For
over 120 years the people of Evesham heard tunes played on the bells in the
Bell Tower five times a day and generations of Evesham folk were brought up to
the sound of “Drink to Me Only” on Wednesdays and Barbara Allen on Fridays. If
you were lucky and someone had changed the drum which controlled the tunes you
might have heard the Eton Boating Song on Wednesdays. There were two drums with
pins much like musical boxes each designed to play seven tunes.
Over
the years the mechanism with wires and springs and pulleys had became very worn
despite frequents and expensive repair and towards the end of the 20thcentury the sounds coming out of the tower
weren't recognisable as any identifiable tune. It had to be disconnected. Many
people were very concerned at the loss of something that had been part of the
life of Evesham since 1878 and the All Saints’ Parochial Church Council (which
has responsibility for the Bell Tower) together with the Friends of the Church
and Bell Tower undertook therestoration
of the Carillon. An appeal for funds received immediate and considerable
support from a great many people and from most of the town's organisations.
The restorationOver a
period of three years the restoration committee considered several possible
replacement mechanisms finally accepting a proposal by Messrs Joyce ofWhitchurch. Each of the 14 bells in the tower
has a separate designated hammeroperated electronically from a control box in the Vestry of All Saints
Church.
The
total cost of the project involving removal of the old mechanism and
considerable electrical and construction work was over £35,000. This sum came
from donations: from local and national charities, local organisations and many
individuals. No contribution was available from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The
two largest single contributors were the Friends of the Church and Bell Tower
who raised and contributed over £14,000 and Wychavon District Council who gave
over £11,000from the Market Towns
rejuvenation project.
DedicationThe
Bishop ofWorcester, Rt Rev’d. Dr Peter
Selby, dedicated the restored carillon in March 2002 and it was set into operation
on Easter Day by Peggy Burlingham whose late husband Richard had been largely
responsible for the previous restoration of Tower and Carillon in 1951.
The present As the
number of bells in the Bell Tower had grown from the original 8 in 1878 to the
present 14 the restoration gave considerable scope for an increase in the
numberof tunes. But as the 14 notes do
not cover all the notes and intervals in a musical scale some tunes that were
considered could not be programmed.54
tunes were selected and are now available with great variety and through the
opportunity of programming different tunes may be played at different times
during any one day. It's all thanks to modem electronic technology.
The
tunes are arranged in 9 different weekly programs some of which reflect the
various Church seasons - Easter, Harvest, Christmas. The programs contain old
and modern popular hymn tunes (some quite recent ones) and traditional folk
tunes.A piece composed by Edward Elgar
called the Evesham Andante has also been included. It is believed that Elgar
wrote this for a group in Evesham and played with them. Its inclusion among the
tunes played by the carillon is a tribute to him and is now heard regularly in
the town for which it was written.
In
addition to the facility to play any of these tunes by request the
mechanismit is possible to get it to
play the Angelus, to toll for funerals and services and to vary the frequency
of the chiming and speed of playing.
At
present the Carillon plays tunes on the hour at every hour from 9 a.m. to 9
p.m. each day. It is temporarily disconnected in the Bell Tower when the bells
are being rung by bell-ringers.
The
clock in the Bell Tower is controlled by the national time-base and may be
assumed to be absolutely correct at all times (except when it pauses for
automatic adjustment for British Summer time).
EVESHAM BELL TOWER TUNE LISTING
A
MAN THERE LIVED IN GALILEE ABIDE
WITH ME ALL
PEOPLE THAT ON EARTH DO DWELL ALL
THROUGH THE NIGHT AMAZING
GRACE ASH
GROVE AT
THE NAME OF JESUS AULD
LANG SYNE AWAY
IN A MANGER BARBARA
ALLEN BLUE
BELLS OF SCOTLAND BROTHER
JAMES AIR COME
YE THANKFUL PEOPLE COME DEAR
LORD AND FATHER OF MANKIND DING
DONG MERRILY ON HIGH DRINK
TO ME ONLY EARLY
ONE MORNING ETON
BOATING SONG EVESHAM
ANDANTE FOR
ALL THE SAINTS FORTY
DAYS GIVE
ME JOY GLORY
TO THEE GOOD
CHRISTIAN MEN REJOICE HARK
THE HERALD ANGELS SING HEARTS
OF OAK HIGHLAND
CATHEDRAL HOME
SWEET HOME IN
THE BLEAK MIDWINTER IT
CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR JESUS
CHRIST IS RISEN TODAY JESUS
GOOD ABOVE ALL OTHER LET
US WITH A GLADSOME MIND LIFT
HIGH THE CROSS LINDEN
LEA LOCH
LOMOND LONDONDERRY
AIR LORD
FOR THE YEARS LORD’S
MY SHEPHERD LOVE
DIVINE ALL LOVE'S EXCELLING MEN
OF HARLECH MORNING
HAS BROKEN NEW
EVERY MORNING O
COME ALL YE FAITHFUL O
LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM ON
CHRISTMAS NIGHT OVER
THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY SILENT
NIGHT THE
DAY THOU GAVEST THE
FIRST NOWELL THE
KING OF LOVE THE
LORD IS RISEN INDEED UNTO
US A CHILD IS BORN YE
CHOIRS OF NEW JERUSALEM