Bells of Cambridge

For over 1,200 years church bells have called the faithful to worship, helping people celebrate triumph and commemorate tragedy. But the fact that they are one of the largest and loudest musical instruments in the world is often overlooked.
This is something musical innovator Charles Hazlewood wants to change - he wants to see if church bells can be used to make original music in their own right.
Choosing Cambridge for his musical experiment, Charles immerses himself in the world of bells and bell ringing. He tries his hand at ringing church bells, handbells and even a carillon - an instrument which resembles an organ made out of bells. He discovers why church bell ringing sounds the way it does and tries out some radical techniques - pushing the boundaries, he re-rigs a whole church tower so it can play a tune.
At the culmination of his investigations Charles devises and performs an extraordinary piece of music which involves three separate church towers and 30 handbell ringers gathered from across the eastern counties.

[@JoeAustt]

Those Tittums at GSM sound absolutely amazing! 51:46

[@benkeating4836]

I ring at Great St Mary's every now and then, wonderful bells to be able ring at.

[@friendsofstedmundschurchfa3301]

Beautiful 👌👏 ring those bells 🔔 Bravo 👏

[@fredmills368]

Only one bell foundry left now RIP whitechapel

[@ralphgifford1821]

I didn't know Whitechapel was closed. That's very sad.

[@chillinbro5423]

rip whitechapel at least Taylor is restoring Whitechapel bells now

[@yamyam2987]

Ringing bells in UK has art than any other in the world

[@pc3088]

Very attractive and charming to me! I want to go to Cambridge and hear the sound of the bells in person! :)

[@christianahancox2218]

I didn't like this, I LOVED this - it gave me goosebumps, a lump in my throat and brought tears to my eyes. It was magnificent - thank you!

[@kalamazootw]

I felt exactly the same when I first saw it, and every time ever since. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@museluvr]

They couldn't have picked a more beautiful song, of our Lord' birth. I'm going to be crying soon on the replay.

[@choreboy3906]

Give me a decent size bell and I will not only love it, but Give it a wonderful home.

[@aeh5040]

Impressive to see such mastery of the GSM bells at something like 4h30 peal speed!

[@titob.yotokojr.9337]

That was pleasant enough towards the 50:00 mark. I'm not British so I've never particularly liked listening to chain bell ringing and its repeatitive downward scale. But I do like listening to church bells, particularly when they ring in plenum. I grew up near our parish church so I grew up with church bells ringing.

[@nord1486]

If you don’t like our traditions, you can fuck off.

[@ringerowen4039]

I went to the bournville carillon last week

[@mrunixman1579]

I love this documentary, as an inactive ringer myself. I have rung around Cambridge. Great St Marys bells I only rung their older 12. I don't ring tower bells except the dumb bell now but I still do miss ringing but my health says no.

[@aeh5040]

A very interesting idea and impressive performance! I was skeptical but I think it turned out great.

[@jasonburnet9181]

Rung at a lot of these places! :)

[@1260stedders]

Do you know which tower is shown right at the start?

[@jasnfinlay]

@@1260stedders Thriplow.

[@1260stedders]

@@jasnfinlay Thanks!

[@vesperglocke684]

Great

[@LesclochesdeLoire]

00:03

[@irenec4876]

From 29:45, You can just about Make Out the sound of the bells ringing at Bottisham!

[@1260stedders]

It’s a shame he didn’t talk about hearing the bottisham bells

[@aeh5040]

Skip to 49:51 for the finished product!

[@RingerThomas]

Phillip was making Call Changes not Methods.

[@josephinnedickinson]

Fascinating but please switch on the subtitle function! I am deaf

[@kalamazootw]

Sorry, no subtitles available. I think it goes 'Bing Bong Bing Bong ... Bing Bong Bing Bing'

[@fredmills368]

at about 5:40 that same thing happenned to me

[@DylanSmith_15]

I broke a stay once.

[@ringerowen4039]

I went up there

[@1260stedders]

Which tower?

[@OwenSimmons323]

​​@@1260stedders I went up Bournville

[@RingerThomas]

You could of rung the flat sixth to make an 8 in g

[@harrymcandrew1447]

15:35 thats now incorrect as of 2017 Whitechapel closed so i think its just taylors who are left

[@vintagesimplexfirealarmsof6440]

theres a another ringing called continental ringing

[@CJCappella]

Charles is hot!

[@kalamazootw]

Don't know about hot, definitely talented. His voice and mode of speech puts me in mind of Michael Caine in 'The Italian Job'

[@CJCappella]

Terry L - I think his intellect, his daring to challenge traditional methods about ringing, and having a vision of this English tradition is amazingly hot!