Method ringing
Method ringing is a form of change ringing, the art of ringing tuned church bells in mathematical patterns to produce variations in their striking order, where ringers follow predefined sequences of changes without a conductor's calls, ensuring each bell strikes once per row in a coordinated team effort.[1] These methods, described using place notation—a shorthand system indicating the positions bells occupy—allow for systematic permutations of bell orders, starting and often ending in rounds (the sequence from lightest to heaviest bell).[2] Performed on sets of bells ranging from 4 to 12 or more (termed stages like Minor for 6 bells or Major for 8), method ringing emphasizes precision, with each change being a transposition where bells move at most one position relative to others.[2] The practice originated in England during the late 16th or early 17th century, evolving from earlier chiming and call-change traditions enabled by the invention of the full-circle bell wheel, which allowed controlled swinging and precise timing.[3] Fabian Stedman, often called the father of change ringing, formalized early methods in his 1668 book Tintinnalogia, introducing concepts like Plain Hunt and Grandsire that remain foundational.[3] The first recorded peal—a continuous performance of at least 5,000 changes without repetition—was rung in 1715 at St Peter Mancroft in Norwich, marking a milestone in the pursuit of extended compositions.[3] Method ringing is governed by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers (CCCBR), established in 1891 to standardize practices, including the 2019 Framework for Method Ringing[4], which defines terms like rows (complete bell permutations), blocks (structured change segments), and compositions (arrangements of methods with calls to avoid repetition).[3] Today, it thrives in over 5,000 British towers[5] and internationally through groups like the North American Guild of Change Ringers, serving both worship and recreational purposes while demanding physical skill, mental acuity, and collaboration among ringers.[1] Advanced methods, such as Surprise Major, challenge participants.[6] The inherent complexity of these methods presents significant challenges to ringers, yet successful execution fosters a deep sense of satisfaction and achievement.[7]History and Development
Origins in England
Method ringing, a systematic form of change ringing on tuned bells, originated in England during the 17th century as bellringers sought to produce all possible permutations of bell orders through mathematical sequences. This development was closely tied to the tradition of full-circle ringing in church towers, where sets of bells were hung for swinging through 360 degrees, allowing precise control over striking order. Early experiments likely took place in these ecclesiastical settings, such as at St. Mary-le-Bow in London and other parish towers equipped with rings of five or six bells by the mid-1600s, fostering the transition from random call changes to structured methods.[3][8] A pivotal figure in formalizing method ringing was Fabian Stedman (1640–1713), often regarded as the father of change ringing for his contributions to its mathematical and practical foundations. Around the 1660s, Stedman developed early methods including Grandsire and Plain Bob, which relied on repetitive hunting patterns and place-making to generate changes without repetition. These innovations were detailed in his co-authored publication Tintinnalogia (1668), the first comprehensive treatise on the art, which described peals on up to twelve bells and introduced systematic notation for recording sequences. The book, printed in Cambridge, emphasized the treble bell's role as a hunt and provided examples like Grandsire Bob on six bells, now recognized as Plain Bob Minor, thereby standardizing principles that enabled more complex extents. Handbell ringing also contributed to initial experiments, as smaller portable bells allowed ringers to practice methods indoors or during off-hours without accessing tower equipment, though it gained prominence later in the century.[3][9][8][10] A key milestone came in 1715 with the first recorded true peal—an unbroken extent of 5,040 changes on seven bells—rung on May 2 at St. Peter Mancroft in Norwich by members of the Norwich Scholars society. This achievement, of 5040 Grandsire Bob Triples (known today as Plain Bob Triples), demonstrated the feasibility of ringing full extents without error and marked the beginning of documented peal ringing, with over 300,000 such performances recorded worldwide since. Stedman's later work, Campanalogia (1677), further refined these methods, solidifying method ringing as a blend of musical and mathematical pursuit centered in England's church towers.[3][10][11]Evolution of Methods
The evolution of method ringing in the 19th century was marked by significant advancements in technique and organization, building on earlier foundations to create more complex and standardized practices. A notable milestone was a peal of 6,600 changes on 12 bells, rung in 1788 at the University Church of St Mary the Great in Cambridge, which demonstrated the feasibility of extended compositions on larger numbers of bells and encouraged further experimentation with method structures.[12] In the late 1800s, innovations included the introduction of surprise methods, such as Cambridge Surprise Major, which featured internal places that added intricacy and musicality to the ringing, first rung in a peal on 11 February 1873 at St Peter's, Benington, Hertfordshire.[13] Concurrently, treble bob variations gained prominence, with Jasper Snowdon's 1878 treatise standardizing compositions by explaining variations like those in Kent and Oxford Treble Bob, allowing ringers to transpose and extend methods more systematically.[14] The founding of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers in 1891 played a pivotal role in these developments, serving as a coordinating body that promoted uniformity and documented progress across ringing societies.[15] The Council facilitated method classification by establishing guidelines for naming, recording, and validating new methods, ensuring that innovations like surprise and treble bob variants were cataloged and shared widely, which accelerated their adoption.[16] This organizational effort culminated in the early 1900s with the standardization of place notation, pioneered by John Carter around 1900, a concise system using numbers to represent bell paths that simplified the description and composition of methods without relying on lengthy diagrams.[17] In the 20th century, computational aids emerged to support method composition, with John Carter's mechanical ringing machine, developed from the 1890s to the 1920s, automating the generation of change sequences and enabling ringers to test complex peals mechanically before performance.[18] The World Wars profoundly disrupted practice, as World War I claimed over 1,600 ringers' lives and reduced active bands, while World War II imposed a nationwide ban on bell ringing from 1940 to 1943 to avoid signaling invasions, leading to a temporary decline in skills but sparking renewed enthusiasm postwar.[19][20] These challenges, combined with the Council's ongoing standardization—which provided greater consistency and logic in classification, naming, and records but also constrained innovation through the Legitimate Methods Committee's proscription of certain methods in the early 20th century—fostered resilience, ensuring method ringing's continued expansion and development despite such restrictions.[21][22] The Council's 2019 Framework for Method Ringing removed most of these 20th-century constraints.[16] The 300th anniversary of the first peal in 2015 was commemorated with special peals and events worldwide, highlighting the art's enduring legacy.[23]Global Spread
Method ringing, originating in England, spread globally primarily through British emigration during the 19th and early 20th centuries, with emigrants establishing towers and teaching the practice in their new homelands. In Australia and New Zealand, the first rings of bells for change ringing were installed as early as 1847 at Holy Trinity Church in Hobart, Tasmania, facilitating the introduction of the art among colonial communities. The first full peal outside the United Kingdom was rung in Australia on New Year's Day 1891 at St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne, a Grandsire Triples performance led by John Mottram Guest. In North America, change ringing arrived with early settlers, evidenced by bells cast in 1744 for the Old North Church in Boston, Massachusetts, marking the continent's oldest surviving ring; the first peal there occurred in 1850 at Christ Church in Philadelphia. Dedicated associations emerged to organize and promote the practice abroad. The New South Wales Association of Change Ringers was founded in 1946, followed by the Australian and New Zealand Association of Bellringers (ANZAB) in 1962, which unified efforts across both countries and now oversees 85 towers in Australia and 7 in New Zealand (as of November 2025). In North America, the North American Guild of Change Ringers (NAGCR) was established in 1972, shortly after the installation of a major ring at Washington National Cathedral, to foster communication and standards among approximately 50 active towers continent-wide. Growth has extended to Asia more recently, with Southeast Asia's first change-ringing peal rung in 2019 at St Andrew's Cathedral in Singapore, highlighting the art's adaptation in non-traditional regions. Adaptations have enabled method ringing in diverse settings beyond traditional church towers. Handbell ringing, using portable sets for double-handed changes, became particularly popular in North America from the early 20th century, allowing practice without fixed installations and supporting peal attempts in homes or community spaces. Secular towers, often at universities such as MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, or Kalamazoo College in Michigan, have hosted rings since the mid-20th century, broadening access to non-religious enthusiasts. As of the 2020s, estimates place the global number of active change ringers at around 40,000, with the majority still in the British Isles but increasing overseas due to these innovations. Modern digital tools have further facilitated international collaboration. Online platforms like Ringing Room enable virtual change ringing via web-based simulators, connecting ringers from distant locations for joint practices and peals, a practice that surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and persists in global communities. Software such as Beltower and method-learning apps support composition, simulation, and training, helping isolated groups maintain standards and share techniques worldwide.Basic Principles
Bell Numbering and Setup
In method ringing, bells are traditionally numbered from 1, the treble (the highest-pitched bell), to n, the tenor (the lowest-pitched bell), with the sequence reflecting their descending order of pitch during ringing.[24][2] This numbering system facilitates the description of changes, where the positions of the bells relative to one another are tracked throughout the performance.[2] The physical setup for method ringing occurs in church towers, where bells are hung in a frame to enable full-circle swinging, allowing each bell to rotate through approximately 360 degrees on its pivot.[25] Essential components include a wooden stay attached to the headstock, which props the bell mouth-upwards at the balance point, and a horizontal slider that engages the stay to halt the rotation and prevent continuous spinning in one direction.[25][26] When pulled by ringers via sally and tail ends of the rope, the bells accelerate to strike in controlled sequence, with the clapper impacting the soundbow to produce the tone.[26] This mechanism ensures precise timing and volume, critical for the art's rhythmic integrity.[25] Ringing begins with all bells in the initial position known as "rounds," where they strike in numerical order from treble to tenor (1-2-3-...-n), establishing the baseline scale and rhythm before any changes occur.[7][27] For methods requiring an even number of bells, such as Plain Bob on six, the setup aligns directly with the tower's ring; however, odd-bell methods like Doubles on five bells often involve handling adaptations, commonly by ringing the working changes on four bells with the tenor covering behind in the last position to maintain even coursing and symmetry.[25][28] This covering technique, prevalent in towers with even-bell setups, allows odd-stage methods to be performed without altering the physical installation.[25]Rounds and Initial Changes
In method ringing, rounds refer to the fundamental starting position where the bells strike in sequential numerical order, from the lightest bell (treble, numbered 1) to the heaviest (tenor, numbered n), producing a steady, unpermuted sequence on every stroke.[29] This configuration establishes the baseline rhythm and order for all subsequent changes, ensuring the ringers synchronize before initiating permutations.[30] The initial changes in method ringing are achieved through plain hunting, the simplest form of permutation where each bell systematically swaps positions with its adjacent bell on alternating strokes, creating a basic up-and-down movement across the sequence.[31] In this process, odd-numbered bells (except the treble) hunt outward toward the back of the change, while even-numbered bells hunt inward toward the front, with pairs exchanging places in a repeating pattern—such as the 1st and 2nd bells swapping, followed by the 3rd and 4th on even bells.[30] The treble serves as the hunt bell, maintaining a continuous path from the front (1st place) to the back (nth place) and returning, guiding the overall progression without interruption.[29] The purpose of plain hunting is to generate controlled permutations of the bell order while preserving the treble's predictable path, allowing ringers to practice position awareness and timing as a foundation for more complex methods.[31] This basic movement produces distinct auditory shifts: rounds yield a uniform, ascending-descending tone cascade, whereas plain hunting introduces irregular intervals and overlaps as bells cross, enhancing the musical variation inherent to change ringing.[30] A complete plain course of hunting on n bells generates exactly 2n changes before returning to rounds, as seen in examples like 12 changes on 6 bells or 16 on 8 bells.[29]Core Rules of Ringing
Method ringing adheres to a set of fundamental rules that govern the permissible movements of bells during each change, ensuring both the physical safety of the ringing and the mathematical integrity of the sequence. These rules simulate the natural coursing paths of bells in a tower, preventing collisions by limiting interactions to adjacent positions. Central to this is the principle that no bell may move more than one place in the sequence per change, meaning bells either swap positions with an immediate neighbor or remain stationary for that row, as this mirrors the limited speed adjustments possible in full-circle ringing.[7][32][33] A key element of these rules involves places and dodges. A place refers to a bell's specific position within a row, numbered from 1 (lead, highest-pitched bell) to the number of bells in the ring (last place, lowest-pitched). Dodges occur when a bell exchanges positions with its immediate neighbor and then returns to its original path on the subsequent change, effectively a brief reversal that allows the bell to "step back" without disrupting the overall flow. This maneuver is essential for creating the variations in methods while preserving the coursing order—the fixed sequence in which bells pass one another from front to back or vice versa, such as 53246 in Plain Bob Minor, which helps ringers track their relative positions during performance.[7][34][35] All valid ringing sequences must begin and conclude in rounds, the baseline row where bells strike in numerical order from highest to lowest pitch (e.g., 123456 for six bells), providing a standardized start and end point that bookends the changes. To uphold the structural validity of a method, ringers aim for truth in performances, meaning no row (complete permutation of the bells) is repeated, ensuring all changes are unique and preventing redundancy in the sequence.[7][32][33][2] These constraints collectively enforce a maximum simulation of bell paths without virtual collisions, as jump changes—where bells leap over multiple positions—are prohibited, thereby replicating the realistic dynamics of tower bells in motion.[7][32][33][34]Fundamental Methods
Plain Hunt
Plain hunt is the foundational method in change ringing, serving as the simplest pattern from which all other methods are derived. In this method, the treble bell continuously hunts up to the back of the row and then down to the lead, while the remaining bells move in adjacent pairs, swapping positions at each change to maintain the systematic progression. This pair-swapping among the working bells creates a predictable rhythm, with odd-numbered bells generally moving outward and even-numbered bells inward during the up-hunt phase, reversing on the down-hunt. The core rule of adjacent bell swaps only, as established in basic ringing principles, ensures no disruptions in the flow.[36][30][37] For an example on six bells (Minor), the sequence of rows illustrates the treble's path: starting in rounds, it hunts up through positions 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (with two blows at the back), then down through 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, completing the course. The full plain course consists of the following 12 unique rows before repeating:| Stroke | Row |
|---|---|
| Back | 123456 |
| Hand | 214365 |
| Back | 241635 |
| Hand | 426153 |
| Back | 462513 |
| Hand | 645231 |
| Back | 654321 |
| Hand | 563412 |
| Back | 536142 |
| Hand | 351624 |
| Back | 315264 |
| Hand | 132546 |