Church bells

[Paul Cowan]

I am hoping to get a discussion going on the use of bells in the Church. I have always had an affinity for bells as my grandfather collected them. Hundreds of them in his house when he died.

I have been doing some research on Russian bell history and the Great bells of the Church before the Communist yoke in the early 1920's.

I am understanding that bell ringing is a true form of worship just as iconography. It takes training, prayer and more prayer. Does anyone use bells in their liturgy? How do they know when to ring within the Liturgy? How did the people get trained and where? How can my church find them other than ordering them from the master crafters in Russia? What kind of bells do you have?

I am full of questions and have a strong desire to bring this element to my parish. With my priest's blessing of course. No, I have not asked permission yet. :)

Thanks for any information.
Paul

[Tanya Hoadley]

Hi Paul,

Funny you should mention bells. After the Nativity Liturgy, we were all just sort of hanging around (no coffee hour that day) and smiling and singing and smiling (it was a glorious liturgy) and not wanting to leave.

Someone asked if any one had the time, and no one was wearing a watch. Someone else commented that in years past, there was no need to wear a watch as the church bells announced the time of day. Daily life revolved around the church services and the bells announced them.

Until reading you post, I had no idea that bells had any purpose/meaning other than to call the faithful to the services. I am excited to learn more and will be watching this thread with eager anticipation!

In Christ,
Tanya

[Herman Blaydoe]

You might check out this resource if you haven't already:

On Bells and their Ringing (http://www.holy-trinity.org/bells/onbells.html)

[John Charmley]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of the great joys of English village life is the pealing of the Church bells - two of my sons are taking lessons in bell-ringing and deriving great pleasure - and spiritual satisfaction in so doing.

It is perhaps indicative of modern times that in the neighbouring village some new residents have protested that the 9.30 a.m. pealing is 'intrusive' and have asked the council to ban it under noise abatement legislation. Herman's posted link says all that is needful about that sort of reaction.

Church bells on Sunday morning are so much a part of English country life that, with the Feast of the Nativity about to be celebrated on the Old Calendar and for the Copts, I offer, as a Christmas thought, the final stanzas of John Betjeman's poem, 'Christmas':


And Christmas-morning bells say 'Come!'
Even to shining ones who dwell
Safe in the Dorchester Hotel.

And is it true,
This most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,
A Baby in an ox's stall ?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Become a Child on earth for me ?

And is it true ? For if it is,
No loving fingers tying strings
Around those tissued fripperies,
The sweet and silly Christmas things,
Bath salts and inexpensive scent
And hideous tie so kindly meant,

No love that in a family dwells,
No carolling in frosty air,
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this single Truth compare -
That God was man in Palestine
And lives today in Bread and Wine.

I hope those who do not know it find in it the pleasure that those of who do have always had from it.

Festive wishes,

In Christ,

John

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of the great joys of English village life is the pealing of the Church bells - two of my sons are taking lessons in bell-ringing and deriving great pleasure - and spiritual satisfaction in so doing.

It is perhaps indicative of modern times that in the neighbouring village some new residents have protested that the 9.30 a.m. pealing is 'intrusive' and have asked the council to ban it under noise abatement legislation. Herman's posted link says all that is needful about that sort of reaction.

Church bells on Sunday morning are so much a part of English country life that, with the Feast of the Nativity about to be celebrated on the Old Calendar and for the Copts, I offer, as a Christmas thought, the final stanzas of John Betjeman's poem, 'Christmas':

I hope those who do not know it find in it the pleasure that those of who do have always had from it.

Festive wishes,

In Christ,

John

A beautiful poem!

And for what it's worth our parish has so afar avoided prosecution for ringing of bells during our Sunday morning Liturgies. :) (our parish is located in a very heavily populated working class area, so we're surrounded by people.).


In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Paul Cowan]

Herman: Thank you for the link. I had not seen that one yet. It helps me to understand the "why" of each of the bells and rings.

John: I am interested in what your sons are learning. Where do they study? Who do they study under? Before I approach my parish priest, I would like to have as much information on the subject as possible. How do ringers (I assume they are not in the church building proper) know when to peal the bells? Do they have a way of hearing the priest or seeing into the church? Does some one give them a queue?

Father Raphael: How many bells does your parish have? How many ringers? How do they know within your Liturgy to peal?

I am full of questions. I am also unworthy to presume I could be a ringer. I have such respect for iconographers. Ringers are such. I have been to www.russianbells.com and seen their products. Are there other, possibly state side, companies that forge bells of similar quality. We should go for only the best, but the church budget is limited.

Thanks for any additional insights.
Paul

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Father Raphael: How many bells does your parish have? How many ringers? How do they know within your Liturgy to peal?


Our parish has only one bell. The church structure is about a century old and was originally Protestant of some sort. (when our people bought it 50 years ago there were Polish Catholics using it, but we don't know who was using it before them). There is an original steeple topped now with a cupola. In the steeple is the bell.


The rules for bell-ringing in the Russian church are actually quite complex and governed by the typikon. There are even names for the different kinds of peals. But the bell ringing is no fancy art in our parish. Basically any of the men continuously ring the bell (it has a rope attached to it which runs down to the pritvor/narthex) when Liturgy is about to begin and at the Creed also.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[John Charmley]

John: I am interested in what your sons are learning. Where do they study? Who do they study under?

Dear Paul,

Anglican Churches in England usually come equipped with their own bell towers, and my sons are trained as part of a team of ringers with a bell-captain and other experienced ringers. It looks pretty dangerous to me, but my sons tell me cheerfully that you only get your arms torn off if you don't concentrate, or if you lack coordination; that explains why I never took it up!

In Christ,

John

[Paul Cowan]

Thank you both for your answers. It seems it can go from the simple to the very complex. I was listening to Ancient Faith Radio where theyhad an interview on bell ringing. One of the priests talking said when he went to a new town, he would scavange old school houses, churchs and factories until he found them.

Since my parish budget is tight and this is probably not going to be a budget item any time soon, it will be up to some very innovative people to finds and install them. Not that we can build a bell tower either.

I would still like to know if there are any state-side locations that teach bell ringing or would it req

[Mary]

Our parish only has one big bell, which has remained silent for many years. Our priest decided to train my husband on it, just for a few simple ones. At the beginning of liturgy, the bell rings wildly and then during the creed - 12 single chimes and then during the hymn to the Theotokos and the "Take Eat..." part.

The night he was practicing (just after vespers) - I sat in a corner and closed my eyes to feel the bell. The choir went over the parts that he was to ring them at. When I opened my eyes, everyone in the room looked like they'd been crying. It had been a long time since they'd heard the bell ring.

I'd never attended a church with bells. But it touched me in a powerful way. Although the single chimes were the same, somehow, when combined with the words of the liturgy, it seemed to take on a different tone, at different parts. Hard to explain it. It was quite powerful. Seems to drive the words in deeper somehow.

Mary.

[Paul Cowan]

Thank you Mary:
I only have book understanding of the effect of bells on the liturgy and their function in the "totality" of the service. I converted to Orthodoxy not only for its correctness, but also for the totality of life within the Church. Everything is related to everything else.

I just want (as if I have a say) to help others "feel" what I do when I experience the Faith in all it has to offer. My family has struggled with Orthodoxy coming from a "feel good" protestant background. Orthodoxy seems dry. But it's not. At least not in its totality.


I must have hit a wrong key on my earlier post because I could not edit my post. Now I don't remember what I wrote. Sorry. Something about wanting to learn it right yet not wanting to pull my arms out of the sockets.

[Nicolaj]

Dear Mary,

Our church was renovated the last year and someone paid the church bells, we now have four bells and this nativity they were ringing the first time ever. I can tell you that everybody was crying the bishop included so moved we were!!

Last summer being in the East I heard in a monastery the bell, which was there just a simple large timber wood, which the monk hit with wooden hammers. It was also absolute beautiful, because it suited totally to the peace there, and the surrounding landscape.
Bells are beautiful, although here in Vienna you need a concession from the city government to ring them. The atheists don't like hearing them!

In Christ-Nicolaj

[Mary]

Dear Mary,

Our church was renovated the last year and someone paid the church bells, we now have four bells and this nativity they were ringing the first time ever. I can tell you that everybody was crying the bishop included so moved we were!!

Last summer being in the East I heard in a monastery the bell, which was there just a simple large timber wood, which the monk hit with wooden hammers. It was also absolute beautiful, because it suited totally to the peace there, and the surrounding landscape.
Bells are beautiful, although here in Vienna you need a concession from the city government to ring them. The atheists don't like hearing them!

In Christ-Nicolaj

I wonder why the atheists have trouble hearing the bells! Perhaps the beauty of the sounds really bothers the demons!

I like the wooden thing they use at monasteries too! First time I heard it, it sounded really odd, and then, it seemed to get picked up by all the trees and everything else made of wood. It seemed to gather power somehow, and it seemed to be so appropriate to hear that sound calling everyone to worship.

Our single bell seems to have different voices. This week, the father of one of our choir members passed away. And when the bell was rung during the 'memory eternal' song, it seemed to be heavy and filled with grief, but not in a depressing way, just very solemn. Maybe I'm just psycho.

Mary.