Bell-ringing: 'It’s a spiritual activity – and I say that as somebody who doesn’t go to church'
Spare a thought for the bell-ringers of Great St Mary’s. Enclosed in a windowless room high in the bell tower, a small group of dedicated people quietly work in unison to coax beautiful sounds from centuries-old bells, some of which weigh as much as a small car.
Bell-ringing – or simply 'ringing' to the initiated – isn’t an ordinary pastime. Part music, part physical exercise, part mental agility, it is the soundtrack of historic moments, both personal and collective.
From the sweet sound of a single bell to the majesty of a whole peal, they ring out in celebration and toll sadly in grief. After hanging silent during the Second World War, they became the sound of freedom when finally they could ring again in peace.
“We don’t need much of an excuse – we love an occasion to ring for,” said Great St Mary's tower captain Clive Moore, who at 81 is the oldest in the group and has been ringing for 65 years.
Clive’s name appears along with those of seven other members of the Essex Association of Change Ringers on a board commemorating the 1971 ringing of a ‘peal’, a period of ringing with 5,040 changes all rung from memory. Among those who rang for three hours and 14 minutes to mark 100 years of the full set of eight bells was Edward Willitt, who taught Clive how to ring (his name is spelt wrongly on the board).
“It’s a spiritual activity – and I say that as somebody who doesn’t go to church,” said Rosemary Kelsell, who has been ringing for 11 years. “You could say it's mindful: you have to switch off to do this because you need to concentrate.”
Ringing is also surprisingly physical. "Is it music or is it a sport?” said Gary Howard. “It's certainly a performance. Ringing a big bell on a sweaty day can feel a bit like running a marathon."
Above all, bell-ringing is about technique. "In the early stages you need one-to-one tuition until you've got the hang of ringing the bell," said Fred Bone, who met his wife Mary through ringing.
To spare the neighbours, the bells are silenced for several weeks until the technique has been mastered. "Next thing we have to learn is to ring at the same speed," said Fred. "Bigger bells ring more slowly. We have to slow the lighter ones down."
Monday evening is practice night. People take turns ringing different bells, orchestrated by a conductor who changes week by week. The sound of ringing is carried throughout the town. For many in Sawbridgeworth, it’s an enchanting start to the week, a gentle lift to the soul.
It’s very different in France, as Fred’s wife explains. “European bells are hung differently,” said Mary. “Their bells can't go all round, which means you can't do anything about rhythm. You can’t ring in an organised way."
English bell-ringing is called full-circle ringing as the bell is installed on a wheel mechanism. Bell-ringers pull at each stroke to make it rotate. Bells ringing down the scale is written out as 1-2-3-4-5 if there are five bells. To ring ‘changes’, bells change their ‘place’ in the order – for example, 5-4-2-1-3 – and ringers learn the path that their bell makes through the sequence. They can also control the speed of striking by adjusting when they pull the rope.
Sawbridgeworth bell ringers number around 15 and count a 13-year-old among their ranks. You can join at any time, although the group recruits new members mainly at the May Fayre, when the bell tower is open to the public who are invited to try their hand.