St Andrew's bells rung 'incorrectly' for 129 years

Designed for swinging not striking; Cathedral now raising funds to send bells for restoration

Above: The eight bells in St Andrew's Cathedral's belfry were given to the cathedral in 1889 by the heirs of an English captain and cast in the same foundry as the bells of St Paul's Cathedral in London. Below: The cathedral, located in the heart of
The eight bells in St Andrew's Cathedral's belfry were given to the cathedral in 1889 by the heirs of an English captain and cast in the same foundry as the bells of St Paul's Cathedral in London. PHOTO: ST ANDREW'S CATHEDRAL
Above: The eight bells in St Andrew's Cathedral's belfry were given to the cathedral in 1889 by the heirs of an English captain and cast in the same foundry as the bells of St Paul's Cathedral in London. Below: The cathedral, located in the heart of
The cathedral, located in the heart of the civic district, took a new interest in exploring the bells after being alerted to their change-ringing potential last year. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
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For almost 130 years, St Andrew's Cathedral's caretakers have been ringing the eight bells in their belfry in a primitive fashion - using an iron clapper to beat the sides of the bronze contraptions. The chimes would ring for special occasions.

Little did they know that the bells, which were given to the cathedral in 1889 by the heirs of an English captain and cast in the same foundry as the bells of St Paul's Cathedral in London, were actually designed to be played by swinging instead of striking them.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on November 18, 2018, with the headline St Andrew's bells rung 'incorrectly' for 129 years. Subscribe