Bell tolls at a Memorial Service

[Robin Pentland]

Hi Creative Wisdom,

What creative ideas do you have for bell tolls as names are read in a Memorial Service?  We have a small ensemble playing at our upcoming PNW UMC Annual Conference and part fo the service will include tolling as they read the names of pastors and other leaders who have passed this year.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Robin Pentland

Seattle, WA

[Charles Peery]

What I typically do on All Saints is:

 

Choose bells from a pre-determined scale.  i.e.  pentatonic, whole tone.  I use the biggest bells I think I can hand to people, because I think lower bells give more gravitas to the situation.  I split the bells up between the people randomly.  Sometimes one bell per person, sometimes two.  By randomly I mean not in pitch-order.    I station the people around the Sanctuary sides aisles, up in the balcony, and across the front of the chancel (in a way that doesn't block the view of anyone reading names.)

 

1.  There is an introductory collect or prayer during which we random ring pianissimo.  We stop this when the prayer ends.

2.  When actual names are being read we go around the room in a pre-determined fashion ringing one bell mezzo forte after each name that is read.  We try to time it so that as soon as the voice finishes the name, the bell is sounding.  If the people have two bells in different octaves, this varies the pitch that sounds after each name and the listener can't really guess at the next pitch.

3.  There is a concluding prayer/collect during which we random ring again, pianissimo.

4.  There is an "Amen" after which we ring all bells in the room once at the same time mezzo piano as a sort of concluding chord-cluster.

 

Hope this helps,

Chuck in St. Louis

 

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[Robin Pentland]

Thanks, Chuck!  That sounds beautiful.  

<trying to figure out how that would work>

Robin

[bnelson]

At Wesley UMC Aurora, we toll a single bell, always G3, after the reading of each name, It rings until the sound is gone, before the next name is said, or before. Always G3, however. This was a group decision some years ago.

[Ann F]

When we've tolled, we've always rung a D-flat 4. We don't think the G3 carries as far and the D-flat seems to have a sombre tone to it.

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Photo gallery of the construction of my viola d'amore - http://violaann.smugmug.com/Music/My-Viola-DAmore-Marguerite/36032083_cHq22x/1

2013 Christmas letter - http://violaann.smugmug.com/Other/Christmas-Greetings-2013/35463087_ZcwSzt
Ann's hostas - about 180 varieties, updated for 2013:

http://violaann.smugmug.com/Garden/Hostas/Hostas-in-my-garden-A/7617361_qL3gHS
Emmanubells Handbell Team - http://www.emmanuelunited.ca/worship_renewal/bells.php

Ottawa Chamber Orchestra - http://www.ottawachamberorchestra.com/

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