Recorded: WAH 22/2/01
Analysed: WAH 3/3/01, 7/4/01
These bells are a complete Taylor twelve of 1962, with a flat sixth of 1991. The tower has a huge floor area - it is said to be the largest Romanesque tower in Britain - and the large space around the bells, together with the qualities of the bells themselves, make them first class to listen to. Without further ado, here is rounds on the 12 and, with thanks to David Bagley, the back ten ringing stedman.
| Bell | Founder | Tuning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 6 | Taylor 1962 | - |
| flat 6 | Taylor 1991 | - |
| 7 - 12 | Taylor 1962 | - |
Tenor nominal: 583 Hz
| Bell | Hum | Prime | Tierce | Quint | Nom'l | S'quint | O'nom. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -2406 | -1203 | -897 | -486 | 1939 | 661 | 1173 |
| 2 | -2407 | -1204 | -900 | -497 | 1735 | 666 | 1187 |
| 3 | -2410 | -1204 | -907 | -489 | 1632 | 674 | 1202 |
| 4 | -2409 | -1201 | -903 | -493 | 1426 | 692 | 1236 |
| 5 | -2404 | -1200 | -909 | -499 | 1222 | 692 | 1242 |
| 6 | -2401 | -1201 | -906 | -493 | 1122 | 691 | 1238 |
| 6f | -2394 | -1203 | -899 | -489 | 1016 | 693 | 1247 |
| 7 | -2400 | -1202 | -901 | -495 | 917 | 697 | 1254 |
| 8 | -2395 | -1197 | -889 | -516 | 708 | 694 | 1243 |
| 9 | -2399 | -1206 | -895 | -493 | 507 | 697 | 1257 |
| 10 | -2394 | -1206 | -895 | -489 | 402 | 698 | 1254 |
| 11 | -2399 | -1204 | -895 | -492 | 203 | 698 | 1257 |
| 12 | -2403 | -1206 | -896 | -491 | 0 | 700 | 1260 |
(The figures in this table are all given in cents. For all partials except the nominal, the partials are given from the nominals of the bell. Cents of the nominals are relative to the tenor. Pairs of values indicate a doublet. Frequencies for the quint are often not given, especially if inaudible.)
Here are four of the bells from various points in the peal:
These bells are tuned with octave stretch, quite unashamedly so, with the treble 40 cents sharp and the stretch spread evenly through the peal. This was first drawn to my attention by David Bagley, who suggested that if Wavanal was returning such results it must be the program, not the bells! However, octave stretched they are. The tuning of the lower partials in each bell is very accurate, as will be seen from the table above.
The tuning of the superquints and octave nominals is quite interesting. These show a considerable sharpening from trebles to tenors, and the octave nominals of the front bells are really quite flat compared with most modern bells. As these two partials will not have been tuned, we are seeing here some gradation in the shape or profile of the bells from front to back.
This gradation in shape is confirmed by examining the spectral intensity plots throughout the peal. The spectra of the trebles are quite different from those of the back bells. The trebles have strong hums, moderate primes, weak nominals and nothing much above. This is a very similar profile to the trebles at Greenwich and the old bell at Great Bookham. By the time we get round to the fourth the tierce has taken over as the strongest partial. Most of the heavier bells have a classic modern profile, with weak hum and higher partials. The eighth has possibly the strongest high partials. The tenor has a good profile - some high partials but not enough to really concern, and a good strong nominal. Many of the back bells have a noticeable 11th (the partial at about 500 cents above the nominal) but fortunately this partial is quite subdued in the tenor, avoiding a secondary strike.
It is notable that the intensity profile of the flat 6th is very similar to the 6th. Taylors clearly used the same profile for the new bell in 1991 as they did in 1962.
All in all, a good peal of bells.
Last updated April 7, 2001. Site created by Bill Hibbert, Great Bookham, Surrey