Wolverhampton

[Bill Hibbert]

I have just received the Wolverhampton recordings from David Bagley. 
A quick run through reveals two things of interest:
* the figures are substantially the same as CD's, apart from a 
recorder speed difference
* the upper partials of the bells are most unusual.

In most (all?) modern twelves, the upper partials of the back bells 
are quite sharp (octave nominal at say 1250 to 1270 cents), and get 
progressively flatter in the smaller bells, due one supposes to 
profile changes, until in the trebles they can be at 1180 or below. 
See Tewkesbury or Llandaff on my website.

In the Wolverhampton bells, almost the reverse is true. In the back 
bells, the upper partials are quite flat (1169 in the 11th, 1182 in 
the tenor), get quite sharp in the middle ranks (1243 in the 7th) and 
decline a little but not much (to 1228 in the second). The treble is 
rather flatter (1195), more as one would expect at this position in 
the ring. It's a bit like the tenors are profiled like a 'normal' 
treble, and the front bells (except the treble) more like middle rank 
bells. One might expect from this the treble to be a different shape 
to the second, as someone has already observed.

Does this upper partial tuning make a difference to the sound? It 
certainly does! It's difficult to explain in words but is clear once 
demonstrated.

Bill H