Ringing festival has international sound at 50

Sonorous sounds pealed out from Inveraray Bell Tower last weekend as the annual bell-ringing festival was held, writes Martin Mellor

 

The Inveraray Ringing Festival is 50 years old this year, and it got under way on Friday July 28 in the evening at the neighbouring All Saints church with a special Festival Choral Evensong featuring the Lonan Consort, who are currently touring through the Diocese of Argyll and The Isles.

 

This highlight in the ringing calendar drew bell-ringers from far and wide for a challenging and enjoyable weekend.

 

The 60–70 ringers in Inveraray over the weekend covered a wide range of ages and origins.

 

Bob Hancock from Lincoln has attended dozens of festivals, including the second one in 1974.

 

Jess Durham, who first attended as a teenager, has always loved the 'Finest Bells in Scotland', as an indication arrow at the church proclaims.

 

Jess relishes spending “three days with like-minded ringers who really want to bring out the best in everyone who takes part”.

 

The younger generation were represented by ringers from Inverness-shire in the north to Sussex in the south and even New Zealand (although Kiwi Dylan Thomas, currently living in London, was trumped by Rachel Aland from Brisbane as the ringer who had travelled the furthest).

 

"attachment_996337" "" "300"] Rupert, Oliver and Timothy - the next generation of bell ringers who accompanied their parents to the Inveraray Ringing Festival.

 

Some attendees were too young to pull on the ropes, but the parents of the three young brothers Rupert, Oliver and Timothy Blackburn will certainly be encouraging them as the future of the art and science of change-ringing.

 

It wasn’t only the large tower bells that were rung: many of the attendees also ring hand-bells, with two bands completing special performances to celebrate the anniversary.

 

Commissioned by the 10th Duke of Argyll, as a memorial to soldiers from clan Campbell who died in the First World War, the tower was constructed in 1931 to house its set of 10 bells.

 

By the 1960s, the tower needed some TLC and was restored thanks to the efforts of the Chaddock family, who moved to St Catherines from their native Yorkshire.

 

The Chaddocks established the Inveraray Ringing Festival in 1973 to celebrate the completion of the restoration.

 

Since then, the annual festival has been raising funds and drawing attention to the work needed to preserve this special ring of bells for posterity.

 

"attachment_996334" "" "300"] Inveraray Bell Tower, built to commemorate those clan Campbell members who died in WWI.