Silent & Non-Conducted Centenary Peal
S
aturday 28 January 2006.

The first silent peal to be rung by the Guild was achieved on Saturday 27 January 1906 at St David's, Exeter. So we decided to have a go at repeating the performance to mark the hundredth anniversary of this landmark performance. The method was Grandsire Triples, the composition Holt's 10-part, and we decided to accept the challenge of trying to ring the same method and composition.

The attempt was publicised in the Parish magazine, and attracted considerable interest within the church community. When we met early on the morning of Saturday 28 January, none of us expected the attempt to last very long. We jokingly agreed to ring one whole pull of rounds at the end before standing the bells, so as to preserve silence throughout, not expecting to even reach half-way. So, it was with considerable surprise that we successfully completed the peal, rang our whole pull and set the bells without a single word being spoken.

The ringing was of a high standard, without trips, and all in complete silence. It was very strange to begin with, but soon everyone settled into the challenge.

This centenary silent peal is only the sixth to be rung by the Guild ever, anyone up for another one?

Details of both peals are available in this PDF document.


Front row (l-r): 1-4; Back row (l-r): 5-8. Standing in front of the peal board for the original silent and non-conducted peal.

David Maynard

 

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