[Bell Historians] Non-standard Tuning

[Susan Dalton]

>From: "Nick Bowden" <nickwbowden at f...>
>To: <bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: Re: [Bell Historians] Non-standard Tuning
>Date: Sat, Feb 21, 2004, 9:38 am
>

>> I resisted the temptation to join in the recent fun with "minor" rings as
> I think I am more interested in collecting information (including the
> accurate notes of bells), and occasionally trying to interpret same, than
>> categorising it for lists and directories such as Dove's guide. But there
>> were three 'E's I was surprised not to see mentioned: the non-major eight
> at Ellesmere, the non-major six at Elmley Castle and the five in my old
>> village of Everdon which are about a cross between major and minor.
>>
>> C D
>
> Ellesmere were certainly out of tune when I visited in 1982; from memory the
> 2nd was flat and the 5th was sharp, but should they be listed as non-major?
[I would have thought so, as they are so far out.]
>
> I visited Elmley Castle in 1986 and noted they were out of tune,
> particularly the flat treble. Again, are they really non-major? [Yes. The
treble is about a semitone flat, and other bells (including the tenor) are
"out" to a lesser degree. I have the exact pitches somewhere...]
>
> Were Everdon tuned when they were recently rehung? [E & S job and I
understand no tuning was done.]
>
> Does anyone know if Isleham or Pembroke are non-major? [Isleham certainly
non-major; my recollection of Pembroke St Mary is that the bells are
approximately major.]
>
> Nick [and CD in parentheses]