Arreton

[matthewhigby at a...]

Tim says:

It was the fact that the old 4th had apparently been "raised" a semi-tone
that I thought was slightly unusual

I say: - Steve Noyes website on IOW bells, lists the notes as being: F#, E, 
D, C, B flat, A flat - a whole tone ring of six rather than diatonic. The 
original 3rd is supposed to be D flat (although I expect it is really E 
flat). All in all, rather strange.

I should imagine that the original six were actually around about A. The 4th 
would have been tuned without lowering its pitch by very much and the other 4 
remaining bells tuned down a semitone and a new 4th cast giving a ring of six 
as thus: F, E flat, D flat, C, B flat, A flat.

There is no way a bell could have been raised a semitone - 30 cps or so, 
would be possible. Ill ask Nigel Taylor when he returns from his hols.

The other possibility would be that 2 different pitch standards were used.

Matthew