W. L. Bowles on tuning church bells

[whrrr1978]

It's interesting to note how perceptions change. The bells of 
Bremhill, which I have a rather personal interest in, would certainly 
not have been considered "so well in tune that the commonest ear 
would pronounce them musical" prior to their re-tuning in 2001. I 
think Bill Hibbert's site contains recordings of them before and 
after the 2001 tuning. Still, I suppose in 1828 there wasn't really 
the chance to hear bells accurately tuned in the way that we do now.

Mark W.

--- In bellhistorians at yahoogroups.com, "Anne Willis" <zen16073 at ...> 
wrote:
>
> 
> 
> From 'The Parochial History of Bremhill in the County of Wilts' 1828
> 
> 
> The bells to which we are now listening [Bremhill] are so well in 
tune that
> the commonest ear would pronounce them musical.  The reason is not 
generally
> known, but church-bells have a sensible effect on the ear, 
according as they
> are more or less perfectly tuned.  Here are six bells, which would 
be
> pronounced by every ear a musical peal; but no set of bells are 
ever cast
> quite in tune; in general the third is too flat, and the fourth too 
sharp,
> the effect of which is doubly discordant.  The only certain mode of 
having a
> peal perfectly harmonious is to tune the bells by a monochord 
divided into
> intervals. A peal of bells can be thus brought to musical 
perfection; and
> anyone, without knowing the reason, would perceive the sweet 
effect.  This
> mode of after-tuning is never practised, and therefore a peal gives 
all its
> discord, often for centuries, as the bells happened to be cast.
> 
> A footnote relates how 'a late friend of mine, Lawson Huddleston of
> Shaftsbury ... had a kind of passion for bells.'  Among others 
Huddleston
> chip-tuned the bells at Colerne (his first effort), Knoyle (East or 
West is
> not specified), Shaftesbury (?St Peter)and St Cuthbert, Wells.  
Huddleston
> also liked to tune sets of sheep bells into key note, third, fifth 
and
> eighth.  Bowles recommended at least four sets of tuned sheep bells 
with
> four additional key note bells to every set 'otherwise the sound, 
wanting
> the "binding note" will appear meagre and unpleasing'.
> 
> Apparently the last sheep bells in Wiltshire were tin cans with 
nails
> suspended in them.
> 
> 
> Anne
>