HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-12-18, Page 331
INSIDL
CHILDREN
AND
CHRISTMAS
1
./
,
Serving South Huron
North Middlesex & Lambton
THOUGHTS
ON THE
SEASON
FROM THE
LOCAL
SCHOOLS
Second Section
Sound of church bells
a rare treat at
any time of the year
By Adrian Harte
EXETER - The notes of a
Christmas carol peal out
across the town. Many peo-
ple may stop, listen, and
smile, but not really give the
sound of the bells another
thought.
In actual fact, the sound of
a carillon of bells ringing
from a church tower is quite
rare in this part of the province. Some churches and
clock towers have made use of electronically simulated
bells, or those activated mechanically, bit in the tower
of Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church tin re hangs a set
of 10 bells to be played by hand, just as they were 101
years ago.
In 1890, Thomas Trivitt, the first clerk of Stephen
Township, decided to further extend his generosity to
the two-year old church which was erected in his name.
An order was placed with the McShane Foundry of
Baltimore, Maryland for a set of 10 bells, which even-
tually cost $2,800; an enormous sum considering that
the entire church was built for about $5,000. The total
weight of the bells is 7,419 pounds, the largest of
which, the "great bell" weighs 2,019 pounds alone.
The inscription on that bell reads "When our rich
tones you hear,/ Those noble names endear,/ Who
brought and placed us here -I Thomas and Elizabeth
Trivitt./ A.D. 1890."
Dr. John Goddard, who is one of today's bell ringers,
says that there is a legend surrounding the installation
of the bells. With Trivitt on his death bed, workers
rushed to get the bells operating so that their benefactor
could hear them. When asked what he thought of the
playing of the chimes, Trivitt is claimed to have said "I
wished I'd died last week".
Goddard says there is no way of knowing today
whether that tidbit of folklore is true, or even based on
fact. However, since the chimes were operating as of
December 1990, and Trivitt did not pass on until July
1894, there is probably good reason to suspect some
exaggeration has crept into the tale over the years.
Thomas Trivitt and his wife Elizabeth were laid to
rest in a crypt beneath the church floor.
Church organist and choir leader Robert Cameron
maintained and played the bells from 1947 to 1965,
said Goddard. But after then the bells sat silent for
over 20 years.
Rev. Duke Vipperman, who took over as rector in
1986, expressed interest in bringing back to life the
Huron Diocese's only carillon other than those in St.
Paul's Cathedral in London, Ontario.
"One day he [Vipperman] said to me 'the bells are
"urs. Fix them up and play them'," explained God -
rd.
With the help of Jack Snell, new cables and springs
were installed to get the set back into working order.
Snell's daughters, Tracy and Terri, were recruited as
new ringers to carry the interest in the carillon into the
future.
Pushing the levers to move the heavy strikers onto
the bells is, understandably, hard work. There are only
10 notes, corresponding to the key of F, so all tunes
have to be chosen carefully. To date, about 50 hymns,
carols, and traditional bell -tower peals have been
transposed for use in the tower, although a church
booklet suggests up to 150 tunes were in use in at one
time.
Some have even dared to suggest the Exeter church's
chimes possess a richer sound than those in London,
which are said to be "tinny" in comparison.
Although few people today make the climb up the
spiral staircase to see the bells, at one time the carillon
was described as "the main tourist attraction of Exet-
er"
Rev. Fay Patterson, the present rector of the church,
agrees that the significance of the bells is perhaps lost
on much of the present population.
"It's a very special monument that's here. People in
Exeter should be proud of it," she said.
While the playing apparatus on the second floor of
the tower has since lost the sheen of the original "fine-
ly finished oak" and the sparkle has gone from the sil-
ver note markers and the "handsome brass hinges", Ex-
eter residents can still take comfort in the fact that the
future of the bells is being ensured. The bell tower of
the church was restored this year to repair decay in its
brickwork to the tune of $60,000. Further work to the
decorative windows will also help to keep out the ele-
ments.
However, keep in mind that the tower is not heated.
Those who volunteer to ring out the carols this week
do so bundled up in coats, scarves and hats, but
warmed by the fact they are bringing a little traditional
Christmas cheer to the community.
Ten bells, cart In BaKlmore In 1890, still hang In the Anglican church tower. The largest
"great" bell, weighs over a ton. The smallest weighs 220 pounds. The bells are played with
lever -operated strikers, but the largest bell can still be rocked with a pull rope to make use of
its Internal clapper. The six largest used to be rung In this manner for "peal" ringing, but have
long been blocked with ropes disconnected.
Three for
women,
six for men
EXETER - While only a
handful of people play the
bellg, in the tower of Trivia
Memorial Anglican Church
today, there was a time when
there must have been a
whole legion of them, or per-
haps it was hoped there
would be. A list of rules and
regulations regarding the op-
eration of Exeter's newest
and proudest landmark was
published in December
1890. Ringing the bells
must have been a privilege,
because members of the so-
ciety were required to pay 25
cents just to belong. Some
other amusing excerpts from
the rules are reprinted here:
•Each ringer shall pay 5
cents per month, which mon-
ey shall be paid at the belfry,
on the last Monday of the
month throughout the year.
This money shall be kept for
a dinner or supper when the
society thinks proper.
•Each ringer shall attend at
the belfry at 8 o'clock p.m.
every Monday throughout
the year unless a different
time is appointed at the last
ringing night, for the pur-
pose of improving them-
selves in change ringing.
•Each ringer shall pay a
fine of 5 cents for being
more than 15 minutes after 8
o'clock on a practice night,
and he shall be fined 10
cents if he don't [sic] appear
in the belfry on such nights
nor give 25 hours notice one
of the ringers (sickness or
fire excepted).
•Any ringer entering the
belfry DRUNK OR DISOR-
DERLY or being incapable
of ringing his bell through
DRUNKENNESS will be
fined 25.cents.
•Rules for Church service:
Keep Town time. Thirty
minutes before Service the
great bell will be rung for
five minutes, then the
Chimes will play until five
minutes before the hour of
commencing service. The
great Bell will then toll until
the hour, finishing with four
notes down the scale, begin-
ning with the highest.
•For Funerals the great
Bell will toll three strokes
for a female, and six for a
male M. After a pause the
age of the deceased will be
recorded in the time of twen-
ty beats to the minute.
Dr. John Goddard (left) watches as Terri and Tracy (right) Snell
play Christmas carols on the chimes in the Trivitt Memorial
Anglican Church tower.
The bell tower of Tilvltt Memorial Church Is the only church
in the Anglican Diocese of Huron to have a carillon of bells,
aside from the cathedral In London. Due to their expense,
such bells are rare in Canada.