Enquiries to SWF Bells, 45 Clements Green Lane, South Woodham Ferrers, Essex CM3 5JS Tel: 01245 322193 e-mail:see Links page
HRGB - Tune into Bells Information Sheet
How did it begin?
Bells have been used for centuries in different countries, cultures and religions, to communicate, to worship, to celebrate and to make music. In ancient Greece and Rome, in China and in Egypt bells were used in many religious ceremonies and to announce different times of the day. The Christian Church has used bells for this purpose as well as to ring out good news, to summon people to worship and to toll repeatedly for the dead. The British Isles have been described as the "Ringing Isles", with the composer Handel describing the handbell as the English national instrument.
In the 17th century the art of change ringing, as practised by tower bell ringers, was started. It has been suggested that the ringers, unwilling to practise on winter evenings in the cold and draughty belfries, used small hand held bells for their practices, in the more comfortable surroundings of houses and local hostelries. Tune ringing on hand bells was a natural progression for some bellringers to make. In recent years, other instruments have been invented in England to complement the tune ringing hand bell- the first was the handchime, a tubular instrument with a clapper on the side, and the second was the Belleplate ©, a flat, triangular-shaped instrument with attached clapper. They are both played in a similar way to handbells, and can serve as a good introduction to ringing hand bells as well as providing contrasting timbre and tone for players already using bells.
Bells have been used for centuries in different countries, cultures and religions, to communicate, to worship, to celebrate and to make music. In ancient Greece and Rome, in China and in Egypt bells were used in many religious ceremonies and to announce different times of the day. The Christian Church has used bells for this purpose as well as to ring out good news, to summon people to worship and to toll repeatedly for the dead. The British Isles have been described as the "Ringing Isles", with the composer Handel describing the handbell as the English national instrument.
In the 17th century the art of change ringing, as practised by tower bell ringers, was started. It has been suggested that the ringers, unwilling to practise on winter evenings in the cold and draughty belfries, used small hand held bells for their practices, in the more comfortable surroundings of houses and local hostelries. Tune ringing on hand bells was a natural progression for some bellringers to make. In recent years, other instruments have been invented in England to complement the tune ringing hand bell-
