Change ringing in hand – a hidden art

When I mention handbell ringing to non–ringers they invariably assume I’m talking about tune ringing. That’s not so surprising since they’ve quite likely seen handbell tune ringing whereas ringing changes in hand is hardly ever heard or seen in public. That’s a pity because from the listener’s perspective:

• Handbell ringing is often better struck than tower bell ringing. (Precision timing is easier without half a ton of metal on the end of a rope).
• The music of change ringing in hand is much easier to hear and appreciate. (Handbells make a crisper, clearer sound than tower bells.)

Many ringers (unless they happen to ring handbells or know someone who does) probably don’t realise just how much handbell ringing there is. For example last year over two thousand handbell quarters and over six hundred handbell peals were rung – around one in eight of all quarters and one in six of all peals – and over 2,700 ringers took part in ringing them.

What attracts people to ringing in hand? It can be more rewarding – the features above apply to the performers as well as the audience – and it benefits from what sociologists call ‘hygiene factors’:

• You usually sit down to ring, rather than having to stand up all the time.
• You can perform almost anywhere that’s convenient. So on a chilly winter evening you can ring in a nice warm room rather than having to go up a cold bell tower .
• You are usually in more comfortable surroundings, probably with refreshments on hand when needed.

Without the physical aspects of ringing a tower bell you can step up the mental side by ringing two bells, one in each hand, which is easier than you might imagine because you can ring the pair as a pattern rather than separate lines, and like any skill it gets easier with practice. Some people even find that learning to ring a pair of bells helps them understand the method better when ringing it in the tower.

An unexpected bonus for handbell ringers came during the Coivd pandemic because we could return to ringing – outdoors – long before we were allowed to ring in towers. I started organisinjg Sunday afternoon quarter peals on the lawn in June 2020, and have continued organising them ever since - though we now ring indoors except in warm weather.

How do you get started – ideally regular practice with experienced ringers, as you do in the tower, but that might not be easy. Tower bell ringing is public – you can see the tower, and there’s probably a notice in the porch or a website with information. But most handbell ringing is private, and so harder to find unless you know someone who knows.

In this area we are fortunate to have a lot of handbell ringers and opportunities to ring and progress once you get started.

Handbell ringers without local access to in-person ringing can use E-bells: ebells.co.uk/ to ring in Handbell Stadium: handbellstadium.org/ , and several groups regularly do so.

If you would like to find out more, please contact me or either of the ringing masters (Nigel & James)

  John Harrison, May 2024