Church Bells Ringing: The Sound of Sydney on Sundays
The best time to hear the church bells of Sydney’s five CBD based church bell towers is on a Sunday morning. You can also listen out for weekday practice nights though the quality can be, should we say, “variable” as the ringers learn new skills.
On Fridays and Saturdays, you can also hear ringing for weddings characterised by a 20-minute burst before and after the ceremony. Though occasionally a tardy bride can cause the before ringing to run a little longer.
And then there is endurance bellringing scheduled whenever an event demands, such a new monarch, or when the ringers challenge themselves with new skills. These Quarter Peals last an extraordinary 45 minutes whereas a Peal lasts an inconceivable 3 and a quarter hours. It’s inconceivable as it’s performed from memory.
Changes & Methods
There are two ways of bellringing: Called Changes and Methods. If you have a musical ear, you may be able to tell the difference between these two. In Called Changes typically one bell changes position for each round of all the bells ringing, as directed by the conductor. For methods each round will be different, as the ringers perform lengthy sequences of changes from memory.
So, listen out while you’re in Sydney for the bells and give a thought for the ringers who have trained for years, some even for decades, to deliver the background ambience of our urban life.
You can even arrange a visit during Sunday ringing if you contact the tower using the email addresses on the ANZAB website . And if this is your new passion, and you have a few months of practice nights free for basic training, you too can become a part of the sound of Sydney’s Sundays.
