Ringing Out the Year: The Founders’ Consort’s Day
Being the Consort to the Master this year has been a very busy but rewarding experience. The main task of course has been supporting the Master at Founders’ events – Dinners, Open House, Spring Tour, Historical Group, Lunches at the Hall and privately entertaining guests using Bistro1365. There have also been some formal Dinners to attend with the Master at other Livery events, although the majority of these are attended by Master and Clerk without the Consort.
In addition to these supporting role events, the City Consorts organization encourages Consorts to join to undertake an introductory course about being a consort, which was very helpful, and it also holds events for members throughout the year. These have included visits to Theobalds Garden, the Royal Barge “Gloriana” and The College of Arms, together with tours and lunches at Livery Hall venues.
Several Consorts have also put on events themselves to promote their Companies, which have all been fascinating. A visit to Westminster Abbey with the Weavers where we viewed ancient documents or muniments, to St Paul’s Cathedral with the Engineers where we had a private viewing of the beautiful embroidery on the robes for all seasons, and a piano recital by the Communicator’s Consort (who is a concert pianist) followed a tour of Steinway Hall with a glass or two of fizz and canapes.
Other events more closely showcased the trades associated with the Companies themselves. These included a visit to a lens making factory in Wrexham with the Spectacle Makers, making a basket with the Basketmakers, a woodturning exhibition by the Turners, Mudlarking on the Thames with the Water Conservators and a Honey and Mead Tasting with the Wax Chandlers.
SO – what was the Founders’ Consort going to offer?
On October 9th, 30 fellow consorts were welcomed to our Hall for a Handbell Workshop Day, most of whom had not visited our Hall before and all commented on the lovely hall space and how friendly it all was. The morning began with the Master giving a brief talk outlining the history of the Founders’ company, its halls, and the process of melting metal to make castings. This led to a short history of bell making, and specifically the development of musical handbells.
The group were then introduced to the principle of English Change ringing by the Consort, and all were intrigued by the numbers and the concept that in the changing patterns as the bells were rung nothing was ever repeated. Everyone had a go at “walking” through a simple change ringing pattern ringing one bell each, and some braver souls then had a go with a bell in each hand to ring “Plain Hunt”.
After a short break, the group moved on to ring tunes on handbells, where 5 sets comprising 12 handbells in each, were laid out on tables, enabling everyone to ring two bells each. This final session was led by Sandra and Martin Winter from Handbell Ringers of Great Britain who had also generously given their time to present handbell playing at our Open House days.
Ringing began with simple tunes, for those who were non music readers the notes of their bells were coloured in on the music. Much hilarity to begin with, but everyone tried really hard and by the end of the session very creditable renditions of recognizable Christmas Carols could be heard, and we finished with “Jingle Bells” !
Typical of a Consort’s day, the handbell workshop ended at 4.00 pm and we all had to scoot over to Mansion House by 5.00 for an event given by the Lady Mayoress. For those with enough stamina there followed an exhibition at Painter Stainers from 7.00pm.
And a count up of the events attended by the Consort during the year – 86! It has been a huge privilege to have served in this role, it has been quite tiring at times, much has been learnt, rather a lot of afternoon teas have been enjoyed, and many lovely memories are now made to recall in the coming quieter time.
Kathryn Hughes, Founders’ Consort 2024-2025