The annual Eucharist for the Ordination of Deacons at St Paul’s Cathedral provides a focus for Middlesex Association 12 bell ringing each year. In 2014 the service was held on the Eve of St Peter, Saturday 28 June, and the St Paul’s Cathedral band once again invited the MCALDG to ring before and after it.
The bells at St Paul’s are heavy and challenging. In preparation for this, we rang two quarter peals of 1311 Stedman Cinques at Southwark Cathedral, on 11 May and 15 June. This experience provided the foundations for a successful quarter peal of 1311 Stedman Cinques at St Paul’s, together with a pre-service touch, and two post-service touches. Michael Palmer conducted all three quarter peals, in which a total of 16 ringers took part:
Michael Palmer, Stephen Mitchell, Matthew Rayner, James White, David Jackson, Mark Harris, Stephen Jakeman, David Woodward, John Manley, Tom Lawrance, Lucinda Woodward, Christopher O’Mahony, Mary Gow, Sarah Taylor, Geraldine Forster and Tim Forster.
Stephen Mitchell