The end of the year is fast approaching, which means Christmas is just around the corner! Christmas lights are being put up around London and Christmas trees are starting to be put on sale, meaning preparations are well underway for the festive season. Preparations at Wimbledon High School, however, have an additional factor: bell ringing.
Bells are reminiscent of Christmas for many, and at Wimbledon High, a group of five Music students are practising playing carols on the school’s tuned bells. Unsurprisingly, this skill requires a lot of practice to perfect, but the musical knowledge required is far more basic than you would think; the music is written in numbers, rather than notes on a stave. Each player has two assigned bells, each bell has a number, and these numbers are laid out on the page in bars, like in normal sheet music. Consequently, a good understanding of beat makes it much easier to read, so while the ability to read notes isn’t essential, a strong grasp of beat is.
One bell ringer, Poorna Baikady, said: “It’s interesting to view music in a different style, using numbers rather than notes, and working with other people to produce one melody line, when normally in orchestras you’ve got one melody line to yourself,” highlighting the need for good coordination and teamwork.
Another bell ringer, Estella MacLaren, added that bell ringing is inclusive and collaborative. In general, the group seems to enjoy the activity and are proud of the progress they have made over the past few weeks.
In December, the Wimbledon High bell ringers have plans to perform in the school Christmas assembly, with their repertoire possibly including a modal version of the ‘Carol of the Bells’, arranged by Baikady (with a little help from the others)!
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