Bell Ringing in the Belfry at Liverpool Cathedral

Short (but long) touch of Grandsire Cinques being rung at Liverpool Cathedral at their monthly practice, on Saturday 21st October 2017.
0:00 - In Lift to Belfry
0:53 - Start of the 12 bell ringing
4:06 - Top View
Liverpool Cathedral, 12 Bells. Tenor: 82-0-11, in Ab. dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?...
Click here to watch the Tenor being raised. • Raising the Tenor in t...

[@Andyb2379]

Absolutely beautiful- such perfection in every aspect. I’m up from Sussex & will visit on New Year’s Day 2023.

[@adamm2693]

i was at the very same practice!! never knew you could go up to see the bells

[@lucasowen5040]

I remember ringing here. A fantastic experience!

[@JamesJoynson]

Totally agree with you there! They go very well too. Shame they're very hard to hear well.

[@FoundersFire]

Suzanne Vega mentioned these bells in a show many years ago and I came here to have a listen. I fully understand her description of their wonderful cacophony!

[@danielfairfield923]

Liverpool cathedral bells are in the top three of most visited bells in all of Europe, also the cleanest bells which gives it the unique sound.

[@DocHellfish]

Incredible.. I could not describe the sound.

[@lucasowen5040]

Smashing tenor solo at the start!

[@FrancescoBellringer]

Great mic quality! some of the best of these bells no doubt

[@JamesJoynson]

I had an iPhone 7 when I recorded these back in 2017. And as i said at the start of the video, I thought they might break the phone's microphone, but clearly not. I was surprised at how well they came out too. Well done Apple

[@FrancescoBellringer]

@@JamesJoynson Well given the reputation these bells have for being difficult to record, or perhaps even hear clearly, it’s outstanding the quality of iPhone cam’s and mic’s!

[@user-vs9yx6yl8g]

@@JamesJoynson the bourdon is cast by john taylor these bells are mears and stainbank

[@CorvusS-zm5md]

Very Nice Bells!

[@MePeterNicholls]

I went to the top there once. My god it was scary for me going up those steps!

[@williambaron5717]

possibly the best sounding peal of bells out there and the heaviest set hung for change ringing.

[@j_y06]

When the doors opened and the tenor rung, that gave me chills due to me having my volume up lol

[@JamesJoynson]

Haha 😂. Imagine how I felt being there. I had ear defenders on obviously but the massive bang after the doors opened!

[@c-historia]

magnificent!

[@willowvc1910]

It looks really spooky and really incredible at the same time x

[@BigBobTheNewBellRinger]

The reverb from that one bell is insane @ 00:27

[@JamesJoynson]

That’s the 4th smallest bell in the tower. And the reverb is mainly made up by the echo in the belfry. The belfry is so huge so the bells echo like crazy!

[@BigBobTheNewBellRinger]

@@JamesJoynson there is always discussion about the Liverpool Cathedral acoustics, and I like how what a clear example of how MUCH it echoes in there

[@AYDEN_OFROBLOX]

@@BigBobTheNewBellRinger bravo

[@gustavoceballos5327]

Nice to hear bell #12 (Tenor)

[@elliottswanson9307]

Wonderful!

[@Jackzilla2006]

My favourite Anglican Cathedral bell is The Emmanuel

[@ringermikey]

Yo these bells are banging

[@JamesJoynson]

They certainly are, and go perfectly too

[@richardharrold9736]

@@JamesJoynson shame the crap acoustics of the tower make them almost inaudible as distinct pitches rather than just a general WAAAAAAA swimming around that huge space. They could fit the cathedral organ in there on top of the bells!

[@Owen-hs9dk]

82-0-11 tenor bell 0:56

[@lucarichard5899]

Good Video : )

[@MrDan957]

Magnificent 🔔

[@Owen-hs9dk]

Not inside of ringing bells but outside instead to hear it

[@gustavoceballos5327]

14 bells in total 13 swinging bells (2# non operational) 1 bourdon (Great George) in the middle

[@OwenSimmons323]

Howcome the sharp second isnt rung?

[@OwenSimmons323]

Or do you just mean ie this video?

[@RingerThomas]

The Bells look very clean

[@RingerJamie]

Yes they look shiny

[@OwenSimmons323]

The tenor doesnt if you look at it closely

[@Owen-hs9dk]

9-0-25 treble bell 0:53

[@MateuszDzwony]

Wow

[@toastedbutter4316]

im pretty sure there is a video of people ringing Cambridge minor on the back 6 just imagine that for a moment

[@Steven_Rowe]

It was nice to hear the tenor without the others ringing. I think the biggest disappointment at Liverpool is the bas acoustics due to the belfry being way to big plus nothing to absorb the sound bouncing off the hard walls. Also due to the heavy bells they are a lot of work to ring well. Be nice to think they had the money to fix the acoustics.

[@dariomorosi7422]

More happy such as bells play

[@leewakefield8658]

Does anyone know when one can see these bells in action? It seems like the tower is closed on Sundays, which is generally when the bells are rung?

[@JamesJoynson]

They hold a monthly ringing practice every 3rd Saturday in the evenings

[@leewakefield8658]

@@JamesJoynson Nice, though looks like the tower is normally closed in the evenings? is there a special way to get in there to see the bells in action as it is something I would love to experience? My home speakers can't do it justice!

[@LandoVr0527]

Do you know about the bell in the middle? Great gorge

[@JamesJoynson]

Yes. That is Great George, the bourdon bell of the cathedral. Weighs 14 tons, and is chinned by a rope attached to its internal clapper

[@emanuelecorbelli6707]

Hi.. The bells are not 12 with the tenor but 14 ( 12 in A B 2, the tenor in M B2 and the semitone in re4 that is used with the 8 minors bells in M B 3)

[@AshleyMonck69]

They are a diatonic 12 hence they are a ring of 12. The bourdon in the middle not being part of it, and the sharp second being part of the front 8

[@emanuelecorbelli6707]

@@AshleyMonck69 13 bells.. Even if they don't use much the 8 bells im Mb3

[@adamm2693]

i think MB is eurospeak for E-flat 🤨

[@OwenSimmons323]

​@@adamm2693 essentialy yes 😂

[@3c19rainiron5]

What About the Big Bell can ring?

[@Campanaronembrese]

How much does the tenor weight (in kg)?

[@JamesJoynson]

It’s on the Dove’s Guide link in the description. It weighs 4171kg

[@thomassaunders7914]

It must have been very noisy from where you were standing

[@JamesJoynson]

I had ear defenders on. Otherwise I would probably never hear again 😂

[@owen7706]

liverpool cathedral bell are too loud mxxzzs gaming and planespotting

[@op6883]

There in the key of A minor so there basically just descending the A minor scale

[@JamesJoynson]

They’re in Ab/G# Major

[@denisemerchant1075]

Very loud

[@kiwibellringer9729]

I think that tenor needs a wooden shafted clapper.

[@JamesJoynson]

Not gonna happen. Some years back, they did put a wooden-shafted clapper on the tenor, and it made it strike much quieter apparently. So, they put the original back on.

[@95tupolev]

@@JamesJoynson The tenor clapper is a special EN16 fitted in the 1960's. It has lasted all this time, so probably better to keep it!

[@AllieThePrettyGator]

Its a shame the cathedral has no Clock Mechenism to chime the bells. The Bourdon Great Geroge would be a nice Hour Bell

[@JamesJoynson]

It would yeah. But also it’s rare for the 12 bells to be down because it takes a long time to raise them again. So they wouldn’t be ideal as quarter chimes or to play a tune every 4hrs

[@AllieThePrettyGator]

@@JamesJoynson if only they have clock bells like York Minster

[@joannabrennan1466]

I went to the top anyone else?

[@joannabrennan1466]

Wait what's a clapper 🤔

[@bruh3120]

What makes the bell ring