Dedication of new bells at Great St Mary’s Church
4th October 2009
Left to right: Professor Alison Richard, the University’s Vice-Chancellor; Frank King, University Bell Ringer; Dr Anthony Russell, Bishop of Ely; Canon John Binns, Vicar of Great St Mary’s.
Picture: Owen Spencer-Thomas More in Picture Gallery Twelve new bells recently installed at the University Church of Great St Mary’s, Cambridge, were dedicated by the Bishop of Ely, Dr Anthony Russell, this Sunday (4 October). The bells, which were cast in Loughborough, mark the 800th anniversary of Cambridge University. Also in attendance at Sunday’s service was Professor Alison Richard, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, and Dr Dill Faulkes, a bell-ringer and member of the University 800th Campaign Board, who made the new peal possible through a generous donation. Along with the newly-cast bells, the five clock bells of the original set are also housed in the bell chamber. In 1793, the Reverend Dr Joseph Jowett used those five bells to compose the “Cambridge Chimes” which were later copied for Big Ben and renamed the “Westminster Chimes”. The bells will continue to ring out the famous tune for years to come. “The new bells will enable high-quality ringing that will be enjoyed by local people, and at the same time will ensure the preservation of an important part of our history," said Canon John Binns, Vicar of Great St Mary's. “It is a peal of bells of which the church, University and city can be justly proud." The new bells were cast at Taylors, Eayre and Smith in Loughborough in April this year and the installation took place during the summer.
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Canon Owen Spencer-Thomas, MBE
4th October 2009 |
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