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THE BELLS OF BROMYARD
The sound of church bells is something that most people associate with England. For centuries, bells have rung out from church towers, celebrating national events and local occasions. Bromyard is no different. Six of our eight bells have been ringing out over the town for well over two hundred years. This continues because there is a band of ringers who practice and ring regularly.
What is bell ringing?
Change-ringing on church bells consists of a group of people ringing their bells in such a way that the order of the bells keeps changing, producing different musical sequences. Ringing is a form of music making, requiring learning to handle your instrument properly, listening to the sound you are making, and combining with the other members of the band to get the right effect. The starting point is a simple descending scale from the highest to the lowest note. From there it develops in different directions, depending on the experience and interests of the band.
Achieving this involves a unique combination of physical and mental activity. The physical exercise is not strenuous but it is certainly good for you (in fact the traditional name to describe ringing is 'The Exercise'). Bells are fairly large (ours range from about 2cwt up to 14), and have to be rung properly. The mental element requires learning patterns and responding quickly to what is happening around you. In addition, there is the musical side, which involves developing one's ability to hear the rapidly changing sounds and hold a strong rhythm.
How are the bells rung?
English-style ringing is known as 'full circle ringing'. This is because between each note the bell swings to and fro in a 360 degree arc. The first picture show the treble (the lightest) bell at rest, hanging downwards. The second picture shows the tenor (the heaviest) bell ready for ringing, its mouth facing upwards. At each pull on the rope, it will swing down and upwards until it is facing up again. The moment of pause when it is facing upwards is what gives us the ability to adjust so that the pattern of sound can change. The ropes pass over wheels attached to the side of each bell, and hang down into the ringing chamber in such a way that the ringers stand in a circle so that they can see each other (third picture). Each time we ring, a conductor issues the necessary instructions.
Who are the bell ringers?
Ringing attracts people of all ages and walks of life. The Bromyard band has an age range of 15 to 87 and an equal mix of men and women. Traditionally, ringing has sometimes been a closed shop, but that is certainly not the case today. We want to attract more ringers, and we are prepared to give up time to training new ringers.
When do we ring?
We have a weekly practice on a Wednesday night, from 7.30-9.30 p.m. After that we usually recover in the Falcon. We also ring every Sunday morning from 9.15-10.0 for the church service, and twice a month for the evening service. We ring for the town as well as the church - other important events in the year are ringing with the bells half-muffled on Remembrance Sunday, and ringing the New Year in. We are always pleased when we are asked to ring for civic events and for weddings.
We also ring a few peals a year. A peal is a performance which lasts just under three hours, and consists of about five thousand different changes. We have one traditional Boxing Day peal (which coincides with the meet in the Square), and one on Easter Monday. And we have outings when we go to ring at different towers in an area.
How can I learn to ring?
Learning to ring has advantages over learning many other activities. Every stage is complete in itself and you always have a clear sense of exactly what you are achieving. And everyone is always learning something new, however long they have been a ringer. Learning begins with being taught how to handle a bell. We do this with an intensive short course, requiring attendance for a hour for five nights. After that teaching continues at the weekly practice. Anyone who took our autumn course would be ringing for Sunday service by Christmas.
There are one or two questions which people often ask. One is whether ringing is dangerous. The answer is that it is perfectly safe, because we observe strict rules around the bell ropes and learners are taught so that there is always someone else in control as well as the learner. Another is how time-consuming it is to ring. The answer is that the minimum is the weekly practice and ringing for the Sunday morning service (45 minutes). Some people go to several practices a week, and like anything else, the more you do the more you learn.
You are welcome to attend any of our practices, to see what it is all about - but please ring first. Experienced ringers are always welcome!
How can you contact us?
If you are interested in learning to ring or finding out more, please contact either the Tower Captain or Deputy Tower Captain:
Tower Captain David Parker: 01885 488891 davidparker.bromyard@gmail.com
Deputy: Andrew Hodgson: andrew@hodgsonfamily.org