Ringing the Changes
The bellringers of Ledbury, with help from the schools in the town and some actors and musicians, are putting on an exciting evening of music, drama, history, poetry and prose entitled “Ringing the Changes” to celebrate the role of church bells in our community over 1000 years of its history. They will take you from Norman times to the present day through a pageant of colourful and inspirational individuals, their words and achievements. Have you ever wondered why the English style of bellringing was never exported to Europe? Have you heard the Ledbury legend of the bells ringing of their own accord? Did you know that John Bunyan, writer of The Pilgrim’s Progress, was a keen but conflicted bellringer? That a local innkeeper (also a bellringer) found himself in court after a row with the curate in the 1880s? Would you like to hear how bells influenced the poetry of Housman, Bridges, Owen, Masefield, Betjeman and others, or a detective “whodunnit” by Dorothy Sayers ? Underpinning all this is the part played by our bells in calling the people of our town and country to worship, to celebrate local and national events, to mourn or to come together as a community. You will be stirred, delighted, amused and informed in equal measure. The event is in association with the current campaign to restore our church bells.
Details: 7.30 pm on Friday 8th March in St Michael’s Church, Ledbury. Entrance free (donations invited at the end). Refreshments available in the interval.
