The Program in Detail
Selecting Towers, Sounds and Bells
A Choice of Towers
The bells used for Virtual Belfry's animation are the twelve bells of St. David's Cathedral in Hobart, Australia (tuned as a twelve for the purposes of the program), and also the original eight bells prior to augmentation in 2005.
The program also offers other "towers", still using the default Hobart images for the animation but using different bells, or the Hobart bells tuned differently:
- The eight bells of St. Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide (and since the animation provides for twelve bells, this option provides the rare opportunity to hear this magnificent 42cwt eight as a ten or a twelve!).
- The Hobart bells tuned as they are in reality - ten plus sharp 3rd and sharp 7th. This configuration was a result of augmenting the original eight bells by adding a new tenor and a new treble and two in between, resulting in many useful combinations of bells.
- The eight bells of St. Paul's Church, Maryborough (Queensland). These bells were cast by Mears in 1887 and are (at the time of writing) still in original condition. They are due to be returned to the Whitechapel foundry for refitting and tuning sometime in 2012. Virtual Belfry captures the original sound of these bells.
- The bells (Hobart, Adelaide or Maryborough) tuned to the Harmonic Minor scale. Combined with half-muffling this creates a spine-tingling effect.
Selecting a Tower
You can choose a tower at any time via menu options:
Sound Recordings
You can also select different sets of sound recordings to use with the bells. The default tower even includes a piano (and I am threatening to include bagpipes next!).
The tower and sound options will grow over time as recordings of different bells are added to the program's list. With a little fiddling under the covers you can add your own sound recordings if you have some.
The option for choosing sounds is on the Preferences dialog.
Selecting Bells
Most often you will want to ring all the bells or some other obvious combination. These common choices are available on a menu (or via the tool-bar):
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When you choose an option, the appropriate bells will be raised ready for ringing and any others that happen to be raised will be lowered. (Raising and lowering in this context is a dramatic and deliberate departure from reality - it happens quickly and smoothly.)
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As well as the standard choices available on the above menu, one or two additional choices may available on the "Other" sub menu. But you can also choose any arbitrary combination of bells. To raise (or lower) a specific bell, just click on it (or on the rope).
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You can find out which bell is which by holding the mouse over a bell (or rope) for a second or so until its identity is revealed.
(You can turn these tips off by choosing the appropriate preference.)
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With the bells of your choice raised, you are ready to start ringing.
