british speciality - church bell ringing

[Carsten Schermuly]

the short way to

http://www.dur.ac.uk/change-ringers.society/index.html


fine tuning of new bells

http://www.dur.ac.uk/change-ringers.society/pictures/brancepeth/brancepeth_casting_02.jpg



a longer way to

When I was a boy (before TV appeared and long years before stereo tec was developed) I listened to a german radio reporter, travelling with his wife across Great Britain. Their main interest was folk music and theater. Their journey did last about one year and every week a new report was sent out. Such a report filled a whole evening - did last some hours. Remember, my home country Lower Saxony was in the british military zone after WWII and people begun to found international friendships. The reports did talk to a good part about the british speciality to ring church bells - never again heard on the globe - including many music examples. Not needed to say, I forgot alot from the many details, I have heard - only one times with ear near my grandmothers radio. This is a very old tradition and done after strictly rules like all music will be done as a very precise art.

Please, enjoy the webpages
http://www.dur.ac.uk/change-ringers.society/index.html

It is truely a serious chapter
http://www.dur.ac.uk/change-ringers.society/serious_stuff/Constitution.html

Brass bells

http://www.dur.ac.uk/change-ringers.society/pictures/fun_stuff/dinners/2005/dinner05_0072.JPG



Why I came to Durham?
Brenda Jackson is again in Germany. She is from Durham and I liked to learn more about her home town - and I am very enjoyed to learn now about this kind of church music. Another thing I learned is a bit about the past of the Eastern british industry districts - Durham is in center of mining areas. That will say alot about environment emmissions - one of the reasons why people will have a weak health. Brenda showed me a small photo collection of Durham (with the cathedral) once she arrived first times in Germany, but such informations had to be changed in a hurry and naturally incomplete.

The city of Durham
http://www.durhamcity.gov.uk/

The Durham cathedral
http://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/

[Carsten Schermuly]

It is not "only" done and heard in Great Britain

http://www.nagcr.org/

See where it is done

http://www.nagcr.org/afftower.html

[Carsten Schermuly]

The Campanophile Team

http://www.campanophile.co.uk/

[Meghan Schoonover]

That would be amazing to listen to! I am a musician and always like to hear of new (to me) arts. Here it is less common to even have a single church bell, although we used to ring one at my Lutheran church when I was growing up.

My grandfather (who died 2 years ago at the age of 99!) was from Germany. His hometown is now in Poland since Germany was so chopped up after WWII. I can't remember the name of the town; I think my mother would.

[Carsten Schermuly]

I do not know more than any other layman, this is what I have found.
The only way seems me is to click around and hope to have luck.
This is a nice made webpage
http://www.cccbr.org.uk/prc/pubs/bellsAndBellringing.php

A melody in notes
http://www.cccbr.org.uk/prc/pubs/slides/66grandsireDoublesInStaveNotation.jpg

sound wave file - Grands
http://www.nagcr.org/grands.wav

sound wave file - Rounds 3
http://www.winterpath.com/Bells/rounds3.wav

an avi - movie
http://www.nagcr.org/charlestonmtng/100_0093.AVI

Dear Meghan,
there could be found more - but I have no idea where to look.

[Carsten Schermuly]

In Germany church bells are rung by pushing an electro button or steered by the towers clock.

[Carsten Schermuly]

the german bell museum on castle Reifenstein
http://www.glockenmuseum.de/ - only talking german

A (pretty long) literature list (it needs to wait for complete download)
http://www.glockenmuseum.de/Information/Page10237/dgm-x_1.html
also talking german - but - articles and books are logically named in their mothertongues.

In case I should help out by translating, please ask.
By making such an "one side" - selection, I do not say, there were not found many other resources, OK?
For example, the search keyword "campanology" on Google does generate tons of addresses.

[Carsten Schermuly]

As I understand the story, the video was taken after reconstructing the durham universities church tower after a fire, that clears why the room looks as to be new - clean white walls (not the dirt of centuries) and the light floor.

It is pretty short - too short for my taste
http://www.dur.ac.uk/change-ringers.society/videos/brancepeth_first_vid_01.avi

I like this american movie, I watched it again and again
http://www.nagcr.org/charlestonmtng/100_0093.AVI

What they are doing is the same like a choire sings an oratory or a community sings a hymn. Alkind in unity, members of different natural families, but members of the spritual family acting in harmony to honour the Lord. After all I have read it should be simple to learn and it should be easy to move the heavy weight bells - but it needs a fine ear and good precise actions to meet the musics mathematic, the musics rhythm - the same as to play any other instrument or as to sing.
It sounds the very same way like I can remind to my children time on grandmothers radio. During all the years I have not only one times thought to - there was never given a reason.
No I enjoy it much.