Various Artists
Change Ringing on Handbells
Saydisc (UK) 1981
SDL 310 (LP)
sleeve : EX-(some wear on top edge, slightly color-faded.)
media : EX/EX(some slightly noise.)
An obscure record has just arrived. This album documents performances of “change ringing,” a style of handbell ringing that began developing in England in the early 17th century and, by the early 18th century, had become a subject of mathematical study and practical exploration in London and beyond. Unlike WaNoWa, the choir-chime recording released on our in-house label in 2023—where performers strike the bells with improvised timing and spacing—this tradition is performed according to highly complex mathematical structures, as explained in the liner notes. The performers must rely heavily on memory to keep track of the constantly changing sequences, and considerable focus is required to lock into the flow of changes and maintain the essential rhythmic precision. As you’ll hear, although change ringing was originally performed in church settings, the vivid timbre of the bells intertwining and cycling into evolving patterns creates an ensemble texture that has something in common with ambient music. A truly fascinating work.
A1: Stedman Cinques
A4: Little Bob Twenty-In
B2: Treble Bob Sixteen-In
B4: Bristol Surprise Maximus