Bells

History

See the history page for information.

The Future

We would like to augment our bells to eight, which we hope will be possible following the completion of the Church extension as part of the Wollaton Centre Project. At the same time, we plan to relocate the ringing chamber to the ground floor of the west tower. Such a move would represent the most significant change to the ring of bells at Wollaton since the augmentation by Lord Middleton in 1737.

Change Ringing

To the unknowing, ringing can be a complicated business with its own terminologies and musical notation. However, the basics are quite simple. Bells are hung for ringing on an axle or headstock attached to a wheel. The wheel in turn is attached to a rope such that pulling on the rope allows the ringer to rotate the bell full circle 360° each time a note is struck. Using this simple principle ringers are able to maintain exact control over when the bell strikes enabling us to ring our bells together in an orderly sequence – most recognisably in the descending scale or rounds.

Bell music then involves changing the order or sequence in which consecutive bells sound in a logical and progressive manner starting from the descending scale & continuing until the descending scale is achieved again.

The most simple means of achieving this is by calling out sequential changes, one at a time, each of which change the order in which the bells are rung. For example, from the familiar descending scale (1 2 3 4 5 6), changing the order of 2 & 3 results in the sequence (1 3 2 4 5 6). Next, changing the order of 4 & 5 results in the sequence (1 3 2 5 4 6) being rung. Certain sequences have musical merit and are the objective of these ‘call changes’. These include the sequence (1 3 5 2 4 6) known as ‘Queen’s’, the sequence (1 4 2 5 3 6) known as ‘titums’ from the ti-tum, ti-tum, ti-tum rhythm of this sequence and ‘whittingtons’ (5 3 1 2 4 6) from the ‘turn-again-whittington’ rhythm of the sequence.

A more advanced means of varying the order is achieved by swapping adjacent pairs of bells continuously and progressively according to a set method or principle. The most basic form of this is illustrated by the principle of plain hunting. As with all ringing methods, plain hunting starts from the descending scale (1 2 3 4 5 6). On starting the method, each adjacent pair of bells is swapped to producing the order (2 1 4 3 6 5). For the next change only the middle two pairs of bells are swapped keeping the bells at the beginning and the end of the row in the same place. This produces the order (2 4 1 6 3 5). Next, each resulting adjacent pair swap over resulting in the order (4 2 6 1 5 3), then the middle two pairs are swapped to produce the sequence (4 6 2 5 1 3). This progressive process of changing the order of all the pairs of bells followed by changing the order of the middle two pairs continues until the descending scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 is achieved again. With six bells this process involves a total of 12 changes. In this process no bell moves more than one place in a row at any one time although more than one pair may change in the same row. The full cycle can be written out as follows:

1 2 3 4 5 6 Start in the descending scale

2 1 4 3 6 5 All pairs swapped

2 4 1 6 3 5 Middle two pairs only swapped

4 2 6 1 5 3 All pairs swapped

4 6 2 5 1 3 Middle two pairs only swapped

6 4 5 2 3 1 All pairs swapped

6 5 4 3 2 1 Middle two pairs only swapped

5 6 3 4 1 2 All pairs swapped

5 3 6 1 4 2 Middle two pairs only swapped

3 5 1 6 2 4 All pairs swapped

3 1 5 2 6 4 Middle two pairs only swapped

1 3 2 5 4 6 All pairs swapped

1 2 3 4 5 6 Middle two pairs only swapped & sequence is back to descending scale.

Ringing music or change ringing is based on this progressive and methodical means of continually altering the sequence in which the bells are rung. By learning different and more complex methods of altering the sequence, ringers are able to work as a team to produce the distinctive, iterative sound of English style change ringing. Change ringing methods or principles are named. Names you might come across include Grandsire, Stedman, Double Norwich, Oxford Treble Bob, Cambridge Surprise or London Surprise, amongst many other thousands. Method names always have a suffix, which denotes how many bells are used. These include minor for six bells, triples for seven, major for eight, royal for ten and maximus for twelve bells. Thus a peal of Stedman triples denotes the principle Stedman rung on seven bells.

The number of different changes that may be rung before repetitions occur is dependent upon the number of bells available. With five bells the maximum number of unique changes amounts to 120, calculated as 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x 5. With six bells a maximum of 720 different changes may be rung whilst the numbers on eight and ten amount to 40,320 and 3,628,800 respectively. Many of the cathedrals and large parish churches of the country have twelve bells where a maximum of 479,001,600 changes might be rung, a feat that would take approximately 38 years of continuous ringing to achieve.

A recognised length of ringing is known as a peal which amounts to 5040 changes. On most rings of bells this takes about three hours to achieve. A peal must consist of continuous ringing without a break, and no change may be repeated. The only exception to this is where the peal is rung on fewer than seven bells, in which case the peal must consist of multiple units of the maximum number of changes on the number of bells rung (e.g. seven extents of 720 changes with six bells). Peals are often rung to mark special occasions or events and at Wollaton the ringers have rung peals to mark national occasions such as the 100th birthday of the Her Majesty the Queen Mother, the funeral of Diana Princess of Wales, the occasion of the Millennium, the Silver Jubilee and more parochially the induction and installation and retirement of clergy at St Leonards.

Most people at St Leonards hear the bells ringing before a Sunday service or during our Thursday evening practise. The sound of church bells is unique. Quite unlike the harmonisation of choral music, the limited number of notes available precludes the ringing of recognisable tunes. To the uninitiated it may sound like a random sequence of events. However, try listening to the rhythm provided by the steady framework of a number of bells striking in alternating sequence, or listen for the rows in which the deeper sounding bells strike together or alternate with the lighter sounding bells. These are what we mean by musical combinations and particularly when rung on higher numbers of bells – say ten or twelve provide the majestic experience that accompanies occasions such as Royal weddings or national celebrations. Moreover, the ringing of church bells is a part of church worship, not only for those participating but also for those called to worship by the sound of bells. Much as the sound of church choral music beautifies a service, so the well practised ringing of church bells beautifies the service and contributes to worship. In this we take our theology from Psalm 150 “Praise Him on the loud cymbals, praise Him on the well tuned cymbals”. The ringing of church bells also provides for witness and evangelism. What clearer signal could there be that the church is alive and active in Wollaton than the sound of bells pealing out across the park?

We are fortunate to have a number of ringers at Wollaton who have considerable ability, many of whom have made it a life-long commitment. This enables us to maintain a high standard of ringing. Ringing is organised formally at a national level through the offices of the Central Council of Church Bellringers – much as choral music is organised through the Royal School of Church Music. The local divisions of the Central Council are the territorial Guilds and Associations and most of our ringers are members of the Southwell Diocesan Guild. On a higher level there are two prestigious national ringing societies and a few of our ringers have been elected to one or other of these. However, we are always on the look-out for practical people who enjoy a mentally challenging activity. So why not pay us a visit on a Thursday evening to see what it’s all about or ask a member of the clergy for contact details? You never know you might just find an activity that will challenge you for many future years.