This is our main tower, and where we ring for services, weddings, and funerals.
Eight beautiful Whitechapel bells.
About the bell tower
Built from 1800 to 1804, the cathedral is the first Anglican cathedral built outside the British Isles. The facade was a copy of Saint- Martin-in-the-Fields in London, which you can see in Trafalgar Square. Except that they didn’t have the huge stones and couldn’t make the columns. Also, unfortunately, the slope of the roof would not survive the snow build up of Québec City, so the roof had to be changed. So, a copy, but not. But the inside is beautiful, and the ceiling constructed without nails (one of the secret places where only ringers go, we can see the top of the ceiling). This may by why the ecoustics are so extraordinary in the cathedral.
Our bells
Installation
The Whitechapel bells (cast by Thomas Mears, later became the Whitechapel Bell Foundry) were installed in 1830. They are the oldest set of change ringing bells in Canada. The old tenor was 16-2-24 cwt.
Renovation
The bells were sent back to Whitechapel in 2006, returned, a bit lighter from retuning, in 2007, to a new steel frame and well fitted bearings. The bell weights are now: treble 4-3-13 cwt, #2 5-2-18 cwt, #3 5-3-20 cwt, #4 6-0-19 cwt, #5 6-3-18 cwt, #6 8-3-23 cwt, #7 9-2-2 cwt, tenor 14-0-23 cwt.
Closures
Silent from mid 2006 to early 2007 for the refitting, closed again 2020-2021 with the global pandemic, and then again off and on from 2022-2024 for tower repairs. The guild is very lucky to have a second tower, as we were able to keep ringing throughout those times.
The band
The band is not a cathedral guild, but a city guild, ringing in two towers, and independent of both.
Ring the bells
Ringers – you are welcome to visit any time. If you let us know ahead of time, we can make sure to have enough local ringers to give you a good welcome and ring. Non-ringers – you may come to learn anytime, but please contact the tower captain ahead of time, to ensure that a teacher will be there. Bell ringing can only be learned one-to-one.
Tower Practice on Tuesday evenings
19h to 21h
- Watch for offers of a ‘first ring’ , which usually is at 18h, before a practice. First timers will get an hour of one-to-one training.
- The second Tuesday of each month is normally at St. Matthew’s instead of the cathedral, from 18h to 19h45, due to library open hours.
- Learners are worked into a practice, getting five to ten minutes here and there throughout the session. A lot can be learned from watching, as well.
- Learning and ringing is traditionally a free activity. You learn hand-to-hand on one rope, as it has always been done.
- Watch for ‘open days’, when we explain about the bells and do demonstrations of ringing. You don’t need to want to ring, just to know a bit more about what goes on.
Handbell Practice on Thursday evenings (every second Thursday)
19h to 21h
- A beautiful set of Verdin bells – 13 in all. Eight are on a diatonic scale, similar to the sound of tower bells.
- Because handbells don’t have to be learned in the same manner as tower bells (there is no danger of flying ropes), learners can fit into the band right away, and gradually learn to ring the methods.
- This is brain training at its best, not the handbells you’ve seen ringing tunes. Each ringer has two bells, and navigates through the traditional change ringing methods.
- Handbells are expensive – they are not toys. Even just knocking two together can put them out of tune.
- This is a new group, compared to the history of the tower bell band.
Sunday Service ring, Weddings and Funerals
Sundays 10h to 11h
- We also ring for weddings and funerals. Ringing is traditionally paid for for a wedding ring, but not for a funeral.
- We sometimes also ring for special events, such as a coronation.
- Service ringing is when we try to ring our best, so you need to be able to stay in place before being allowed to join in.
- You do not have to do service rings to be a ringer, but it is encouraged.
- You also do not need to be a church goer, or a member of the Anglican church, to be a ringer.
The frame was changed from old wood to solid steel, and the bells were sent back to Whitechapel to be repaired and retuned. The tower was empty from mid 2006 to March 2007. The tower captain, Douglas Kitson, was responsible for getting this work done, and without it, we would not be the band we are today. He received an award of achievement from the North American Guild of Change Ringers in recognition of this work.
