Ringing Songs

Many songs mention ringing. Here is a selection of them.

The Bellringing

The Bellringing (Roud 1515) was collected by The Revd Sabine Baring-Gould, the Squire and Parson of nearby Lewtrenchard, in January 1890 from William George Kerswell of Two Bridges, Dartmoor and also from James Down, a blacksmith, of nearby Broadwoodwidger. It is published in his book "Songs of the West" and he wrote "When sung by the old farmer over a great fire in the kitchens, his clear, robust voice imitating the bells produced an indescribable charm".

It is about a bell ringing contest in Devon. The villages of Northlew and Ashwater are in West Devon, near the border with Cornwall.

Chorus:
'Twas in Ashwater town, the bells they did sound,
They rang for a belt and a hat laced with gold,
But the men of Northlew rang so steady and true
That there never were better in Devon, I hold.

The Bells of Rhymney

The Bells of Rhymney is a song first recorded by folk singer Pete Seeger, using words written by Welsh poet Idris Davies. The lyrics to the song were drawn from part of Davies' poetic work Gwalia Deserta, which was first published in 1938. The work was inspired by a local coal mining disaster and by the failure of the 1926 General Strike and the "Bells of Rhymney" stanzas follow the pattern of the nursery rhyme "Oranges and Lemons". In addition to Rhymney, the poem also refers to the bells of a number of other places in South Wales, including Merthyr, Rhondda, Blaina, Caerphilly, Neath, Brecon, Swansea, Newport, Cardiff, and the Wye Valley.

The lyrics can be found on Google Play Music.

The Egloshayle Ringers

Egloshayle Ringers (Roud 1163) was collected by The Revd Sabine Baring-Gould from John Martyn, shoemaker, of Milton Abbott, who learnt it from his wife's uncle, who died in 1868 and was a ringer of St. Kew. The ringers mentioned in the song now lie in the graveyard at Egloshayle, where their headstones can be found: Humphry Craddock d. 1839; John Ellery d. 1859, aged 85; Thomas Cleave d. 1821, aged 78; John Pollard d. 1825, aged 71; John Goodfellow d. 1846, aged 80.

Here is another version of the song that has a chorus.

Chorus:
Lanlivery men, St. Tudy men, St. Mabyn and St. Kew,
But these five boys from Egloshayle could all the rest out-do.

(Norton) New Bell Wake

(Norton) New Bell Wake is a song associated with Saint Nicolas' Church, King's Norton where the words are said to have been found in the church tower and refer to the hanging of the bells in 1783 by Robert Turner.

From 1763 until 1783 the brothers Robert and Samuel Turner hung most of the major rings cast at Whitechapel. as well as working with other founders and on independent jobs. In 1783 Robert Turner hung the new bells at Kings Norton, Worcestershire, and after that nothing further is known of his work.

Chorus:
They banged each bell
And rang so well
So true their parts did take,
That from morn till night
Was loud delight
At Norton new bell wake.

The song was recorded by Roy Bailey on his 2013 "New Bell Wake" album. The tune is clearly also used as a morris tune.

Oranges and Lemons

Possibly the most famous traditional song related to bell ringing, Oranges and Lemons (Roud 13190) is a traditional English nursery rhyme and singing game which refers to the bells of several churches, all within or close to the City of London.

Oranges and lemons
Said the bells of St. Clements
You owe me five farthings
Said the bells of St. Martins

When will you pay me?
Said the bells of Old Bailey
When I grow rich
Said the bells of Shoreditch

And when will that be?
Said the bells of Stepney
Oh I do not know
Said the great bell of Bow

Here comes a candle
To light you to bed
And here comes a chopper
To chop off your head

The St Dominic Ringers

The St Dominic Ringers (Roud 104) is a song collected by GB Gardiner and CS Parsonson from the singing of Mr Rickard at Broomhead, Cornwall, England on 24 February 1905.

Come all ye merry gentlemen
That ringing do admire
Come listen to my ditty
Your attention I require
'Tis of six jolly ringers
In St. Dominic they did dwell