While many handbell choirs wear gloves, Dwight Menard, the original director of Allegro, believed that by not wearing gloves it provided more control over the bells.  It is also easier to turn pages in the music.

Common rumor is that the oil and sweat from a ringer's skin will tarnish a bell and that a glove will protect the bell.  Representatives from one domestic handbell manufacturer point out that cotton gloves, such as those worn by many ensembles, will absorb oil and sweat from the hand and will deposit it on the bells' surfaces anyway.  With or without gloves, oil and sweat can tarnish a bell over time, so all handbell manufacturers recommend wiping down bells after rehearsals and performances to keep their finishes clean and shiny.

Mr. Surratt, the current director, admits that he did not understand the non-gloves method at first, but he now prefers ringing sans gloves himself.  Besides, there are two other very good reasons to ring without gloves: (1) You don't have to buy them, and (2) you don't have to wash them!