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The Magic of St. Paul's Steeple: Bells, Rhymes, and Your Music Journey
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Introduction: A Trip Back in Time
Imagine you are standing in the middle of a busy London street over 150 years ago. Above the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages and the shouts of street sellers, a magnificent sound fills the air—the ringing of great church bells!
Today, we are going to explore a famous nursery rhyme called St. Paul's Steeple. It was featured in a very special book titled The Baby's Opera. The creators called this book a collection of "Old Rhymes with New Dresses." While the music was written by "The Earliest Masters," a talented man named Walter Crane designed the "new dresses" (the beautiful illustrations), and Edmund Evans used his skills as a printer to bring them to life in vibrant colors. Let’s take a look at the rhyme that helped make this book a treasure for young musicians.
The Rhyme and Its London Roots
The lyrics of St. Paul's Steeple are whimsical and full of imagination. Can you picture a tree growing right out of the top of a church, heavy with bright red apples?
Upon Paul's steeple stands a tree, As full of apples as may be,
The little boys of London town, They run with hooks to pull them down,
And then they go from hedge to hedge, Until they come to London Bridge.
While it’s funny to think of boys climbing a cathedral with hooks to find fruit, the "steeple" in the rhyme is a real place: St. Paul's Cathedral in London. For centuries, the bells in steeples like this have connected communities through the art of Campanology.
Campanology: The term used to describe the world of bell ringing.
The Science of the Sound: Peals vs. Carillons
Did you know that church bells are actually massive musical instruments? Depending on how the bells are hung and played, they can create very different sounds.
Listen to the videos on this link to learn more about bell ringing.
Two Ways to Ring a Bell
Feature | Peal of Bells | Carillon |
Definition | Part of English change ringing; a continuous performance of all possible permutations of the bells. | A musical instrument made of at least 23 cast bronze bells arranged in a chromatic sequence. |
How it's Played | A team of people works together for several hours with immense concentration. | A single musician (a carillonneur) uses a clavier (a keyboard and pedalboard system). |
Musical Style | Focuses on interweaving sound waves and complex harmonics. | Plays melodies, harmonies, and even full concertos. |
The Musical Effect | An immersive "auditory tapestry" that resonates through the air and the ground. | A "majestic and moving musical experience" that can carry for miles. |
Why You Are Learning This (The TQ Music Connection)
You might be surprised to learn that St. Paul's Steeple is more than just a fun story, it is a tool to help you master "musical grammar." In the Triquetrae (TQ) Music Programme, we study this piece because it uses a descending major scale and primary chord structures.
As you progress through your TQ journey, keep these goals in mind:
Level 2 (Listen & Read): Before you begin this level, you must already be proficient in reading the notes D4 to D5. It is a vital prerequisite.
Level 1 (Build): To reach this stage in tonality skills you should already be able to play the D major scale.
St Paul's Steeple for Violin
Play the scale of D major first. Listen carefully to achieve the correct pitch.
Now play along with this slower version of the piece.
This is the full speed version that can be achieved with careful practice.
Listen closely to what you've learned and see if you can answer these three questions!
Quick Quiz.
Write the answers in your Music Journal and show your teacher for an extra gem.
Question 1: What is the minimum number of bells required to form a carillon?
A) 12
B) 23
C) 50
Question 2: What is the name of the keyboard and pedalboard system used to play a carillon?
A) Clavier
B) Steeple
C) Console
Question 3: Who created the "new dresses" (illustrations) for the book The Baby's Opera?
A) Edmund Evans
B) Walter Crane
C) Princess Charlotte
Download the Music
