Links to digitised versions of church and tower bell 78s (and one 7")
Where there are videos available, these are listed first, followed by links to webpages where audio is available but where the audio files cannot be embedded.
Many of the following links lead to pages where the record in question can be listened to online, whilst various sites also make the files available for download in various formats where the record is out of copyright.
Many of the following links lead to pages where the record in question can be listened to online, whilst various sites also make the files available for download in various formats where the record is out of copyright.
Bells: "Full peal of the Original Bow Bells, Cheapside, London Part 1", recorded in 1923 but not issued until late 1925. See p. 15 for comprehensive information about the release of this record in the dying days of acoustic recording.
Nightingales and Church Bells: "A Summer Night Idyll". This was recorded in Beatrice Harrison's garden in Oxted, Surrey, in 1928. Apart from the obligatory nightingales, you also get the sound of St Mary's church bells wafting gently across all. See p. 68 for comprehensive information about the possible shenanigans that went on with the original BBC recording of cello and nightingales (side 1 was a later re-recording of this popular piece).
Big Ben: "¼ Hour"/"½ Hour"/"¾ Hour"/"12 O’Clock" (Open Perspective). EMI began issuing a series of sound effects records at some point around (probably) 1947/48, many of which were still on catalogue as 78 rpm records as late as 1959. See p. 12 for comprehensive information about the post-war Sound Effect series of single-sided 10" and 12" 78s.
The Sound of Bells. This flexi disc was bundled with the Book of the same name in 1964. The first two tracks are of handbells and carillon, though the rest is of church bells. Narration is by Edgar C. Shepherd, though his book gives more detailed information on each recording. See p. 21 for comprehensive information about this record.
This was originally issued as a one-sided disc in 1906 and was later (1912) paired with another recording to make a double-sided disc. The link leads to a page where a (probably) 1924 copy of the double-sided reissue has been digitised. Content is identical to the original single-sided disc, though label design is very different. See p. 13 for information about the original release and p 38 about its eventual reissue.
If you follow the above link, both sides are available of this 1912 acoustic recording. This is the original US release. Content is identical to the UK release. See p. 14 for information about the UK release, including the various label designs it enjoyed over many years of service as a catalogue item.
These are the two sides of a Phoenix label record from (probably) September 1913. There are doubts as to whether this was really a recording of tower bells, though it sounds to be so if only because of the rather discordant 'harmonics'. Expert opinion sought. See p. 14 for what little is known about this record.
- St Margaret's Chimes Westminster: "Oh God our Help in Ages Past
- Impressions of London: Westminster: "Actual recording of Big Ben and traffic noises, St. Margaret's Chimes and "The Old 100th""
This was from Columbia's YB "Stage Effects" series and was released in 1929. Side 1 sounds like a recording (briefly at the end) of church bells, but side 2 sounds a little 'polite' to my ear and may be a studio recreation. Expert opinion sought. See p. 70 for further information on this record.
This was from Columbia's YB "Stage Effects" series and was released in 1930. Side 1 was of telephones ringing, hence no link. Note that this links to the US version. Content on both is identical. See p. 16 for further information on this record.
- York Minster Bells: Changes on the Peal of 12 Bells (Introducing Great Peter, the 10¾ Tons Bourdon Bell)
- Church Clocks - Various: 10.0 O’Clock/½ Hour Distant/¾ Hour (with Birds)/11.0 O’Clock Distant/5.0 O’Clock
- Church Clocks: 12.0 O’Clock (with the Four Quarters)/Three-Quarter-Hour (with Birds)/11.0 O’Clock Distant/5.0 O’Clock
- Changes on Bells: Stedman Caters (Bells of St Margaret’s, Westminster)
- Changes on Bells: Grand Sire [sic] Caters (Bells of St Margaret’s, Westminster)
- Church Bells: Mixed with Cheering Crowds
- Church Peals: (Olney)
- Church Peals: Rounds and Firing and Queens (Bucklebury)
- Church Peals: Kent Triple Bob Major (Bucklebury)
- Church Bells: Plain Bob Major (East Hagbourne)
- Church Peals: Grandsire Triples (East Hagbourne)
- Church Peals: Call to Service (East Hagbourne)
