RE: [Bell Historians] 16th and 17th century tuning

[Dickon Love]

>  Thanks for this. Barts was an example that came to my mind
>  too, but I notice from Dickon's website that they were
>  retuned in 1952. Perhaps there were earlier tunings too?
>  I'd be interested in knowing whether the tone-tone-semitone-
>  tone intervals in the tuning (i.e. the major scale) are
>  believed to go back as far as 1510. Just as an example, if
>  the bells had originally been tuned B, C#, D#, E#, F# -- a
>  Lydian mode -- and a century later the 2nd was flattened by
>  a semitone, would we be aware of that?

Another note of caution with Smithfield is the tradition that these bells once formed part of a larger 'ring' (maybe even 12) in the central tower (now demolished).  This may or may not be true, but could affect which bells were retained, or indeed which bells were sent to St Sepulchre.

DrL