Listening Skills Training Day - Saturday 29 January 2011.

(Click small photos to enlarge)

Five students braved the cold on 29th January for the Guild ‘Listening Skills’ day held at Honiton. After a quick coffee in church, Derek Ballard led the first activity, involving listening to tracks on a CD to identify different numbers of bells and whether the tenor was turned in. The 14-bell track proved a step too far (!) but 6 and 8 were found easier.

Next was diagnosing computer generated striking errors, down to a surprisingly close 15% error.

Then it was time to get active… well with one finger anyway, using a computer keyboard to strike a bell in rounds or plain hunt. At this point a second practice station was set up by Martin Mansley on the church balcony, and this also had the facility of sensors simulating handbells, which were tried by some. Students moved on to ringing a real tied bell to rounds without visual cues, the computer putting in the other bell notes.

Getting to grips with 'ringing with one finger'
Left: Margot, Jenny, Janet; Right: Margot, Derek, Dermot

Lunch was enjoyed at the Red Cow in Honiton. The afternoon built on the morning’s success, the tied bell being moved through call changes, and the balcony computer also in use again. Finally there was more listening: to excerpts of ringing with a difference, such as half muffled.

Left: Margot on a tied bell; Right: Pam getting some extra practice

The day seemed to be very useful to students with comments such as “I never realised that” or “I understand that now”, and hopefully all will have new skills to take back to their towers.

Lynne Hughes.

 

Back to Photo Gallery Index

To have your photos displayed here, please send digital copies to