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BELLS
AND BELLRINGING - 4 - LEARNING THE ROPES
The first skill a ringer has to master is known as bell
handling. This means the ringer must be able to control the swing of the
bell so that it rings with the correct rhythm. You will remember from my
previous articles that a bell turns through a full circle from
mouth-upwards to mouth-upwards position, and then back in the opposite
direction, striking once during each complete revolution. As the bell
rotates the rope is wound round the wheel so that the tail end of the rope
rises to a point where the ringer can just reach it with arms fully
stretched upwards (known as backstroke). The rope then comes off
the wheel again as the bell turns the other way, and the ringer controls
it by catching the sally (a tufted section where multicoloured
wool is woven into the rope). This is known as handstroke.
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The first steps in learning bell control are always done
under individual tuition with constant supervision by an experienced
ringer to avoid any mishaps. The pupil starts by ringing the backstroke,
with the instructor ringing the handstroke to correct any over- or
under-pulling by the learner. The bell does most of the work under its own
momentum, and very little effort is needed to keep the bell ringing up to
the balance, but the ringer needs to guide the rope so that it does not
snake out of control. Having successfully coped with the backstroke, the
beginner then rings the handstroke, the instructor taking the tail end of
the rope. This step takes a little longer to master as it involves
catching the sally at just the right moment to control the bell as it
reaches its balancing point. The next stage is for the learner to ring
both handstroke and backstroke, always under supervision until both
trainee and instructor feel confident that the bell is under control all
the time.
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The next stage is involves ringing a bell to rounds (the
downward scale sequence) with other members of the band. This always
generates a sense of achievement in the learner, akin to joining a team in
sport. He (or she) must not only be secure in the technique of rope
handling, but also be able to control the bell so that it rings at the
correct rhythm in time with the rest of the band. This is a little more
difficult than it might seem, because the bell does not strike until it
has completed about two thirds of its revolution in either direction. This
means that there is a gap between the time the ringer pulls the rope and
the moment at which the bell sounds. The ringer must judge this accurately
so that the bell strikes at the correct time in relation to the other
bells in the tower.
Most people pick up the basics of bell control after
about half a dozen individual coaching sessions. As with most things the
youngsters seem to learn faster! However, it takes rather longer (six
months or so) to be able to ring any bell reliably to rounds.
We always welcome anyone interested in seeing bell
ringing in action. It is much easier to demonstrate the technique in
action than to describe it in words. You can contact the writer on Farnham
Common (01753) 645510 or Bryan Matthews on (01753) 645576, or come to
watch the ringing before Sunday morning (10.30)*
or evening service (5.45). Once they have started, most people find it is
an absorbing and challenging pastime which has enormous scope for
progression and variety. In the next article I will explain how a ringer
advances to call changes and method ringing.
P.H.M.
* Times for the Bell Ringers at
Stoke Poges Church are first Sunday of the month 9.30am all other Sundays
at 10.30am.
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