enthusiastic Handbell Ringer
Gretchen joined QCB in the spring of 2020. A native of Maryland, she began ringing in the Parkdale High School Handbell Choir. This group performed at the Kennedy Center, the Cadet Chapel at West Point, and the Music Educators National Convention (now The National Association for Music Education) in Atlantic City, NJ. She also played the flute, beginning in elementary school and continued in junior high, senior high, and in college. At the University of Maryland, she was a four-year marcher in the Marching Band, having performed in the Cotton Bowl and the inaugural Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama. She also played in the university’s Concert Band.
Gretchen began attending Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church in 2002 and joined the Carillon Choir that year. She has played for several years and is still a current member under the direction of Jenny Cauhorn. Gretchen took early retirement from Fidelity Investments in 2017, where she was Director, Communications Consulting. Employed at Fidelity for over 21 years, she continues to consult for Fidelity five or six months each year.
Outside of music, Gretchen has two grown children and two grown step-children, one adorable step-grandson and another grandchild due in August 2024. In addition, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Ralph, and their three dogs, two of whom are rescues.
Jenny “JenJen” Chapel
QCB Publicist
Jenny started ringing handbells in third grade at her Lutheran elementary school in Phoenix, AZ. When her family made the move to Savannah, GA in 2002, Jenny found her new bell home with the youth handbell choir at Christ Church. The Bells of Christ Church directed by Mark Williams went on tour across the South six out of the ten years that Jenny rang with the choir.
When Jenny’s family made the move to Ohio, she inevitably followed. After six months without a bell choir she stumbled on the QCB website and auditioned for a place within the ensemble in 2013. Gone were the days of colorfully highlighted music, and here to stay were the days of pencil scribbled scores. QCB has enabled Jenny to become a more capable musician.
Jenny has had an on again off again relationship with higher education spending time at the University of Georgia, Armstrong Atlantic State University, and most recently University of Cincinnati DAAP. Her focus has always been on visual arts. Jenny is the proud artist behind HMA’s “College Ring-In” Logo. She might be a little rusty, but she can whip up a painting with watercolor, acrylic, oil, or digitally if called upon.
Jenny has worked at Starbucks since 2014. She has since stepped down to the barista role after being a Store Manager so she focus on her new career at Fidelity Investments.
In her free time Jenny loves to spend time with her someday fiancé, noodle around on her lever harp, go to concerts, salsa dance in the summertime, and sing bad karaoke.
Marie Clyatt-Larson
HMA Director of National Events
Marie Clyatt-Larson began ringing handbells in 1986 with the Kinderchime program at First United Methodist Church in Lawrence, KS. She remained active in handbells throughout elementary and middle school. Marie attended Interlochen Arts Academy for high school as a percussion major, and sadly was only able to play handbells occasionally on breaks or subbing at a local church. For her undergraduate degree Marie returned to Lawrence and attended the University of Kansas.
From 2000-2005 she was the assistant music director for First United Methodist Church, directing the children and youth vocal and handbell choirs. She rang with the primary handbell ensemble and directed the Lady Belles, an all female group where the top octave of ringers were all over 80 years old. During her time as their director Marie grew the group from two to a full 5 octave choir.
In 2006 Marie moved to Waco, Texas where she was again active in ringing and directing at several different churches. She also became the “Bell Wrangler” (equipment manager) for the Mo Ranch – PAM Music and Worship Conference each summer. In 2014 she was the Adult Beginning Ringing and Children’s Bell clinician.
Marie has lived in Cincinnati for almost 6 years, she rings with Knox Presbyterian church, directs a small bell ensemble at Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian, and can usually be found ringing the low bass bells in Queen City Bronze. Marie is the Director of Events and Educational Outreach for Handbell Musicians of America, and maintains a small studio of private percussion students.
Dawn Dayton Bates
QCB Board Treasurer
Musician and tax expert, Dawn began her musical career as a flute player. Dawn joined the group with over 14 years of experience playing handbells with her church ensemble – the John Wesley Handbells. Dawn is versatile in ringing both treble and bass parts. Outside of handbells, Dawn spends time with her family knitting, reading, and spoiling her grand kids.
Sandy Greeb
Founding Member and Music Librarian
Sandy began ringing handbells in 6th grade. Sandy has attended a variety of bell clinics and conferences throughout the US. In addition to her solo and ensemble ringing, Sandy had the opportunity to ring on tour in England with a small sextet ensemble. Sandy also performed with the auditioned Dream Team ensemble at Pinnacle 2010 under the direction of composer and director William Payn.
Sandy holds a BA in Music from Miami University and plays the piano in addition to bells. She currently works for a non-profit musical organization, Music Teachers National Association as the Office Support Assistant. Sandy enjoys cooking and spending her free time with her husband.
Kathy Kellum
Founding Member
Kathy brings a myriad of experience to QCB as an accomplished keyboardist, accompanist, and director. For more than 35 years she has been ringing with the Trinity Tower Bells of Milford, Ohio, which she has directed for the last ten years.
Kathy has participated in many Area 5 events and several Handbell Musicians of America events. She has Handbell Musicians Certification II, and has completed all the ringing techniques and conducting classes for certification at Level III.
A retired foreign language teacher, Kathy plays piano for different organizations, volunteers at the local food pantry and works at Hickory Woods Golf Course. She and Robert, her husband of 46 years, enjoy gardening, travel, spending time with their children and grandchildren, and cheering on the UC Bearcats.
Paul Owen
QCB Board President Elect
In the summer of 2021, Paul’s participation in a handbell ringing workshop facilitated by QCB sparked his interest in learning more about playing handbells. Encouraged by Jenny Cauhorn, QCB’s former music director, Paul joined the Carillon Handbell Choir of Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church the same year, where he quickly progressed under Jenny’s guidance. Paul joined QCB in the spring of 2022. His most recent accomplishment as a handbell ringer was participating Distinctly Bronze East 2024 as a bass ringer.
Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and a master’s degree in mental health counseling, both from Western Illinois University. Professionally, Paul is a licensed mental health counselor and a board-certified music therapist. He works as a mental health therapist at Cancer Family Care and also provides music therapy services in the community.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Paul enjoys playing video games, cooking, traveling, reading, writing, and spending time with his husband, family, and friends.
Wendy Ransom
Founding Member and Concert Coordinator
Wendy has built an extensive resume over the last thirty plus years playing with a plethora of handbell choirs through the U.S. She has played with choirs from California to Pennsylvania and throughout that time devoted over twenty years time to directing choirs along the way.
Wendy has been a ringing participant in the Area V Festivals since 2006. In 2010 Wendy joined the board for Area 5 of Handbell Musicians of America and has quickly become immersed in handbell leadership where she served as Area 5 Secretary through 2015.
Wendy’s other musical ability is choral performance. In addition to QCB she sings with the Voices in Praise chancel choir at Epiphany United Methodist Church in Loveland. Outside of music, Wendy enjoys everything Disney, Crossfitting (ask her how much she can deadlift), and spending time with her husband, Doug, and her dog, Monkey.
Brenda Steelman
QCB Board Secretary
Brenda started her music education in elementary school playing clarinet and continued playing through her college years at NKU. She bought her first piano and excitedly treated herself to lessons in college.
Brenda has been ringing bells for over 35 years starting at her home church, St. Paul’s UCC in Alexandria, KY. She joined Queen City Bronze in the fall of 2014 after being introduced to the group by a former QCB member and music student.
Brenda retired in 2018 after working in a parochial school for 15 years. She spent 12 of those years volunteering as the music teacher for grades K-8. She loved exposing the students to many different types of music and instruments from recorders to Malmark handchimes and attending the wonderful school programs sponsored by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She spends her off time from ringing enjoying her children and grandchildren.
Duane Warner
Tenured Ringer and Substitute
Duane passed away November 4, 2024
Duane is father to fellow ringer Wendy Ransom. He started ringing for the bell choir of Christ United Methodist Church in Kettering, OH about 40 years ago, as well as singing for the church choir for 50 years. He joined Queen City Bronze when we were a little short handed and has been with us off and on ever since. He is the senior member of the group celebrating his 84th birthday in 2023.
Duane has a BS in Engineering Physics and a MS in Physics from the Ohio State University and a PhD in Physics from the University of Michigan. In his spare time he played football under coach Woody Hayes at OSU. Duane has retired as a systems engineer from the Avionics Directorate of the Air Force Research Labs at Wright Patterson AFB.
When not ringing, Duane is often found watching his local grandsons on the basketball court or the soccer field.
Abby Wentzel
Enthusiastic Handbell Ringer
Bio coming soon!
Robin Elliott
Tenured Ringer and Substitute
Robin has a Bachelors of Music from UC’s College Conservatory of Music and has been ringing handbells for over 35 years. Robin also plays trombone and sings in the Norwood Community Choir. She is a teacher at the infant/toddler room at the UC Early Learning Center. Robin enjoys spending time with her family, especially her three daughters and her grandchildren. Robin loves to travel, watch comedies and thrillers, as well as read.
This Could Be You!
Our newest ringer!
Reach out to audition!
Jenny Cauhorn
Retired Music Director and
Founding Member
Jenny created QCB and directed the ensemble for 15 years. Her handbell history goes back over thirty years with a wide array of ensembles across the nation. Jenny was an executive director of Handbell Musicians of America for 14 years. She stepped down from her director position to give her full focus to her current role as general manager of EVT Management Services, a subsidiary of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Jenny also directs the Carillon Choir at Hyde Park Community UMC. QCB would not exist without Jenny’s vision, and we are grateful for her contributions towards QCB’s continued success and growth.