Ringing the Changes is a sonic and visual celebration of bellringing and bellringers through the art of change ringing.

Taking inspiration from the intricate sequences bellringers ring known as ‘methods’, artist, Edward Bruce has translated bellringing ‘methods’ into colourful patterns and has had them woven into two beautiful 33-metre-long banners. Architect, Nick O’Neill of aaltspace architects, has designed a dramatic configuration that is truly amazing. Suspended in the crossing of the cathedral, above the choir and right beneath the huge bell tower, the banners appear to cascade from where the music of the bells emanates.

Bruce’s inspiration for the banners stems from his fascination with bell ringing growing up – his father is a ringer in Oxford - but also his art practice developed over many years. He has an interest in the shared values and codes of behavior we use to communicate in everyday life, particularly through rituals, hobbies and pastimes. This led Bruce to explore bell ringing’s rich history, with some surprising revelations.

‘I was struck by the similarity between bellringing notation which goes back centuries, and jacquard weaving which is also very old, and how they both appear very modern to our current digital age. I knew that bell ringers use complex diagrams to memorise the sequences of bells to be rung. When I rendered the numbers that represent each bell into a colour, I was astonished how this revealed amazing patterns that seemed to dance and move. They were so beautiful. I knew I had to find a way of showing this to people and so I came up with the idea of woven banners.’

To put on the show, Bruce and O’Neill tasked themselves with finding a venue that was large enough to accommodate the banners but one that had a flourishing bell ringing culture. St. Mary’s Cathedral proved the perfect match. Their Society of Change Ringers has rung the bells since the Cathedral’s consecration in 1879. The Provost John Conway and Vice Provost Marion Chatterley were incredibly receptive to the proposal and very open to hosting the artwork which was modern but rooted in tradition. The cathedral has a long history of supporting art in all its forms, from Traquair to Paolozzi, and this also appealed to the designers in their search for a forward-thinking organisation that would be happy to host the work.

O’Neill designed the installation to relate to the huge scale of the Cathedral’s interior and to celebrate the craft of campanology.

‘The cathedral is the tallest building in Edinburgh. Its bell tower is 90m high and weighs an amazing 5000 tons. Yet when a peal is rung, the Ringers remain hidden from view. The banners are suspended so they appear to cascade from the oculus in the floor of the ringing chamber. Bruce’s patterned drapes are literally assembled from musical notes that swoop dramatically above the congregation. You could say they are a physical embodiment of the band of ringers. Looking up, viewers can see the specialist music they ring, revealed in all its complex beauty.

Edward Bruce

Photography by