New volunteer bell ringers recruited for York Minster

 

Great Peter of York (1927):

York Minster today announced the recruitment of a new band of volunteer bell ringers. The new band will be responsible for the peal of 12 bells at York Minster – widely regarded as some of the best sounding bells in the country.

More than 40 applications were received from bell ringers from York and the wider region.  The Minster is delighted that several members of the former band will ring with newcomers including some talented and experienced young ringers under the age of 18.  The band will be led by head teacher Angela Mitchell who was announced as the cathedral’s new Head of Bell Tower in June.

York Minster plans to have a year round recruitment process that will give experienced bell ringers moving to York and the region, the opportunity to apply to join the team at any time.  Information about ringing at the Minster will also be available for talented bell ringers arriving at York’s universities and colleges this Autumn.

The band will come together for the first time in September for induction.  They will then work with the Head of Bell Tower and the Minster team to arrange their practice schedule and ringing days for the rest of the year.

Recruitment and induction of all Minster staff and volunteers, including the new volunteer bell ringing team, is carried out in line with the Church of England’s Safer Recruitment processes focusing on safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, security, health and safety.

Minster bells silenced

The bells at the Minster may not be ringing quite so frequently for a while as the Cathedral begins a search for a new Head Bell Ringer.
Great Peter of York (1927): On a rainy day a choir sings on the steps of York Minster, witnessing the rare event of the St Peter hour bell, the third largest in the country, being unloaded from the back of an early heavy lorry. The huge bell is manually eased off on sturdy beams of timber, replacing the old one which is by now was nearly a hundred years old.

Great Peter of York (1927): A choir sings on the steps of York Minster, witnessing the rare event of the St Peter hour bell, the third largest in the country, being unloaded from the back of an early heavy lorry. The huge bell is manually eased off on sturdy beams of timber, replacing the old one which was nearly a hundred years old.

York Minster has a total of 35 bells, including the heaviest bell in the country still rung by hand. Records of them start in the 14th Century.

The Carillon (the traditional call to prayer) will continue. York Minster became the first cathedral in England to have a carillon of bells with the arrival of twenty-four small bells on 4 April 2008.The carillon bells are hung above the main ringing peal area. Unlike the ringing peal, these bells are attached to a keyboard in the ringing chamber – klavier – which only requires one person to operate it. Rather than swinging full-circle to make a sound, the clappers are hit against the side of the bell as the carilloner plays. The allows hymn tunes and melodies to be chimed.

NB The two west towers of the minster hold the  bells, clock chimes and the concert carillon. The north-west tower contains Great Peter (216 cwt or 10.8 tons) and the six clock bells (the largest weighing just over 60 cwt or 3 tons). The south-west tower holds 14 bells (tenor 59 cwt or 3 tons) hung and rung for change ringing and 22 carillon bells.

The clock bells ring every quarter of an hour during the daytime and Great Peter strikes the hour. The change ringing bells are normally rung regularly on Sundays before church services. These are added to the existing “Nelson Chime” which is chimed to announce Evensong around 5.00 pm each day, giving a carillon of 35 bells in total (three chromatic octaves). The bells were cast at the Loughborough Bell Foundry of Taylors, Eayre & Smith.