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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I'd never thought before that we did somet=
hing=20
illegal - even though we don't have a special bell here on which to do=20
it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>1. The "favoured" Angelus times are 8=
a.m., 12=20
noon and 6 p.m. It is not uncommon in Anglo-Catholic (and other) churc=
hes.=20
Especially when there is a time clock to do the thing for you. 3 x 3 x 3 x =
9=20
blows, the threes being for the salutations (the Aves) and the 9 for=20
the concluding prayer. Strangely, in Eastertide when the Regina Caeli=
=20
(which has a 1-verse hymn and a prayer) is used instead of the Angelus, the=
same=20
arrangement is customary. There are of course variations - in=20
continental Europe the nine blows are often replaced by a single bell set=20
swinging.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>2. Use depends on availability, =
amonst=20
other things. So far as the Sanctus is concerned, we at St Mary de Castro s=
ound=20
three blows at the Sanctus proper (Holy, Holy, Holy etc., then three at two=
=20
points of Consecration, the Bread and the Wine); at the same time an inside=
=20
sacring bell is rung in the chancel. At St Nicholas it is sounded at the=20
Consecration only, on 'Great Nick' and at the Cathedral similarly on the fl=
at=20
6th. St Margaret's doesn't. All except St Nicholas have detachable extensio=
n=20
ropes for the purpose.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>3. As to post-Reformation "Sanctus" bells =
- very=20
often referred to as Ting-Tangs, Priests' Bells, Tink{l}er Bells, etc.=
=20=20
Their use would have been almost solely as a sort of "Hurry Up" bell until=
=20
the second part of the nineteenth century when people became awar=
e of=20
more "sacred" uses in some places. There were other 'specialised' uses - th=
e=20
traditional curfew and in some cases 'waking' bells being examples - and=20
sometimes a special bell was set apart, as with "Bell Harry" at Canterbury=
=20
Cathedral, the present version of which was the treble of the old six in th=
e NW=20
tower, transferred to its present use in 1726 to replace a 13th-century=20
bell. Some have seen in the use of "waking" and "curfew" bells a surv=
ival=20
of the medieval Angelus, but I doubt it, especially the=20
latter.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>4. I know that the "Pancake" bell is rung at Olney - is it on a specia=
l=20
bell? It must occur elsewhere too.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>5. A bell come to mind, I cannot think where, which although part of a=
ring=20
alludes to the use of the church bells as fire alarms by rining the back ch=
ange,=20
being inscribed:</DIV>
<DIV>WHEN BACKWARDS RUNG WE SPEAK OF FIRE THINK HOW THE WORLD SHALL THUS=20
EXPIRE</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Here endeth the Sermon</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>DLC (Fr).</DIV></BODY></HTML>