Agrupació Seny Major

Demonstration of bell ringing in Cervera, on the occasion of the visit of the Utrechts Klokkenluiders Gilde on April 11, 2014.

1. Tibau .......1778 --- De Buenaventura Pallés y Armengol .......1,43 m --- do3-28 --- c1-28 .......weight estimate: ~1700 kg
2. Seny Major .......1424 --- Matheus de Olmo .......1,50 m --- mib3+30 --- es1+30 .......weight estimate: ~2500 kg
3. Nova .......1779 --- De Buenaventura Pallés y Armengol .......1,33 m --- reb3+27 --- des1+27 .......weight estimate: ~1400 kg
4. Carranca .......ca 1424 .......1,07 m or 1,13 m --- sol3+39 --- g1+39 .......weight estimate: ~800 kg or ~1000 kg
5. Trinitat .......1879 or 1880 --- De Buenaventura Pallés y Armengol .......0,99 m --- fa#3+12 --- fis1+12 .......weight estimate: ~550 kg
6. Onzena .......1826 --- Ramon Pomerol de Igualada .......0,66 m --- fa4+33 --- f2+33 .......weight estimate: ~200 kg

Data of the bells from: http://campaners.ecervera.cat and http://www.campanes.cat/perl?num=1114... Weights are estimated from the following empirical formula:

w = (d / A)^4 * (f / 528 Hz) kg

where:

• w = weight of the bell
• d = diameter of the bell
• f = frequentie of the nominal (octave) partial of the bell
• A = 22.2 cm for a mean estimate of the weight of the bell = 22.7 cm for a reasonable lower limit for the weight of the bell = 21.7 cm for a reasonable upper limit for the weight of the bell

The frequencies of the nominals were derived from a sound analysis for Nova, Seny Major, Carranca and Trinitat, based on our own recordings, for Tibau and Onzena we used recordings from YouTube. I find two diameters for Carranca, consequently there are two weight estimates.

• 00:00 Pictures and tower map
• 01:18 Demonstration of bilandó: chiming on Nova, Seny Major, Carranca and Trinitat
• 02:26 Demonstration of ringing up Nova
• 04:13 Demonstration of ringing down Nova

Counterweights in Cervera are only ~35% of the weight of the bells, so that the clapper gives a more clear strike. Bells were originally inside the tower, but were moved to the windows in 1779.

Many thanks to the Campaners de Cervera and the excursiecommissie of the Utrechts Klokkenluiders Gilde who organised the visit to the tower of Cervera.

Biel Duran és a Cervera per aprendre els secrets d'un ofici mil·lenari: el de campaner.