This workshop was held in the North Transept under the supervision of the Guild’s Education Officer.
Children were taught how to hold a handbell so that they could strike it on both up and down strokes.
It is very important that the bells are not knocked against each other or other hard objects (particularly by dropping on stone cathedral floors!) since the soundbow can crack requiring the bell to be re-cast at great expense.
Children were shown the basic principle of ringing changes as shown in this diagram, and the picture shows them simulating this.
The lowest number is the highest note and the highest number is the lowest note, so ‘I,2,3,4,5,6,7,8’ is an octave scale played from highest note to lowest.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
2 1 4 3 6 5 7 8
2 4 1 6 3 7 5 8
4 2 6 1 7 3 5 8
4 6 2 7 1 5 3 8
6 4 7 2 5 1 3 8
6 7 4 5 2 3 1 8
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8
7 5 6 3 4 1 2 8
5 7 3 6 1 4 2 8
5 3 7 1 6 2 4 8
3 5 1 7 2 6 4 8
3 1 5 2 7 4 6 8
1 3 2 5 4 7 6 8
1 3 5 2 7 4 6 8
3 1 2 5 4 7 6 8
3 2 1 4 5 6 7 8
Prepared and presented by the
Public Relations Committee of the Winchester and Portsmouth Diocesan Guild
of Church Bell Ringers.
Contact: info@learntoring.com