University of Washington Change Ringers

North American Guild of Change Ringers

The University of Washington Change Ringers (UWCR) ring at the Gerberding Hall Bell Tower (8 bells, 6cwt), University of Washington (The Gordon Stuart Peek Foundation Memorial Bells).

Ringing Times

University of Washington Change RingersGenerally, the UWCR Change Ringers practice on Mondays and Fridays from 19:00-21:00. Most of that is with a simulator system, but we ring the bells “open” (i.e., without the simulator) from 20:30-21:00 on Fridays, and sometimes on Mondays.

We also sometimes ring quarter peals on Saturday or Sunday, between 10am and 1pm.

Visiting Ringers are very welcome – please contact the tower captain (at both email addresses – see above) in advance.

Generally, practices are not open to non-ringing visitors unless accompanying ringers – sorry.

Learning to Ring

Ringing requires about as much coordination as riding a bike. It is a stimulating mental and physical exercise, practised worldwide by an eclectic group of volunteers of all ages. Physical requirements are mostly an ability to climb steep ladders, exert some force with your arms above your head, and some degree of rhythm.

The University of Washington Change Ringers run weekend and evening taster courses for those interested in learning to ring. Dates and times will be announced here and in email. Please contact the tower captain (see above) for more details, or to join the email list. If you have contacted us already and not had any reply, it is likely due to a spam filter – please try again!

Finding Us

University of Washington Change RingersGerberding Hall is on the south side of UW’s Red Square in the central UW campus, just next to Suzzallo Library. See here for map. We will meet at the southeast corner of the square before practices.

Travel to UW: The University of Washington (UW) stop on the Light Rail is a very convenient way of reaching the tower, it being a short walk from the station up Rainer Vista to the (obvious) tower. UW is well served by local METRO buses to NE Campus Parkway, the HUB, and Montlake. (Google maps is a good way of finding out about the buses). Click here for walking routes from the bus stops to the tower. Pay-parking is available from UW, or on meters on local streets (free after 8pm).

History

In early summer 2008, the first set of change ringing bells on the west coast of the USA were installed on the University of Washington’s Seattle campus. The installation is a gift of the Gordon Stuart Peek Foundation. The set of 8 bells, cast by Royal Eisjbouts Bell Foundry in the Netherlands, tenor weight 6 cwt, tenor note B, are hung for full-circle “change” ringing in the tower of Gerberding Hall, on the UW’s Red Square.

Change ringing – in which a trained team of ringers (the “band”) ring the bells in continuously varying patterns (not tunes) – originated in the UK in the 17th century. There are now over 5000 ringing towers in the UK, but only about 40 in the USA (and 8 in Canada), with our nearest ringing neighbours being Vancouver and Victoria in Canada, and Chicago and Abilene (TX) in the USA.

The University of Washington bells will be rung (see here for dates and times) to celebrate university, state and national events by a band of volunteer ringers from the UW and the Seattle area. Ringing visitors are always welcome!