[Bell Historians] Trebles on higher numbers

[David Bryant]

> Can someone please enlighten me as to how trebles of chimes can be 
> the same note but significantly lighter than trebles of a ring with 
> the same tenor weight? Does this actually have anything to do with 
> the current discussion?

Aye. It do indeed. Trebles of chimes are a lot smaller because they do not have to be timed with larger swinging bells. Good examples include Manchester Town Hall, where the smaller ringing bells are significantly heavier than the chiming bells around them, and All Hallows by the Tower in London (see Dickon's site), the weights of which can be compared with the Taylor 2-ton 12s such as Leeds, Buckfast and Pier Head.

According to Nigel Taylor's website, even with chimes the trebles have to be scaled up to some extent to make them powerful enough, although not to the same extent the those in rings do.

Of course, the scales used for the front ends of rings and chimes vary with founder and date. It seems to be a twentieth-century idea to differentiate between the two - VIctorian chimes seem to be cast to ringing weights.

Useful web sites:

Nigel Taylor's at http://www.kirnberger.fsnet.co.uk/

Bill Hibbert's at http://www.hibberts.co.uk/. This includes an analysis and discussion of the bells at Manchester TH.

David

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