In campanology (bell ringing), a peal is the name given to a specific type of performance of change ringing. The precise definition of a peal has changed considerably over the years. Currently, for a performance to be recognised as a peal by the Central Council for Church Bell Ringers it must consist of at least 5,040 changes on seven working bells, or a minimum of 5,000 on higher numbers of bells, meet a number of other criteria (collectively referred to as the decisions), and be published in The Ringing World.
Originally a peal referred to a set sequence of changes of any length, now more often referred to as a touch. The original meaning is still in use today in call-change ringing. The most famous and frequently rung call change peal, associated with the Devon Association of ringers, is named 60 on 3rds. Related to this meaning is the practice of raising or lowering in peal, that is making the bells ready for change ringing by gradually increasing their swing until each bell is turning through a full circle, and then once ringing has finished returning them to their safe resting position by gradually reducing the amount of swing. A set of bells is sometimes called a peal of bells, but ringers usually prefer the name a ring of bells.
On standard tower bells a peal usually takes something around three hours to ring—the precise length depending on the exact number of changes, and the weight of the bells. It is also common to ring a quarter peal, a performance generally meeting most of the rules for a peal, but usually of about quarter the number of changes.
Read more about Peal: Raising and Lowering in Peal, The Peal As An Extent, Modern Peal Standards
Famous quotes containing the word peal:
“Canst thou copy in verse one chime
Of the wood-bell’s peal and cry,
Write in a book the morning’s prime,
Or match with words the tender sky?”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)