The Yorkshire Tykes bell ringers will be ringing ahead of Choral Evensong on Sunday 5th September as they prepare for the national bell ringing competition for young ringers (under 19) which is being held on the 11th September in Worcester. We spoke to Jane Lynch about the competition, why bell ringing is important, and their hopes for the competition.
Why did you pick Bradford Cathedral for this rehearsal?
The front 8 bells at Bradford are of very similar size to those we will be ringing for the competition in Worcester. We will of course try all 12 bells at Bradford during our visit.
What is the membership of the Yorkshire Tykes group?
The group is open to all young bell ringers (age under 19) from across all bell towers in Yorkshire.
What sort of changes will they be practicing?
We will be practicing Plain Bob Triples which is a method on 8 bells and is the piece we will be ringing in the competition.
The Ringing World National Youth Contest is taking place in Worcester next week. What does the contest involve?
This contest involves teams of young bell ringers from across the country ringing a test piece which is judged by expert ringers who cannot see which team is ringing. The winning team will be the one which makes the least mistakes in their test piece. A little bit like a brass band contest…!
Have the Yorkshire Tykes entered the competition before?
Yes the Yorkshire Tykes enter this competition every year. They won their section in both 2014 and 2017 so are usually one of the top placed teams. We are proud to represent Yorkshire in this prestigious contest.
What are the upcoming plans for the Yorkshire Tykes?
We will continue to meet every month to encourage young bell ringers from across Yorkshire to meet together and enjoy ringing with people their own age. We hope to keep growing the group and promote ringing for younger people.
Why are groups like the Yorkshire Tykes important for the art of bell-ringing?
Bell ringing needs more young people to participate. They are the future leaders of bell ringing and the people who will pass on our ancient skill to others in years to come. They are keeping the tradition of bell ringing alive.
You can find out more information by visiting the Yorkshire Association of Changes Ringers website or by contacting Jane Lynch on j.lynch6@btinternet.com. You can find out more about the Ringing World National Youth Contest on their website.