Rochester Cathedral bell ringers raising money for new bells to celebrate Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

The bell ringers of Rochester Cathedral are launching a campaign to raise £60,000 to add two new bells at Rochester Cathedral. These bells will mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

The two additional bells will bring the total number of bells at Rochester Cathedral to 12. The bells are in the scale of D Major and the additional bells will mean the bellringers will be able to ring a lighter set of bells when practising which will make it easier for less experienced ringers to learn. Part of the aim is to develop the teaching of bellringing and provide a teaching resource for bell ringers in North Kent.

Dean of Rochester Cathedral, The Very Reverend Dr Philip Hesketh DL, says “Bells remain a significant part of our national identity and heritage and so I fully support the Rochester Cathedral Company of Bell Ringers’ campaign to raise funds to add three additional bells to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen. What a fitting way for Medway to commemorate and celebrate her long reign of service to this nation. Two more bells will take us to the magic number of 12 bells and a third bell will allow a lighter peal to be rung, enabling a younger generation to acquire this skill so future generations can remember, celebrate, and recall the passing of the ages. I hope you will feel able to support this worthwhile project in any way you can and make sure the ‘hollowing out the sky’ is at the centre of our Jubilee Celebrations and is not lost for future generations.”
All of the current bells at Rochester Cathedral were cast in 1921, replacing an older set of 8 bells. Some of the current bells are designated as war memorials to people linked to the Cathedral who died during the 1st World War, including the son of the then Dean and two choristers.
Today there is a team of 12 bell ringers at Rochester Cathedral ranging from school age to retirement. They met on Thursday evenings to practice ringing and every Sunday to ring prior to Mattins. They also ring for other special events such as weddings. Earlier this year they rang a bell to mark the passing of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh as well as on the day of his funeral.

The two new bells will cost £100,000 overall with £40,000 already raised. The fundraising campaign will be launched at 10am by the War Memorial on Rochester High Street on Saturday 18th September. Everyone is welcome to come along to find out more about this long tradition of bell ringing and to have a go on a portable ring of bells.
For more information on the bell ringing at Rochester Cathedral including how to donate to this project, please visit their website
www.rccbr.co.uk

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