[Bell Historians] Layout of information

[Chris Pickford]

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I have a real problem with 2) - not that I don't strongly agree in principl=
e.=20

It's just that it's very difficult not to be subjective - to like / dislike=
bells by particular founders, to believe in true-harmonic tuning to the ex=
clusion of all else, to have heard bells in and out of the tower, to rememb=
er towers visited several years back, to be consistent between impressions =
on successive visits etc.=20=20

Chris Dalton does this very well - mostly (with reservations about his stro=
ng dislike of a couple of founders) - and makes it clear why he likes or di=
slikes certain sounds. I don't have the assurance in my opinions to attempt=
it, and in re-wprking my material I've tended to delete any tonal comment=
s I wrote in the past. Looking back, I find much of the tonal comment in my=
site visit notes=20

I think it's valid to have a particular interest - e.g. historical evolutio=
n of the bells / installation - and to say so in an introduction, so that t=
hose seeking other material - e.g. comments on tone - are let down lightly.=
In 'Warwickshire' I'll probably include a short chapter on tone and tunin=
g, but not comments in the parish/place entries.

CP

----- Original Message -----=20
From: Bill Hibbert=20
To: bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com=20
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2003 8:03 AM
Subject: [Bell Historians] Layout of information


Am I too late to respond to David's question? I've been away on a=20
short holiday.

1) As regards layout, I agree with other subscriber's that Chris=20
Dalton's Dorset books set the standard, I find them the easiest to=20
use and also the best to look at of all the county books on my=20
bookshelf.

2) As regards content, as bells are musical instruments I think one=20
should always comment on their musical quality. I don't mean tuning=20
figures, these are rather dry and meaningless, I mean qualitative=20
judgements on the pleasantness of otherwise of the sound (e.g. old-
style but sweet sounding, rather out of tune especially bell x which=20
is quite flat, etc. etc.). Very few writers include this information,=20
but after all isn't it what a bell is for?

Bill H



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