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The Quarter was rung half muffled, remembering all those from
this
Parish who have died during this year, especially Canon Charles
Richardson and The Very Revd Alfred Jowett, both Honorary Clergy at
this Church, and Kenneth Glossop, former Churchwarden.
“Half muffled” means that there is a piece of
leather with elasticated straps (see muffles
pictures) attached to each bell. The leather part fits over one side of
the ball of the clapper and is held in place by the straps. As we ring,
the first part of the stroke sounds normally but the side of the
clapper hitting the bell on the return stoke gives a deadened sound due
to the leather cushioning the clapper. The effect is very atmospheric
and evocative.
Following the half-muffled quarter peal on All Souls Day and
half-muffled ringing for Remembrance Sunday, the muffles are stored
away for 6 weeks until New Year’s Eve when we will be ringing
half muffled from 11.30 until 11.50pm as the year comes to a close. The
muffles will then be taken off the bells and, on the stroke of
midnight, the Tenor bell will toll out for the count of 12 before we
all join in and ring with the bells open (as you normally hear them)
for a further twenty minutes to celebrate the arrival of 2005.
Before we get to New Year, however, we have of course December,
a busy
month with many additional services. There is a notice in the Church
porch showing all the occasions when the bells will be ringing. There
is usually a special atmosphere in the Belfry on Christmas Eve when we
ring at 11 pm to call the congregation to the 11.30 pm Midnight Mass.
We always hope to have all ten bells ringing but as some ringers are
away over Christmas this can never be guaranteed. We will welcome any
extra ringers who may be visiting families in Sheffield over this
period.
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