Article for the Dunoon Gazette, published February 2025.
Muso Interview: Julia Stewart and Peter Corlis, bellringers, photos and text by J. Lowe, edited by J. Stewart, P. Corlis
Bellringing, also known as campanology, is a unique form of music. I always enjoyed hearing the bells ringing from St Andrews Anglican Cathedral when I lived in Lismore. However, it wasn’t until I met Julia Stewart (at the Dunoon Hall craft group), that I discovered the sound is actually made by a group of people in the spire of the church (the belfry) pulling long heavy ropes attached to massive bells, in a series of mathematical patterns. Intrigued, I had to find out more…
Bellringing in Christian churches started in around 400 AD in Campania (Italy). However in the 16th century in England church bells were hung from a large wheel, enabling the bells to swing in a full circle and back again. This gave ringers control of their bell, allowing sets of bells to be rung in continuously changing patterns. Bells cannot rapidly duplicate a note as in other music. We have to wait for the bell to travel the full circle. This is “change-ringing”, as performed at St Andrews Lismore. The complex system of changes which makes a ‘peal’ was developed by an Englishman, Fabian Stedman, in 1657. Stedman was also a pioneer in Group Theory (Mathematics).
Julia Stewart is a member of the St Andrews Bellringers.
So, Julia, have you always been into music?
Music is in my soul, has been part of my life from childhood. As a child I learned the piano accordion. We only had radio and music was prime. Primary school choirs introduced me to classics – eg. Mozart. But more choirs alerted me to love the different sounds, moods and feelings music brings. And of course that anticipatory joy, the collective drawing in of breath, as a group prepares to venture forth.
How did you get into bellringing?
I was working in Sydney and had occasion to visit St Andrew’s Burwood church for another purpose and heard the ringing. It was Harvest Festival and they had a camera in the tower so it was enchanting to actually see and hear the action from downstairs. Stupidly I thought it would be contemplative! It certainly looked so. My daughter lived close by so we decided to give it a try. The teacher was incredibly painstaking and other tower members supportive. My developing skill and pleasure only increased. I am still a learner.
When did you first join the St Andrews Bellringers?
I started when I was well into my 50’s – near 30 years ago.
Was your first bell ringing experience scary?
No question, I was so frightened once I got my hands on the rope … the weight, the rope ripping passed centimetres from the nose, yet you are expected to get a hold and look around at others!!! Seemed an impossible feat. I was the most nervous learner. Every bell has a different weight. Our heaviest bell is greater than half a tonne. Rope length varies as well. You may have heard of accidents (and fictional murders) in bell towers. Therefore, there are very strict boundaries as to who can teach in the tightly controlled environment. The but is … no one is ever just left to cope. Beginning ringers always have the teacher sharing the rope control. We are all covered by insurance too. You develop skills at your own pace.
What do you enjoy about it?
So much! We practice once a week and usually perform between church services on Sundays. You become friends with other ringers from all over the world who come from all walks of life, young and old, male and female, churchgoers or not. We all make mistakes, so we have to be tolerant. We have a conductor who is also ringing and must know when each bell should be rung in the sequence and helps us get things right. But the conductor also commands ‘Stand’ (stop ringing) if things just get too chaotic/clashy. The sequence has to be rung from memory. (No visual aids may be used). Our hands, ears and eyes are fully engaged. Ahh and the exercise. Why go to the gym to use weights? Towers have stairs – vertical tunnels. St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane has 102. So legs can get a workout as well.
Do you have to wear earplugs while bellringing?
No. You must be able to hear. All bell towers have a ceiling, so the sound is audible but not deafening.
Are the bells rung for specific events?
Yes. We are part of the wedding business, less so these days. We ring for funerals, church calendar days, Regal and special local events. We are accountable to the Lismore Council for when we are allowed to ring, after all there are people who groan hearing bells on Sunday mornings. Towers are equipped now to manage sound. Special letter drops are done for one-off occasions. The Lismore Anglican Cathedral is a garrison church so there are also Vice-regal visits which call for a special ring.
What are the different ringing patterns?
Far too many to list. New patterns, ‘methods’, of mathematical sequences are being composed all the time. But there are many very old traditional methods as well – Grandsire, Stedmans. Some get fun names – Shipping Forecast, Lismore minimus (composed locally). We can ring solemnly or joyously depending on the specific bells chosen.
How old do you have to be to start bellringing?
Some kids start early (reach the rope, then you can ring the bell), others still ring well into their 90’s. People drop in and out of ringing pending on life demands. You do not have to be a musician or a mathematician.
You’ve written a book about the connections between mathematics, bellringing and handcrafts. Can you tell us more about that?
I think I just like numbers! I am a ‘count-er’ from way back.
Women’s use of numbers was rarely recognised historically. Traditional arts often use complex mathematical concepts. My mother and father were perfect role models for me. Traditional guilds show mastery of materials. In knitting it is the recognition of the quality of different yarns, dimensions of yarn and needle size that impacts on what is produced for what purpose. I felt it was time to explore and celebrate the mathematics of traditional handicrafts.
And so to bellringing. I created a woven bookmark using a bell ringing pattern – a visual of sound. Now fine details often give way to ‘quick makes’, and complexity is missed. Bellringing keeps the fun of maths alive.
Are the St Andrews Bellringers looking for new members?
We have 8 bells (metro towers can have 12-16 bells) and it is like a full choir when all bells are rung – really satisfying for everyone listeners and ringers alike. We all have another life so it is good to have more ringers so we can take time off too. New ringers are always welcome. You ring to your skill level and availability. All bell towers are different – that is part of the fun and skills expand if visiting other towers Nationally or Internationally. Lismore is very firmly on the international campanologist’s map. Tower visitors are welcome as negotiated.
More from Peter Corlis, the steeple keeper of St Andrews (bellringer for 10 years):
In some churches, bells swing in a similar way to those at St Andrews, but ring randomly. These are the bells you might hear on a Sunday morning on a holiday in mainland Europe. In other churches the bells are stationary and are rung by being struck by hammers either by hand, or by a mechanised process. These bells can play chords and tunes. St Carthages Cathedral in Lismore has these types of bells.
The St Andrews Bells are change-ringing bells. Each of the 8 bells at St Andrews is tuned to a note on the B flat major scale and is attached to a rope that is pulled by a person. The bells are rung one at a time, in “sequences”, not together in chords. The patterns in which the bells are rung are called methods. In each line of a method (called a change) the order (or sequence) of bells changes. Eg. For 3 bells 1, 2 & 3, there are 6 different possible changes or sequences: 123, 213, 231, 321, 312 & 132. For 7 bells the number of sequences increase to 5040 (= 7! or 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 for those mathematically inclined). This could be rung in an 8-bell tower like St. Andrews where the “tenor” (the largest & deepest sounding bell) acts as a “cover” bell punctuating the end of each line of changes. When ringers ring 5040 changes in one go, it is called a “peal”. It takes 3 hours+ of continuous ringing to perform a peal.
For events such as funerals, the bells can be fitted with muffles to make them softer and a minor scale is normally chosen. The smallest bell is the “treble”. The bells in between the tenor and the treble do not have names, only numbers. For funerals, the tenor bell is normally rung (tolled) for the number of years the person has lived.
A minimum of 3 ringers is needed to perform. But the more the merrier – subs sitting on the sidelines like in team sport are welcome so people can have breaks.
It takes a few weeks to learn the techniques and build up stamina. Teaching new people is incorporated into the weekly practices (and the experienced people get a well-earned break meanwhile!)
Have you become fitter?
Physically- maybe not greatly, but I have probably become mentally fitter because the ability to maintain concentration in the current digital world is something we are all losing. You must be fully mentally and physically engaged to do change-bellringing. It is very meditative. You really get into it in the long methods. At the end you do feel well stretched with improved posture and as if you have had a good moderate workout.
More about the St Andrews Bellringers:
https://www.lismoreanglicans.com/new-page
