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Chimes of St. Michaels

cputrdoc

Joined: 15 Dec 2006
Posts: 1

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:23 pm Post subject: Chimes of St. Michaels

The story of the St. Michael's tune found in many clocks can be found all over the web:

Quote:

St. Michael's chimes have a long and exciting history. Cast in London, they could first be heard ringing out in 1764 from the steeple of St. Michael's church in Charleston, South Carolina. When the British occupied Charleston in the time of the American Revolution, the bells were returned home to the old continent. After the war, they were bought and taken back to Charleston by an American merchant. After the discovery of serious cracks in 1823, they were sent back across the ocean for recasting. During the American Civil War they were moved to Columbia for safekeeping, only to be destroyed in a fire. Fragments of the bells were found and sent back to London, where they were recast in the original moulds. On 21st March 1867, back in America at last, the eight bells rang out the joyous refrain "Home again, Home again from a foreign land."

...but that's all I can find on it. So if that's the refrain, what of the rest of the tune? What part of that tune does this "home again" verse matched with? Is it from a composition like the Westminster Abby tune was? The first time I accidentally triggered this tune on my clock, I thought something was wrong and the movement was hitting bars at random, or running through a test cycle. The tune doesn't appear to stay in a particular key, but if I had words that go along with the tune it would make me appreciate it so much more.

clkwrx

Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Posts: 390

Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 11:31 am Post subject: St Michaels chimes

The story of St Michaels church chimes (bells) as well as the opening line from the verse has been retold many times, but there doesn't seem to be any more reliable information than that. Apparently, neither the author of the verse nor the melody on which the chime is supposedly based is known for a fact. It's possible that like the Westminster chime melody it was adapted & expanded from another work.
Supposedly even the Whittington chime found on many triple chime clocks today is not the original melody that was heard from the church in England. (the original tune was reported to be only a six note chime, rather than eight notes as found on clocks today.)
Likewise the Canterbury chime that was exclusive to Herschede Clock Co clocks was composed specifically for them around 1913, but there is no evidence that the tune ever rang from Canterbury cathedral.