Would you like to learn to ring St Mary’s wonderful bells? Or are you an existing ringer who would like to get more experience? If so, St Mary’s new tower captain Marianne Elliott would like to hear from you.
Marianne has revived regular Sunday service ringing, and is keen to recruit new ringers as well as welcoming back ‘old hands’.
Marianne, pictured with baby Elizabeth and the Revd Lea Ryder, learnt to ring in Pershore, Worcestershire, where her mother was already ringing.
A relatively late starter, she was 26 when she first touched a bell rope. Having been firmly bitten by the ringing bug, she then rang at towers around Worcestershire and Gloucestershire before moving to Usk with her husband, Peter, in 2018.
Since then she has rung in towers around the Llandaff and Monmouth Dioceses, including Usk, Bassaleg, St Woolos Cathedral and, of course, Abergavenny.
Marianne met her husband through ringing, as well as making many good friends and visiting some wonderful buildings all over England and Wales. But ringing is not just about socials and jaunts.
As the daughter of a professional musician, Marianne has always valued the performance element of ringing very highly.
“Church bells are the loudest instruments in existence and we ring them not merely for enjoyment but also to celebrate the Church in our communities, to mark important civic occasions, and to the glory of God.
“Out of respect for God, Church, and the listening public, it is important to strive for the best performance possible – a challenge that is both stimulating and rewarding. When the bells are as fine as Abergavenny’s (which are widely believed to be one of the best
10-bell rings anywhere in the world), the reward is particularly great.”
If you would like to know more, please contact Marianne on abergavenny@llanmon.org.uk, or contact the tower secretary on abergavennybells@yahoo.com.
The commitment will be to attend Sunday morning ringing from 10.15am to 11am and the weekly practice which is on Wednesday evenings from 7:00pm till 8.30pm.