Listen & Strike - 16 Feb 2019

This is the second occasion that Richard and I have run the Listen & Strike course. It is a huge amount of fun, very different from any other ringing course. We are not ringing any methods just interesting ways to focus on the striking we produce and suggesting ways to hear the bell we are ringing.

This brings up a few challenges. There may be a few handling issues to address, explaining how to move up and down that tail end. How to pull off in Rounds, you simply cannot skip this, is there enough energy in that first handstoke pull? This is quickly corrected with pleasing results. With everyone now in the right place to start progress is being made.

We had six on the course which is plenty, yes MRDC has eight bells but it is far easier to listen to your striking on six to begin with. Lots of exercises to gain correct bell control, twizzling, whole pull and stand, facing each other, now try that the other way.

We clapped the rhythm needed to produce change ringing, we also did this on handbells.

We had a real mix of ringers, some Ringing Remembers ringers just making their way and some experienced change ringers. On this particular course everyone is equal, working as a team to produce the best striking - really like every time we get together as a group. Everyone made progress and we all did something new.

Why you may ask is there not a nice photo of the group smiling at the camera? Well to be honest we were too busy. Planned into our day was some individual ringing on our simulator, the laptops were set up ready to go but we ran out of time and energy. So instead here we share a view of our laptops set up so the eight training bells can be used for individual training. Hopefully we will welcome our group back to try them very soon.

Nikki Thomas

Mancroft_Training.jpg
Course Tutor: Richard Carter

» What is a Listen and Strike Workshop?