Daily Photo – Melbourne’s Grand Cathedral
Stepping inside St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne is a bit like walking through a time machine. One moment you’re surrounded by trams rattling along Flinders Street and thousands of commuters hurrying to catch a train. Next, you’re standing beneath soaring arches where the noise of the city simply disappears. It’s quite the contrast.
What I particularly enjoyed, though, was discovering that the cathedral has one of Australia’s more unusual traditions. Hidden away inside is a set of bell-ringing ropes connected to thirteen enormous bells housed in the tower. Rather than chiming automatically, these bells are still rung the old-fashioned way by teams of volunteers. It’s called change ringing, and instead of playing tunes, the ringers perform intricate mathematical sequences that can take hours to complete. To the untrained ear it sounds delightfully random. To the people pulling the ropes, it’s a carefully choreographed performance requiring remarkable concentration and teamwork.
I find something rather comforting about that. In an age where almost everything is controlled by computers, there are still people happily spending an afternoon hauling on ropes simply to keep a centuries-old tradition alive.
The cathedral itself is magnificent, but it’s knowing that somewhere above your head a group of enthusiastic bell ringers is quietly practising an ancient art that makes the place feel just that little bit more special.
Curious for more? Explore more from a Small City.
