I assumed that I’d leave the Cathedral having spent a portion of my afternoon interviewing an elderly person. I’d also assumed that I would have painfully ringing ears.
To my surprise, I was entirely wrong.
I assumed that I’d leave the Cathedral having spent a portion of my afternoon interviewing an elderly person. I’d also assumed that I would have painfully ringing ears.
To my surprise, I was entirely wrong.
On a recent afternoon I scurried into the Cathedral of St Michael and St George, trying to keep my camera out of the persistent drizzle, and met the young steeple keeper, Richard Tyson.
As we climbed the 63 steps up the narrow and dizzying spiral staircase that took us into the front spire, the Grade 11 St Andrew’s College pupil and I began to discuss his labour of love: bell-ringing.
What I found out was:
– Grahamstown has the first ring of bells to be installed in Africa. It was hung in the Cathedral tower in 1879. The bells, an octave cast by John Warner and Sons in London, were supplied complete with fittings and a frame of English oak. The bell frame was changed in 1993 to steel. The bottom half of the slats in the bell chamber were also bricked up around this time because Grahamstown residents had complained about the noise.
– There were only eight bells until 1997 when two trebles, cast the previous year in London at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, were added to the ring in the new frame.
– The heaviest of the Cathedral’s 10 bells, the tenor, weighs 1.3 tons.
– The bell sequence (called a method) that the Cathedral ringers ring every Sunday is a three-or-more bell method called Plain Hunt and it lasts about 15 seconds, depending on the number of bells you are using.
– According to Tyson, the Cathedral tower sways a bit if all the bells are rung together.
– Despite what one might think, the sound in the ringing chamber isn't loud enough to hurt your ears.
– And there now only three active bell ringers left in Grahamstown.
It’s true. In an exquisite historic cathedral that houses 10 bells, there aren’t enough people to bring out their full potential, because of a dwindling interest in the tradition.
In recent years the experienced ringers have almost all stopped or moved out of town, leaving just Tyson, Catherine Letcher and Lech Kowalski. Tyson says many curious visitors come to see what they do – but the trick is to keep them coming back.
In an attempt to get fresh faces into the Cathedral’s bell tower last year, the ringers offered to provide food to street children who came to practices. Sadly, few of them came regularly.
Another tale of missed opportunity is the South African Guild of Church Bell Ringers AGM that was meant to be hosted in Grahamstown this year. Unfortunately, because of the small local numbers, the AGM was moved to Durban.
Tyson invites anyone who is interested to come and see how the bells are rung every Sunday from 6pm to 7pm. Almost anyone can give it a try – even if you’re not the tallest in town. He says people with smaller builds might struggle a little with the long bell strokes, but those from age 10 and up should be able to do it.
If you’re keen to become a bell-ringer you can learn the art at the Cathedral and go on to join the South African Guild of Bell Ringers.
SMS Tyson any time 071 903 3875 via SMS, or call him after-hours at the same number. You can also call the Cathedral parish office at 046 622 2445.
'If I’m not here, the bells won’t ring’
Richard Tyson first became interested in bell-ringing when he was too small to actually try it – but no matter, he asked his mother to take him to see how they were rung one Sunday.
In Grade 6 he went back and began his training under Colin Lewis, who has since moved to Wales. Tyson gained a few years’ experience and then took a break until about a year ago, he said. When he returned Lewis had left and, he said, “I had to sort of find my own way.”
The young man has since been made steeple keeper and has taught himself how to tend to all the bells’ needs.
And what does a steeple keeper do?
Tyson says he’s responsible for overseeing the bell-ringing every Sunday evening, performing general maintenance on the bells (oiling parts, repairing the odd broken stay and checking that the ropes haven’t frayed) and he shows newbie ringers the ropes. Literally.
When he leaves school, he wants to become a sheep farmer. He says he helps out on his cousin’s farm in Bedford during the holidays, but he would still like to come back to Grahamstown on Sundays to do his bell-ringing duties.
“My friends used to tease me. They still do, actually, but they don’t know what it’s about, how important it is,” Tyson said.
But instead of letting this hold him back, he said it's motivated him.
“If I’m not here, the bells won’t ring,” said Tyson, who also plays the bagpipes with the St Andrew’s College pipe band, competing in solo and band competitions.
How to speak ‘bell’
Stay: a long rectangular piece of wood slotted into the bell’s headstock to hold it in place while the bell is in the up position.
A peal: a method that is rung, taking about three hours.
Sally: the colourful spiralling furry hand grip that hangs around head-height on the bell’s rope.
Tail: The furthest end of the bell rope, below the Sally.
