It never gets old, the sight of the National Cathedral, rising up into a blue, cloud-filled sky. The various towers, and massive main structure, dwarf every building for miles. The Cathedral sits on the highest site in the city, the view from the bell tower, no doubt one of a kind. Bob and I spend a few minutes gazing up at the beautiful architecture in front of us before entering an unlocked door on the Northwest corner of the main entrance. Today we are meeting our friend, Mary Clark, one of the Cathedral’s bell ringers, and one of the most experienced. Today we have been invited to see the bells in the high tower and watch the ringers pulling the ropes and listen as they ring the heaviest set of rope bells in North America.
Stepping into the building frees us from the cool Autumn wind. Immediately, I sense the history, holiness and hope embodied in the beautiful stone walls, ceilings and floors. Lovely stone carvings and beautiful stained glass abound, intricate iron work fills doorways and light streams through heavy glass windows, lovely light. Scripture is carved into stone and wood. The morning service is nearing its close and the sound of the organ floats through the heavy wooden doors from the sanctuary. All this beauty and we are still in a hallway. We have toured this Cathedral several times before, so today we simply wait for our friend in this entry way, enjoying the music and drinking in the enormity.
Minutes later Mary arrives and we are joined in the elevator by several other ringers and another guest, a student, who is doing a paper on the stories behind the scenes at the Cathedral, today that story, is the ringers. These men and women, the ringers, gather every Sunday and Tuesday to practice and ring the bells in the Cathedral tower. They are not young and muscular, they are seasoned, they are committed to ringing and they are strong and experienced. Mary has been riding the elevator to the ringing chamber and ringing these massive bells for 45 years, two of her fellow ringers have been ringing here for 50 years. The women today, outnumber the men, I like that!!!!!
The first elevator takes us to a level below the ringing chamber. At this point we enter a part of the Cathedral not seen by the public most of the year. Making our way to the elevator that will take us to the ringing chamber we enter a large, unfinished room. On one side is a set of stairs (very much like one might find in a lighthouse), I’m not a fan of heights and I am thankful that although we COULD climb these 100 stairs to the ringing chamber and bell tower, there is an older, more rugged elevator that can deliver us there. I notice an interesting display of champagne bottles and a lovely carving over a doorway in this large dimly lit chamber. Mary explains it is a memorial to the head stone carver who passed away at a young age. At the end of each year the carvers open, share and toast the year’s carvings, and these were the bottles shared with the departed head carver, still covered in dust from the stone carving shop. There is a beautiful stone work piece above the bottles made in his honor and all of it a memorial, tucked away in the Cathedral, a hidden tribute. We board the caged elevator and ride up to the ringing chamber.
The first elevator takes us to a level below the ringing chamber. At this point we enter a part of the Cathedral not seen by the public most of the year. Making our way to the elevator that will take us to the ringing chamber we enter a large, unfinished room. On one side is a set of stairs (very much like one might find in a lighthouse), I’m not a fan of heights and I am thankful that although we COULD climb these 100 stairs to the ringing chamber and bell tower, there is an older, more rugged elevator that can deliver us there. I notice an interesting display of champagne bottles and a lovely carving over a doorway in this large dimly lit chamber. Mary explains it is a memorial to the head stone carver who passed away at a young age. At the end of each year the carvers open, share and toast the year’s carvings, and these were the bottles shared with the departed head carver, still covered in dust from the stone carving shop. There is a beautiful stone work piece above the bottles made in his honor and all of it a memorial, tucked away in the Cathedral, a hidden tribute. We board the caged elevator and ride up to the ringing chamber.
Stepping off the elevator, we are immediately in a light-filled chamber, surrounded on all sides by windows. 10 ropes, woven with a length of blue/purple velvet, snake through holes in the ceiling and hang in a circle above a raised dais. There are, however, no bells in sight. The bells are still one more floor above; there is no elevator to the upper chamber. I realize I have to squelch my fear of heights and climb this last round of open-sided stairs to the bell chamber, I can’t come this far and not see these massive, music makers. With a ringer walking ahead of me, and my husband walking behind me, I am able to make the last climb to the bells. It is amazing to see the circle of giants. Ringers are busy in the bell chamber setting all the bells to the upright position. I get a short lesson on how the bells will use their own momentum to swing. I am amazed at the size and weights, ranging in weights from the 600 lb. range to the 3600 lb. range, I am astonished that these ringers, (some in their 70’s) will pull the ropes and ring these huge pieces of metal. And then it is time to descend to the ringing chamber, staying in the bell tower once the bells are ringing can be deadly. The walk down the steps is more frightening for me, but again wedged between my guide and my husband, I am soon back in the rope chamber.
The ringers are ready to begin; they will practice what are called methods for at least an hour. No talking is allowed during the ringing. Ringing is dangerous, ropes are dangerous, the methods require concentration, no run can be repeated, many of the methods have 200 or 300 runs, never one repeated. I am in awe as the ringers begin, the ropes are gliding up and down, the ringer’s faces are focused, their arms sure and steady, and the bells are ringing over the nation’s capital again this bright, Autumn Sunday. With the exception of a few very short breaks between methods, the ringers pull ropes, the bells ring, and I sit fascinated for a full hour.
Once the practice session concludes, Mary (who led the session) invites me onto the dais to feel the weight on the other end of the ropes. I pull on the lightest bell first, I can feel a very slight give, but moving to the heaviest bell, there is no moving the mass, its weight equal to a car. These bell ringers are incredible, their commitment is remarkable. Mary tries to explain the math behind the ringing. Using a chalk board she writes out rows of numbers (each corresponding to a bell) and how the methods progress, I can see the pattern emerge, but I realize quite quickly, 45 years would not be enough time for me to learn this incredible art.
There is one beautiful, hand carved peal board in the ringing chamber. On it are the names of the 10 British ringers, from 10 Cathedrals in the UK, who rang the first peal on these bells in 1964. The peal took 3 and ½ hours. When peals are rung, there are no guests in the ringing chamber, the utmost concentration is necessary for a peal. I realize I am standing before a beautiful piece of Cathedral history. The board itself is a work of art, carved by one of the Cathedral’s own ringers. The ringers, themselves, are a part of this history. Mary has rung at many Cathedrals around the world, they are part of a legacy of ringers, still using the same techniques, the same safety standards, pulling ropes the same way, concentrating on and producing the same methods and peals that have been rung for over a thousand years. I feel very small in this room filled with the continuation of such a long legacy
Before leaving the chamber we walk to each window. We enjoy a view of the city not seen often or by many. The view into Maryland, Sugar Loaf Mountain in the distance and the Mormon Temple a bit closer is visible out one window. The Potomac river, the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial and the Vice President’s residence lies before us out another window. The view of the Cathedral towers and roofs dip and soar out other windows and gargoyles are almost close enough to touch. But it is time to leave.
Mary gives us one more sweet surprise, a peek into the Cathedral “attic”. It’s like a little world of lost bits and pieces of Cathedral history. A small model of the Cathedral, once located for viewing in the public area, now missing small bricks and turrets due to visitors helping themselves to parts of the tiny building as souvenirs. A model of the Jesus statue found in the Nave, holding the earth in one hand, sits silent, forgotten, covered in a plastic sheet, still beautiful. Tiny rooms with little stone cherubs, and other carvings can be seen through small windows in doors which line the large attic room, and the carillon master’s room, the room where he practices on a mock carillon key board, is here too. Mary takes us next to the floor below so we can see the huge bells of the carillon, much larger than the bells in the tower, and more numerous. We are thrilled to have seen so many of the Cathedrals’ normally hidden treasures.
We retrace our steps. The afternoon at the Cathedral has been a truly amazing experience. Mary joins us for dinner, the icing on the cake, more time to learn about the bells and catch up with this sweet friend. After dinner we part ways, I am suddenly aware of how many people I know who do such extraordinary things. I realize that everyone I know does something extraordinary, that all of us have gifts and talents and interests that can be shared and used to enlighten others. At this moment I realize 6 amazing experiences need not be the end of amazing!!!!!!! With one more experience needed to reach my goal of one amazing experience for each decade leading up to my 60th birthday, I think maybe I’ll have to work on living 700 more amazing experiences before my 70th birthday. In the meantime, I am thankful for Cathedral bells, belfry views, and beautiful friends, each one amazing.
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