NOBLESVILLE — A handbell choir from the Noblesville United Methodist Church is on its way to Fort Wayne, Ind., today, to perform in a handbell festival.

The handbell choir, one of several musical groups the church’s musical director Mary Resler created through the years, will perform with about 600 other handbell players during a public concert, "The Pumpkin Patch Ring, at Fort Wayne’s Grand Wayne Convention Center.

“It’s an amazing sound to hear that many bells ringing at once,” said Resler, 71, Noblesville, who’ll be performing with nine hand-bell players from her church.

Divided into “coppers” and “tins,” materials that go into hand bells, the UMC handbell choir will practice tonight and Saturday morning, in groups, then in mass, before the 5 p.m. concert, which is open to the public.

“Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” and “Angels From the Realms of Glory” are among the five songs the choir learned for the concert. The concert is part of a fall festival conference for Area V of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers. Participants will perform, see professional handbell ringers play and attend educational handbell programs. Resler’s handbell choir attends two festival annually, conducted in various locations in Area V, which covers Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.

Resler said, “It’s really encouraging for all of the people who go to it. We learn so much.”