Bells on Temple Square

Bells On Temple Square
Bells on Temple Square with Dancers and Mormon Tabernacle Choir in LDS Conference Center
Background information
Origin	Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Genres	Worship, classical
Years active	2005 (2005)–present
Labels	Mormon Tabernacle Choir Label
Associated acts	Orchestra at Temple Square, Temple Square Chorale, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Website	Bells on Temple Square website

The Bells on Temple Square handbell choir is an official music organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was formed in 2005 under the direction of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The group is a double handbell choir, performing with 27 to 35 ringers on 2 sets of Malmark handbells (one 7-octave set and one 6½ octave set) and 2 sets of Malmark handchimes (6 octaves each). The 12 octave 2 bells are Malmark aluminums. Each part is usually doubled (played by two ringers on separate sets), except octave 2.

The Bells on Temple Square frequently accompany the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in concerts and on the weekly Music and the Spoken Word radio and television broadcast, in addition to performing their own semi-annual concerts, which are typically held in November and June. The group is led by Conductor LeAnna Willmore and Assistant Conductor Larry R. Smith.

The 2006 Christmas concert of the Bells on Temple Square, held in the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, attracted an audience of over 15,000 people, and is believed to be one of the largest crowds ever to attend a handbell performance.

The Bells on Temple Square was selected to perform the closing concert at the 2017 National Seminar for the Handbell Musicians of America, held in Anaheim, CA.

LeAnna Willmore taught choir in the Utah area for forty years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Weber State University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Utah. She has served in many leadership positions for the state and national music educators association. Having won many national and state awards as a music educator, she is a frequent guest conductor and adjudicator. She was Assistant Conductor of the Bells on Temple Square from 2005 - 2011. Her husband, Ken Willmore, is a structural engineer with WSA and Associates in Bountiful, Utah.

Larry R. Smith joined the Bells on Temple Square as Assistant Conductor in June 2011. Mr. Smith has performed, accompanied, and conducted choirs throughout the world. He was a member of the Utah Ambassadors of Music staff, and conducted and accompanied music in London, Paris, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and St. Mark’s in Venice, Italy. He has taught choral music in high schools for over 20 years, and currently works as the choir director at Bountiful High School. He conducts seven choirs consisting of over 400 students. Smith earned his Bachelors and master's degree in music from the University of Utah. He also spent a semester studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He and his wife Leslie have three children.