Horfield Parish Church, Bristol.

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If you read the inscriptions on the bells ...

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

The Bells of Aberdovey

Clychau Aberdyfi

Also (and originally) known as Cambridge Chimes, as the first ever installation of this system was  in the Church of St. Mary the Great (the University and Parish church of Cambridge).

Although the Victoria clock tower of the Palace of Westminster is an internationally known symbol of London, many people think that it is called "Big Ben", although this is of course the unofficial name of the hour bell, not the tower.

The Big Ben hour bell and chime bells are the most frequently broadcast bells in the world, and most people believe that they know these chimes intimately. However, if you ask someone to hum the four notes of the first quarter, they will probably hum the first four notes of the fourth quarter instead. This is because it is assumed (including by the designers of electronic doorbells!), that these chimes are cumulative - but they are not.

There are four chime bells - G#, F#, E and B, with a keynote of E.  Five different sequences are used by the chime mechanism:

Sequence 1

Sequence 2

Sequence 3

Sequence 4

Sequence 5

Sequence 1

Sequence 2

Sequence 3

Sequence 4

There are words directly associated with the fourth quarter-chime. These are inscribed on a wooden plaque on the wall by the mechanism in  the tower clock room:

Sequence 2

Sequence 3

Sequence 4

"All through this hour,

Lord, be my guide;

Similarly, when the third quarter is chimed, you should be able to tell which quarter it is  after hearing only two notes, as it's the only quarter beginning with sequence 4, and that is the only sequence that begins with G# and E.

However, the second and fourth quarters both begin with sequence 2, then continue with sequence 3. So only after hearing at least eight notes will you able to tell whether it's the second or fourth quarter that is being chimed. Although Westminster chimes are famous, and  have been installed in many clock mechanisms throughout the world, it could be said that their chiming method is flawed in this respect.

The Great Bell (the hour bell, known unofficially as Big Ben) strikes the note of A.

If you have a musical ear, you may notice that Big Ben (and its chime bells) are all about a half-tone sharp. This is because they were cast before international pitch was standardised at A=440Hz in 1939.

To hear the actual sound of all four quarters, followed by Big Ben striking twelve, click the clock tower picture below:

John Betjeman

However, when the new bell arrived from England, it was agreed that it sounded no better than the Pass and Stow bell. So what later became known as the "Liberty Bell" remained where it was in the steeple, and the new Whitechapel bell was installed as a clock hour-bell in the cupola of the State House roof.

On 8th July 1776, the Liberty Bell was rung from the tower of Independence Hall to summon the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the first proclamation of the Declaration of Independence, which was read by by Colonel John Nixon. The bell was temporarily taken down and hidden under the floorboards of the Zion Reformed Church in Allentown, when the British occupied Philadelphia in October 1777. It was returned to Philadelphia in 1778.

In the period 1790 and 1800 Philadelphia  was the capital of the Union, and the bell was used to summon the legislature into session. It was also rung on other important occasions, such Independence Day and George Washington's birthday. In the early 19th century a crack began to develop in the bell, and in 1846 it became unringable. A slot was later cut along the crack and two rivets inserted to control the vibration, which partially restored the bell's tonal quality.

The Liberty Bell Center (6th and Market Streets, Philadelphia), was set up in October 2003, and the bell and its headstock were installed there, mounted on a trunnion. Every year on 4th July (Independence Day), children (descended from the signatories of the declaration) symbolically tap the Liberty Bell thirteen times (thirteen being the original number of states in the Union). The weight of the bell (original) is 2080 lbs, and the strike note is Eb. The inscriptions on the bell (the first one being from the Bible) read:

The Liberty Bell

A version of this march became very well-known in the UK during the 1960s, when it was used as the theme tune for the BBCs comedy series: Monty Python's Flying Circus.

The Tom Tower

The score below (arranged on the treble, tenor and bass clefs) is set out for three voices - each singing one octave apart. The sound clips at the end of the score employ a "midi" reed organ voice. The first clip plays the tune once - in unison. The second clip plays the tune twice through - as a round.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This carol is notable for its very long melismatic sequence : i.e. in that the first syllable of the word Gloria (in the chorus) has to be sung across thirty-one notes (and again in the repeat).

This rhyme is much less well-known, but possibly pre-dates Oranges and Lemons. The word gay is of course used in its original sense - meaning bright and merry.

St. Clement's church is close to wharves where citrus fruit used to be unloaded - which could explain the "Oranges and Lemons". Near to St Margaret's there were once fields where archery practice was carried out, thus: "Bullseyes and Targets". There were builders near to St. Giles's church, giving rise to "Brickbats and Tiles."

The church of St. Martins is situated in what was once the moneylenders quarter, from which the "Halfpence and Farthings" is possibly derived. Near St. Peter's is in Cornhill there were once many bakers' shops - presumably selling "Pancakes and Fritters", and "Maids in White Aprons" were supposedly the 17th century costumes of the women working in Leadenhall market near St. Katherines's. St. John's chapel is in the Tower of London, where prisoners were tortured - hence,  "Pokers and Tongs". 

"Kettles and Pans" probably refers to the wares of the coppersmiths who carried out their trade in the locality of St. Anne's church. "Old Father Baldpate" apparently refers the tonsure of St Botolph, to whom a church in Aldgate is dedicated. St. Helen's was frequented my rich merchants, and the district in which it is situated was also home to moneylenders - hence the: "You Owe me Tens Shillings" in the rhyme.

"When will you Pay me?" is thought to a reference to those incarcerated in the debtors' prison, near to the Old Bailey, the bells being those of St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate, which is nearby. In the 18th century, the church of St. Leonards, Shoreditch set up a workhouse for the poor, so "When I Grow Rich" might well have expressed the wishful thinking of its inhabitants ...

By the early 20th century there were increasing concerns about vibration (it was said that when the bells rung, the patients in the nearby North Infirmary Charitable Hospital shook in their beds), so in 1906 they were re-hung in a fixed position for chiming using Ellacombe hammers, operated from the first floor.

The profound and somewhat somber inscription on the tenor bell reads:

"I to the Church the living call , and to the grave do summon all."

The McOsterich family were involved with the design and erection of the tower. By tradition, if a member of that family marries, anywhere in the world, the bells are rung in their honour.

The tower clock is known colloquially as the "Four Faced Liar" because the minute hands on the east and west faces are always several minutes ahead of the minute hands on the north and south elevations - except on the hour, when they are the same!

Reflecting the location of the church on the bank of the River Lee, the weather-vane is in the form of a salmon.

St. Anne Shandon, and the River Lee

Evesham and 

Bredon Hill

Here is a carol from Boston, Massachusetts. It was published in 1916 by the Rev. Charles Lewis Hutchins in his book: Carols Old and Carols New: For Use At Christmas and Other Seasons of the Christian Year. (Boston: Parish Choir, 1916). 

Nearly twenty years later, American protest singer Pete Seeger set music to it, and his performance of the song was first recorded live at at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1957.

The song was later covered by by many others, including the Byrds, Jimmy Page, Judy Collins, Dick Gaughan, Cher, Robyn Hitchcock, the Oyster Band , the Alarm, and the Mitchell Trio. It was also covered by Robin Williamson on an album of readings, and performed live by Bob Dylan and John Denver.

At the time of writing (February, 2008), there are 412 pubs in Britain with the word Bell in the name. It is interesting to note that pubs called the Bell are more prevalent in towns and cities, whereas pubs called the Ring o' Bells (often near churches) are more common in country districts. Here is an analysis of the names:

Total, "Bell"

Total, "Blue Bell"

Total, "Five Bells"

Total, "Six Bells"

Total, "Ring of Bells"

Total, "Eight Bell(e)s"

Total, "Old Bell"

"Total, Railway Bell"

Total, "Bell and Crown"

4

Total, "Ten Bells"

Total, "Twelve Bells"

2

Total, "The Bells"

Total, "Cock and Bell"

GRAND TOTAL

Bell and Barge, Bell and Barrel, Bell and Bear Inn, Bell and Bottle, Bell and Buck, Bell and Compass, Bell and Hare, Bell and Jorrocks, Bell and Shears, Bell at Mill Hill, Bell at Sapperton, Bell Dean, Bell in Driffield, Bell Rock Tavern, Bell Wether, Bells of Ouseley, Bells of Peover, Bow Bells, Buck and Bell, Cap and Bells, Cuckoo and Bell, Dog and Bell, Dumb Bell, Fenn Bull Inn, Gilpin's Bell, Golden Bell, Kings Head and Bell, Liberty Belle, Lower Bell, Lydden Bell, Marlingford Bell, Middle Bell, Moon and Bell, New Bell Inn, Old Bell and Crown, Old Five Bells, One Bell, Pig and Bell, Ship and Bell, Temple Belle, Three Bells, Tuesday Bell, Ye Old Bell and Steelyard, Ye Old Blue Bell and Ye Olde Six Bells.

"Bell" Pub Names - Charted

Here is an interesting old song from Devon, about a 19th century bell ringing contest.

It was collected by the Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould, (the vicar of St. Peter's, Lewtrenchard, Devon) from William George Kerswell (of Two Bridges, Dartmoor) and also from James Down, a blacksmith, (of nearby Broadwoodwidger) and published in his book: "Songs of the West" in 1889.

The "jubilee day" mentioned in the first verse is possibly the 50th anniversary of the coronation of King George III, which was celebrated in October 1809. Ashwater, Northlew and Broadwoodwidger  (Broadwood, in the song) are all in Devon, but Callington is just over the border in Cornwall.

Ashwater - St. Peter ad Vincula

Northlew - St. Thomas of Canterbury

Broadwoodwidger - St. Nicholas

Callington - St. Mary

Type

Alloy

Diameter

Location

Egloshayle is a village near Wadebridge in North Cornwall - eglos being the Cornish word for church, and hayle being the Cornish for estuary. The ringers named in the song are all buried in the churchyard there - St. Petrock - and their names can been seen on the headstones.

Notwithstanding the wording of the song, this church has not five, but eight bells. Of the other towers mentioned, Lanlivery and St. Mabyn also both have eight bells, and St. Tudy and St. Kew both have rings of six.

It is possible that extra bells were installed in Egloshayle (and perhaps in the other towers) after the song was written. Another possibility is that the contest was carried out using just the five "back bells" in each tower - but this doesn't accord with words of verse two, where Craddock is said to be ringing the treble bell.

There are several variants of this song - one version of which is displayed in the Egloshayle bell tower. There are also two different tunes. The one reproduced below uses a modal scale, so is probably of an earlier date than the alternate tune (which is in a major key).

Cecil Sharp collected an almost identical version of the song from Mrs. Lavinia Rendall at Chew Magna on 10 January 1907. In the last line of verse one, Mrs. Rendall sang “reign” instead of “rise”, and her second line in verse three was: "This noble fine sconce was brought into Chew tower".