London's Most Popular Landmark, Big Ben, Celebrates Its 150th Anniversary |
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| Written by Merry Bellweather |
| Saturday, 11 July 2009 02:56 |
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The composer Benjamin Till received an Arts Council award to make the piece – which involved ringing almost 200 bells across central and east London, some of which had not been heard for 60 years. And from 7am to 7pm today, the clock is chiming on the hour with the borrowed bongs of Big Ben, broadcast from speakers built into the timekeeper's plinth. Stafford, Young and Jones solicitors is sponsoring the live performance after meeting Benjamin during his recording of the St Martin Orgar bell (‘Halfpence and farthings’ say the bells of St Martin’s), which forms part of its office in the Old Rectory. Two partners from the firm will also be performing in the choir. Benjamin Till said: ‘I remember singing Oranges and Lemons in the playground at school. It's one of those songs that I don't remember learning - it was just always there. ‘The longer version of the rhyme references 17 City and east end churches, with each rhyming couplet giving a wonderful sense of renaissance life in London – from bakers on Cornhill and archers practising in the fields behind Lothbury, to little hints about what went on in the Tower of London. The poem is so much more than the six lines about money lending that most of us know.' As part of the project he also recorded local people’s memories of the bells, including playwright Sir Arnold Wesker’s reminiscences and Joan Rose, the 83 year old daughter of a Huguenot grocer. Benjamin adds: ‘Her stories about going to Lyons corner houses in a pony and trap and rushing through the streets to Shoreditch Church because the ringing bells signified a wedding was about to happen, painted the most extraordinarily vivid picture of the early 20th century in the capital. I feel honoured to have met her, and all the bell ringers, singers, church wardens, vicars, and people with memories who have helped me on this deeply rewarding project.’ The construction of the clock tower was finished in 1859 and the clock took its first few ticks in May of that year. The 13.7-tonne bell, from which the landmark takes its name, chimed its first E note on July 11 1859. One theory is that it is named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner for Works from 1855-1858 whose name is inscribed on the bell. The first bong at Big Ben rang out 150 years ago on July 11th 1859 In September 1859, Big Ben cracked and fell silent for four years, the hour being struck on the fourth quarter bell. First erected in 1892, the scaled-down version was removed in 1964 and then put up again by Westminster Council in 1981 after receiving funding from a French oil company as a token of Anglo-French friendship. Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~ |
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