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The Oxford University Society of Change Ringers, founded in 1872, [1] is the official society dedicated to change ringing in Oxford University. Its objects are to promote the art of change ringing in the university and to ring for Sunday services in Oxford during full term. [2]
The society was founded by John Edward Troyte (1848–1932, né Acland) on 2 February 1872, making it the oldest university society dedicated to change ringing. In the early years, the majority of its members were training as clergy or from clerical families. The first peal for the society (Stedman Triples at Drayton) was rung on the 10th anniversary of the foundation. [4] In 1887, the society lapsed, with three brief revivals in 1890, 1892 and 1902, until it was revived in 1920 by Harry Miles and has been in continuous existence ever since. A history of the Society's first 125 years was published in 1997. [5]
For at least twenty years before the Second World War, the standard of ringing never rose much above Plain Bob Minor and Grandsire Doubles. The ban on ringing tower bells during the war could have caused the society to die out once more, but instead emphasis was placed on learning to ring handbells well with additional tied bell practices at New College. This was so successful that when the ban was lifted there were enough competent ringers to be able to ring more than had previously been possible, and surprise major began to be rung regularly. Since then the standard of ringing has mostly been quite high, with the number of peals rung peaking around 1976. [6]
For some time the society had "no fixed abode", ringing at a number of towers, including All Saints (now Lincoln College library), St Ebbe's and St Giles. By 1939 the church of St Mary Magdalen (then a 6-bell tower) had become the society's base, although other towers were still borrowed for 8-bell practices on a regular basis. In its early history the society was dependent on the help of the local bands in offering their towers for practices. This co-operation has continued to the present day, with the links between the society and the Oxford Society being strengthened further with the bell improvement projects and augmentations at St Thomas the Martyr and St Mary Magdalen from the 1970s. [7]
The society rings for Sunday services at the Oxford churches of St Thomas, St Mary Magdalen, St Mary the Virgin and St Ebbe's as well as New College. During full term, weekly practices are held at St Mary Magdalen and less frequently at St Thomas, where everything from rounds and call changes to the Standard 8 Surprise Major and Cambridge and Yorkshire Surprise Royal is rung. A day's outing is organised each term, the one in Hilary Term being joint with the Cambridge University Guild. During the Easter vacation a four-day tour is organised in a different area of the country where both present and past members visit several rings of bells each day. On the first Saturday of February an annual dinner is held which in recent years has taken place at Harris Manchester College. The society enters the SUA striking competitions in Michaelmas term and has hosted the event on a number of occasions.
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a tightly controlled manner to produce precise variations in their successive striking sequences, known as "changes". This can be by method ringing in which the ringers commit to memory the rules for generating each change, or by call changes, where the ringers are instructed how to generate each change by instructions from a conductor. This creates a form of bell music which cannot be discerned as a conventional melody, but is a series of mathematical sequences.
Campanology is the scientific and musical study of bells. It encompasses the technology of bells – how they are founded, tuned and rung – as well as the history, methods, and traditions of bellringing as an art.
Method ringing is a form of change ringing in which the ringers commit to memory the rules for generating each change of sequence, and pairs of bells are affected. This creates a form of bell music which is continually changing, but which cannot be discerned as a conventional melody. It is a way of sounding continually changing mathematical permutations.
The Oxford Society of Change Ringers, established in 1734, is a society dedicated to change ringing in Oxford, England. It should not be confused with the Oxford University Society of Change Ringers. The society is based at the Cathedral Church of Christ where its members ring for Sunday services as well as practising there twice a month. Weekly practices are held at Lincoln College, in the former All Saints Church, now the College library, which still has a peal of eight bells.
Magdalen Tower, completed in 1509, is a bell tower that forms part of Magdalen College, Oxford. It is a central focus for the celebrations in Oxford on May Morning.
The Manchester Universities Guild of Change Ringers is a bell ringing guild based in Greater Manchester, whose home tower is the Sacred Trinity in Salford. Most of the members are, or have been in the past, students attending the universities and colleges in Manchester and Salford. The guild is a member of the Northern Universities Association.
The Nottingham University Society of Change Ringers (NUSCR) is one of the oldest societies affiliated to the University of Nottingham Students' Union, being founded in 1958. Its principal aim is to allow students from both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University to practise English Change Ringing. It also represents the University at the annual Northern Universities Association (NUA) Striking Competition each November.
The Ancient Society of College Youths (ASCY) is a change ringing society, founded in 1637 and based in the City of London. The society played a leading role in the early development of change ringing, and today, it provides ringers for important events at St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. Although it is a non-territorial association, its importance is recognised through having four representatives on the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers.
In campanology, a peal is the special name given to a specific type of performance of change ringing which meets certain exacting conditions for duration, complexity and quality.
St Mary Magdalen is a Church of England parish church in Magdalen Street, Oxford, England, dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene. It is one of the city's ancient parish churches and is a Grade I listed building.
The Society of Cambridge Youths is a bellringing society founded and based in Cambridge. It is dedicated to ringing the bells of the university church, Great St Mary's, Cambridge for religious services at the church and also civil and Cambridge University events.
Fabian Stedman (1640–1713) was an English author and a leading figure in the early history of campanology, particularly in the field of method ringing. He had a key role in publishing two books Tintinnalogia and Campanalogia which are the first two publications on the subject. He is also regarded as being a pioneer in the branch of mathematics known as Group theory.
The Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR) is an organisation founded in 1891 which represents ringers of church bells in the English style.
The Royal Jubilee Bells are a set of eight bells that were cast for the church of St James Garlickhythe in the City of London, which were seen on television around the world leading the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
The Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers, known as ANZAB, is the organisation responsible for the promotion of English-style "full circle ringing" – namely change ringing and method ringing in bell towers with a peal of bells – across Australia and New Zealand.
Albert John Pitman is regarded by change ringing campanologists as a remarkable and versatile composer of peals in bell ringing methods. Described as 'perhaps the greatest of all time' in the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers biography of him, An Unassuming Genius, he was an extraordinary talent in the field of peal composition.
The Suffolk Guild of Ringers for the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich is a society and charity supporting the bell ringers and rings of bells in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich who practice the art of change ringing. The Guild was established on 2 April 1923 at Ipswich and covers over 200 rings of bells in the county of Suffolk in the area that falls within the diocese boundary.
The Duke's Tower, also known as Inveraray Bell Tower, is the detached bell tower of All Saints' Church, Inveraray, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Standing 126 feet (38 m) high on the shores of Loch Fyne, it is a landmark for miles and amongst the most notable bell towers in the United Kingdom. The tower was built as a memorial to members of the Clan Campbell who died in the First World War. It is Grade A listed by Historic Environment Scotland, the highest possible rating.
Campanology is the scientific and musical study of bells. It encompasses the technology of bells – how they are cast, tuned, and rung – as well as the history, methods, and traditions of bellringing as an art. Articles related to campanology include:
