The first set of ringing bells in Africa was installed in the cathedral tower in 1879. They were paid for by public subscription. In 1997, with the support of Rhodes University (which used the bells for teaching purposes) they were augmented from an octave to a ring of ten bells. Although the original octave has been silent for various periods since 1879, the bells have been rung continuously since the 1960s, apart from a short period in the early 1990s when a new steel bellframe was installed in the tower and the bells were sent back to England for new fittings. The bells have given immense pleasure to the citizens of our City and are part of the cultural heritage of Grahamstown.
During the past fifty years we have been extremely fortunate in having trained instructors in Grahamstown who were able to teach recruits the art of ringing. In the last sixteen years, for example, over 120 people have been trained to the standard where they are able to ring for services. Many of them have qualified for the South African Guild of Church Bell Ringers' Certificate of Competence as a Change Ringer, while others have been awarded Rhodes University's Certificate in Change Ringing. Unfortunately, since Grahamstown is an educational centre where young people learn new arts but then tend to leave town, few of those who have learnt to ring have remained in our city. Now, with Professor Lewis, who has taught ringing here for two decades, about to leave Grahamstown, we rely on a young local man: Siyabulela Dyasi, to keep things going.
In order to ensure that the bells continue to be rung it is now important that Siyabulela Dyasi, be sent on a short course in England: on change ringing and teaching methods in ringing, so that he may return to Grahamstown and teach change ringing at the cathedral. Professor Lewis has trained Siyabulela to the stage where he can teach recruits basic bell handling and the ringing of call-changes. Already, this year, Siyabulela has taught almost a dozen young people from Eluxolweni Child and Youth Care Centre, most of who attend the Grahamstown Amasango Career School, to ring bells. Siyabulela has also started to learn change ringing, and has participated in a number of performances here, and in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. Unfortunately, however, he has not yet acquired the skills needed in order to teach proper change ringing.
Professor Lewis has arranged that Siyabuela may join ringers in Herefordshire and adjacent Powys for intensive ringing immediately after Easter in 2010, and then attend the world-famous Hereford Ringing Course, from 8-11 April, with further intensive ringing before he returns to South Africa on or about 19 April. In order to do this, since Siyabulela is a student with no financial resources of his own, money has to be raised to pay for his passport and UK visa, his return air fare from Port Elizabeth to London, bus travel from Heathrow to Hereford and back to Heathrow, and the cost of the Hereford Ringing Course. These costs total of the order of R15, 300-00.
Ringers in Herefordshire and Powys have kindly agreed to meet Siyabulela in Hereford and to provide accommodation, food and transport for him during ringing in the Welsh marches before and after the Hereford Course.
Jane Bradshaw, who runs the Amasango Career School, wrote on 3 November 2009 that: "Bellringing is a wonderful skill and service to the community," and that its effects on learners from the Amasango Career School are highly beneficial. "Some of our severely socially marginalised learners are already bellringers and many more would benefit from a trained instructor. Every activity which impacts positively on our children has a spill over into their ability to believe in themselves and thus helps them overcome psychological barriers to learning in the classroom."
As Dean of Grahamstown, and therefore being in charge of the cathedral bells, I appeal to your organisation to contribute towards the cost of sending Siyabulela to England, to the Hereford Ringing Course and to attend intensive pre-and post-course ringing in that area. I recognise that Siyabuela, being a student at Cape Midlands College, may not remain in Grahamstown forever, but I believe that he is likely to do so for long enough to ensure that your financial contributions towards the cost of his training will be well worthwhile and will be recognition of the role of ringing in community service.
Please send your contributions to: The Parish Secretary, Parish Office, P O Box 102, Grahamstown 6140, marked Bellringing Course, or lodge your donation to the account of: Cathedral of St Michael and St George, marked Bellringing Course, Account number 52320792164, First National Bank, Grahamstown (sort code 21-07-17). Please inform the Parish Secretary of your', or your organisation's, name and postal address. If donations are insufficient to pay Siyabulela's costs, they will be used to purchase new bell ropes, which are urgently needed and cost about R1200 each.
Andrew Hunter (Dean of Grahamstown)