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Five Rings Triples, for church bells (NMC Recordings: audio download only)

This work was commissioned by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers and Third Ear, as part of the Cultural Olympiad’s New Music 20x12 project, delivered by PRS for Music Foundation, in partnership with BBC Radio 3, London 2012, and NMC Recordings.

The compositional process, while clearly tapping into Skempton’s long-standing interests in minimalist process, mathematical pattern, repetition, clarity of expression and social engagement, required considerable technical research into the conventions and practicalities of ‘method ringing’. Each bell can only move one place at a time in the sequence, each sequence has to be different, and the overall pattern has to be short enough and ‘familiar’ enough to be memorised. After much research and consultation with experts, Skempton arrived at the idea of transgressing the normal rules by requiring a bell to ring in the same position in the sequence five times (thus acknowledging the Olympic logo). Four rings in the same position is not unusual, but five was unprecedented, resulting in much ‘dodging’ and ‘four bell work’ by the other ringers. Asking the lead bell to ring five times in position 3, going to the back, and five times in position 5, coming to the front, created for the composer a beautifully symmetrical pattern. Such transgression, however, came at a small cost: a full peal (all possible permutations) is not possible, but only a quarter peal. For Skempton, however, the primary brief was to compose an innovative, interesting and performable piece of music for the medium, not to invent a new method.

The work was performed by the Kingston Bell Ringers, broadcast by BBC Radio 3 to usher in New Year 2012 and 2013, and performed as part of the Cultural Olympiad in South Bank Centre Square, London, on 14 July 2012. A recording is distributed by NMC Recordings.