[Bell Historians] Tuning forks.

[davidhird_uk]

--- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "Anne Willis" <zen16073 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> Jim Phillips wrote
> 
> I don't assume - I use my ears.  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I suspect our aural perception changes with time.  I used to be 
able to hear
> bats clearly; now I can't hear them at all.
> 
> Acoustics do matter.  Westbury will always sound better than Holy 
Trinity,
> Bradford because the sound can disperse evenly at Westbury, as it 
does at
> Chewton Mendip whereas at Bradford it tends to bounce off the hill.
> 
> Anne

Internal head space above the bells is very important as per 
Redcliffe and here at St Stephens where you get the glorious 
amplification of the back bells from the open stone spire above the 
bells. Years ago we had started to look for another tower in 
Newcastle to house these bells when it looked as though they may 
have to come out and, whereas there are a few towers able to take 
them, I often felt concerned that the tower acoustics would be 
detrimental. This is one of the problems of sound control where a 
floor is put in straight above the bells. It totally alters the 
reverberation. The bells at nearby St matthews are actually of 
similar vintage and quality but lack the head space as there is a 
concrete floor just a few feet above the bells. They are still a 
nice sound but not as glorious as they could be if the tower was 
more open.

David