Ring for the King
Throughout the country plans are being made to “Ring for the King” at the Coronation of King Charles III which takes place on 6th May 2023.
For hundreds of years church bells have rung out, not only to call communities to worship, but also to celebrate special occasions, in remembrance of others and to signify special events. They are part of the soundscape of the UK.
In June 2022 we all celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee with the sound of bells. Bells also rang out with a muffled sound throughout the nation as a mark of respect at her passing in September 2022.
There are about 6,000 sets of bells across the British Isles, totalling nearly 38,000 bells and only around 30,000 bellringers.
Following the announcement of King Charles' Coronation, the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers has initiated an appeal to recruit more ringers so they are trained in time to Ring for the King.
Learning to ring
Ringers learn at different ages and come from many different walks of life.
The first stage in learning to ring is to develop the skills to ‘handle’ the bell. That means the technique to control the bell using the rope. This is done on a one-to-one basis with your trained instructor and is often done on a silenced bell.
You will usually be taught each of the two movements, or ‘strokes’, in ringing separately and then helped to put them together. The technique is all about holding the rope correctly, moving with it and catching the role at the right place and time. This initial skill can take a number of weeks to learn.
“Learning to ring is much like learning to play any musical instrument – it takes practice and there are countless levels of skill to explore”
Bell ringing is all about working as part of a team, so once you can ‘handle’ your bell you are quickly introduced to ringing with the rest of the ‘band’ of ringers.
The key skills learnt are the ability to watch and listen to the ringing to know when you pull and sound your bell and to be able to varying the pace of your ringing to fit in with the group. This is again usually done with a personal tutor, who will help you to develop the skills required.
What next?
Once gained, bell ringing is a skill for life you’ll never forget, and it can open up a lifetime of experiences and enjoyment.
- Develop a lifelong learning experience
- Maintain a traditional skill
- Provide a service to the church and the general community, as well as for those getting married, celebrating another special occasion, and saying goodbye to a loved one.
- Being a team player
- Friendships forged across the world
- Tour places you would never see otherwise
- Sharing support for one another
- Enjoy a great physical and mental workout
Interested in learning to ring?
You can find more information about learning to ring here - Association of Ringing Teachers : Learn to ring
If you would like to know more about what is involved in learning to ring you can either contact your nearest Church with bells (the contact details for the Tower Captain are usually on the Church's website) or you can contact us via the link above and we will try and assist you in finding a local teacher.
A clip from Channel 5 News:
Some useful ART links:
» Discover Bellringing
» Recruitment support
» Recruitment Toolbox
Some useful CCCBR 'Ring for the King' links:
» Latest news
» Logos to download and use
» Resources
Ring for the King on Radio 4 (28 mins in):
