Appledore Time and Tide Bell, Devon
Date uploaded: June 4, 2009
On Wednesday 27 May, a huge bell on the sea wall at Appledore, Devon will ring out for the first time. The bell is a newly invented form which can sound different notes to create a melody. The rise of the water at high tide will move the clapper to strike the bell.
The creation of the 6 foot high bell is an Arts Council funded project by sculptor and musician Marcus Vergette. Its dedication on Wednesday 27 May marks the launch of the Appledore Visual Arts Festival.
Marcus Vergette has invented the new bell form which, from one strike, sounds different notes one after the other, creating a melody. This form has never existed before and has been made possible as a result of recent developments in computer modelling. As the effect of global warming increases and sea levels rise, the bell will strike more frequently, and as the bell becomes submerged in the rising water, the pitch will vary.
Marcus Vergette said:
‘The idea of the Time and Tide Bell is to create, celebrate, and reinforce connections, between different parts of the country, between the land and the sea, between ourselves and our environment. One of this bell’s many potential meanings is as a timepiece or time marker. Both in the way the bell is rung by the movement of the sea at high tide daily, but also as a long time marker of sea levels and where the shoreline is now’.
Arts Council England, South West Executive Director Chris Humphrey said:
‘The Time and Tide Bell is bringing something special to Appledore that will be a focus for the Festival and a permanent feature of the town. I think this project will capture the imagination of the people of Appledore, visitors to the Festival and people around the country.’
