Big Ben Sounds the Bells for Olympics

London landmark Big Ben to ring more than 40 times for three minutes as part of the London 2012 Festival to celebrate the first day of the London 2012 Olympic Games

To herald the first day of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games on Friday 27 July, Big Ben and thousands of bells across the UK will ring out for Work No. 1197: All the bells in a country rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes, Turner Prize-winning artist and musician Martin Creed’s commission for the London 2012 Festival.

Big Ben, the hour bell of the Palace of Westminster, will chime more than 40 times from 8:12 A.M. – 8:15 A.M. to ring in the Olympic Games. This is a historic occasion for one of the world’s most famous bells, as it is believed to be the first time that the strike of Big Ben has been rung outside its regular schedule since 15 February 1952, when it tolled every minute for 56 strokes from 9:30 A.M. for the funeral of King George VI. The ringing will be attended by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt. Hon John Bercow MP; Lord Tony Hall, Chair of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Board; and bell ringers from other organisations.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, said: “It is a sign of how special this summer is when one of the world’s most famous bells will ring outside its regular schedule so it can be part of this London 2012 Festival commission to ring in the Olympic Games. I am delighted we can play our part in this Martin Creed artwork. This is primarily a work for every community within the UK to embrace as their own but it is also important for our famous landmarks to be represented when the eyes of the world will be on us.”

Anyone can take part by ringing any kind of bell for three minutes on Friday. To get involved, all individuals, organisations and communities are encouraged to register online at www.allthebells.com. The website also makes available for download Martin Creed’s free and exclusive ringtone, Work No. 1372, which features 28 different bells sounds. Subscribers to the free official London 2012 Join In App will also be able to tap or shake their phone like a hand bell to release the Martin Creed bell sequence. This will allow users to join in with the event whether they are on the way to work or at home.

All The Bells will be the London 2012 Festival’s biggest community celebration for the Games and thousands of people and organisations have already registered to take part, including the RoyalNavy, all four UK Parliaments, HMS Belfast, British Embassies worldwide, theMayor of London, the Archbishop of Westminster, Dame Evelyn Glennie, The Girl Guides Association, the RAF, the British Army and the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry.  Bells will be ringing everywhere from Britain's northernmost inhabited house in Skaw, the Shetland Isles, to the UK’s most westerly church in Tresco, The Scilly Isles.  Enthusiasm has even spread as far as a British Antarctic Survey research station in Rothera, Antarctica, where a research team will be making as much noise as possible to join the Olympic celebrations.

Source: www.london2012festival.org