The Recovering Choir Director

The ringing of bells was an integral and unforgettable element of the two weeks spent in Bavaria, Düsseldorf and Cologne. Here is a list in no particular order of their occurrence:

• Bells at the consecration: Once at the genuflection, three times at the elevation of the Host (accompanied by the “clink-clink” of the thurible against its chain), once at the second genuflection, and repeated for the Precious Blood. Another chime occurred towards the end of the Canon, which indirectly cued the organist to cease his post-elevation interlude.
• The bells of St. Antonius: ringing in a descending major third every fifteen minutes, and announcing the hours, they had the unintended side effect of reminding me of the theme to Goldfinger. On a more serious note, the bells tolled throughout the homily of Juventutem’s first High Mass.
• Cologne Cathedral: The world’s largest free-swinging bell tolled for more than two hours on the day of Pope Benedict’s arrival, easily cutting through the din of the crowd.
• “John Paul II”: The bell consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI at the Marienfeld before the Saturday vigil roused the sleeping pilgrims to worship on Sunday morning.
• Synthesized bells: Intercom at the FSSP seminary in Wigratzbad and on the Düsseldorf S-Bahn. (Probably the only types of applications where synthesized bell sounds ought to be allowed.)