I rang bells for a couple of years in high school. We had chapel services eight times a eek and for each service a bellringer climbed the tower and we played three or four hymns while the students assembled below. I never understood the attraction of ringing changes though except as a technical achievment.

Our bells were rung by depressing large levers hard and fast. It was fairly demanding physical activity. The biggest strain was the fear of making a very public mistake on a well known melody. An odd thing is that not only don't I remember ever making a mistake, I don't remember anyone else making one either so I suspect that selective memory is at work here.

I forget now but I think we had a peal of no more than fourteen bells but it seemed that the rank of levers stretched a very long way.

The scariest part was thatwe never could practice quietly. We could mime he lever sequences, just jiggling the handles but when it came time to play, the sound spread out over the little Connecticut town. Even though none of us ever got more than a few years experience ringing bells, we became a fixture in town and I like to believe that many of the residents of the town associate the bells fondly with their home.

Steve