Cathedral bells revamp plan to mark centenary

Stephen Aldridge, Manchester Cathedral Ringing Master, says the refurbishment is needed

Manchester Cathedral's bells, which have turned 100 years old, are set to be refurbished and a new unique chime will be composed for the city.

To mark the centenary, the cathedral has announced a £600,000 upgrade plan, which will see the bells re-harmonised for the first time since the end of World War Two, and three new bells added.

Dean of Manchester, Reverend Rogers Govinder, said the bells, which have rung out "in times of dread and in times of joy" were in "desperate" need of restoration.

The bell tower is made of wood and needs replacing with a metal frame.

Manchester Cathedral is celebrating the centenary of its bells

The Cathedral's ringing master, Stephen Aldridge, said adding new bells would bring the cathedral in line with 29 others across the country - and make the bells "more suitable" and "easier to handle", maximising the bell-ringers' repertoire.

He said: "The bells were dedicated on this day exactly in 1925 - but the frame itself is much older.

"The tower was rebuilt in the 1860s and the timber frame was put in then.

"By the time these bells went in the frame had already seen 60 years of use - so it's getting a bit tired."

At the heart of the project, is a plan to compose the "Manchester Chime" – a unique tune that will play every quarter of an hour to mark the passage of time.

The cathedral has launched a competition urging entrants to submit compositions.

"This city has a unique musical legacy," said Dr Ian Jorysz, Reverend Canon Precentor at Manchester Cathedral.

'It is the only city with three internationally recognised orchestras and its very own musical sound that ranges from Joy Division and Oasis to the BBC Philharmonic, the Manchester Camerata and the Royal College."

He said Big Ben had a Westminster chime and "we want to have our own Manchester Chime, unique to the tower and unique to this city."

The Dean of Manchester, Reverend Rogers Govinder

Reverend Govinder, added: "Our bells have always marked the passing of time in this city and in this nation.

"They regularly call people to prayer, they act as the only public warning system in the city, and they ring out in times of dread and in times of joy."

He said the new campaign was a "unique opportunity" to create "a unique sound for the bells of Manchester Cathedral that will be heard every time the bells chime and become synonymous with the sound of the city".

"This is our legacy, and we invite people to be part of it," he added.