The roots of handbells as musical instruments go back to the 17th century England where the first miniature copies of church bells were cast. First designed as practice instruments for the carillon players, they soon acquired the status of independent musical instruments called handbells. Arsis Handbell Ensemble, formed in 1993 from the singers of Arsis Chamber Choir, consists today of eight professional players and has one of the biggest handbell collections in the world. Arsis can boast of an impressive list of concert tours that have taken them to Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the USA.