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On May 10, 2001, the
Joybells took a field trip up into the bell tower of Wait
Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University.
A Short History of
Handbells
During the past year the Joybells have been learning about
tower bells, change ringing and the eventual evolution of
bells into the church as handbells. This visit provided an
opportunity for them to see, hear and even feel the power of
large vibrating bells in a church tower.
During the 16th century churches built
with an expansive collection of bells in their towers were
viewed as an active and healthy church. Smaller bells were
developed from these large tower bells as a way to practice
without disturbing the community. These small bells were
called "dumb bells" initially because they did not have any
clappers inside to make sounds.
Ringers usually rehearsed on the dumb
bells in the cold damp basement of the tower memorizing the
pattern for the bell they would later ring from the end of a
swinging rope. Sometimes women of the church made a quilt
illustraing the pattern for each bell to be rung. To the
church member this was a beautiful work of the art. To the
new bell ringer it was
salvation!
The Wait Chapel Bell
Tower
Some of the Joybells are seated on the carilon
bench.
In order to get all the way up into the
carilon we took an elevator as far as it would go. On this
level the Joybells visited a practice carilon where the
carillonneur can work on music before it is shared for the
neighborhood.
After everyone had a chance to play the
practice instrument we continued our journey up through the
clock tower, then took a small spiral staircase into the
loft housing the real carilon. The bells in this tower are
not rung by ropes, but by striking wooden levers with your
fists on the keyboard. Red tape on the levers mark all the
"C" notes for easier reference in playing. The feet play the
low bass notes somewhat like a real organ. The bells are
located in the ceiling overhead that is accessible up a
ladder and through a trap
door.
22,000 Pounds of
Bells
Here are the ringers who climbed up the ladder
from the carilon level and through the trap door to see the
bells up close. These are probably the bravest and youngest
kids to ever make this hike up into the bell
loft.
The Wait Chapel bell tower holds 47 bells
played by carilon keyboard. Their total weight is 22,000
lbs. The largest bell in this carilon holds
it own at 4400 pounds. Now that's "heavy
metal!" Each bell in this tower
carries an ingraved inscription on the bell
casting so they are literally ringing
the words of the Lord with every stroke!
In this photo the inscriptions engraved on the castings
are partially visible.
The bells are stacked with the lowest
ones on the bottom row. The carilon
keyboard activates these bells with a hammer on
the back side of the casting. Near the end
of our visit however these bells were
programed to "swing" so that the clapper inside each the
bell would ring them. It was during
this time that the entire room shook from the
vibrations of these bells swinging just over
our heads.
Ray Ebert Plays the
Bells
Mr. Ray Ebert, one of two carillonneaurs,
plays music the Joybells have
recently rung for worship on the carilon keyboard. What fun
it was to hear what this sounded like
from inside a bell tower!
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