THE PEALS OF PEACE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 176, 21 April 1919, Page 2

THE PEALS OF PEACE

WOMEN IN THE 15ELETCY. It is good to hear that the two old firms of bell-founders-llio olio in YVhilochapcl, with its record of 350 yours, and tho other in'Lougliborougli-whiwe craftsmanship is mainly responsible for Ihe music of Britain's steeples, mu iwi <» work in preparation for the pcafs of peace, states a writer in an English nowsOur bells aro ono of tho Homeland'« endearing links. Although wo hear much sound of bells in other countries, the art of change-ringing is confined to Itntaiu. Onlv here do bands of. skilled ringers who" carry in their heads tho science and sequence of thousands' of changes rung to ono method or another, and in their hearts an intense love of bells, go from steeple to stooplo in their loisure-linie for tlie sheer joy of ringing. , The war thinned tho parties of ringers, and in many of our churches memorial services aro boing held for Ihe fallen. Very early in tho lighting women look tho plac'o of men in some of our belfries— not to ring ns the ringer knows the art, hut to pull the bells for service. J hero is a Ladies' Guild of Change Kingcrs. however, and just before the war ringing was the chosen hobby of an increasing number of women. There- had been three neal« of SfllO changrs, taking nearly three hours, rung entirely by womin, when win' silenced the hells. The first of these was at. Christ Church, Cubitt Town, on oMit bells, the tenor veighing I2cwt. The high music of the steeples-su-preme expression of the joy of English town or village-ennld "<* bo titlcrod in a shadowed land: but while the bells are being set in order hero and there T am wondering how many peaeo peals will lie rune «-i>ollv or nartly by women. At the 'Whitechapel foundry a few days ago I met a famous ringer, who said ho thought there would bo rt least two women's peals, and possibly others in which women would l, .ave a place. Ho lias rung with women, often, and •wilts highly of their work. Some may r.«ard three .hours of ringing as n very heavy task for a womttu. His opinion is that where bells are hung on modern lines {here is no great strength, and only an ordinary amount of endm-ance, rcrmircd; l«»t women could not ring a neal if ihe bells were hung badly. Ho declare* Hun ringing is splendid exercise both for the brain and every muscle. Mine is an amateurs interest 111 the belfrv and lovo of its music, and an amaHiv's impvwian ° r lts iwssibililics, when I am told that the number of total chan'os in the Sraximus peal-(of 12 bells) i s -179 001000. and tho average amount of time 'allowed for ringing them .17 years and 355 days.