The bell with the deepest sounding note in the U.K. is Great Paul at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. It was cast in 1881 and its note is E-flat. It weighs 16.75 imperial tons and is the largest bell in the U.K. in current use, and is the largest that is hung for ringing. It makes a low, deep humming tone when rung.
All church bells make a humming note when they are rung. The sound is complex; made up of several different notes, known as partial tones or harmonics and the hum note is the lowest of these. When a bell is struck the initial strong sound you hear is the ‘strike note’ [an aural perception linked to higher partials]. As this initial sound fades the lower frequency vibrations linger and decay more slowly, which is perceived by the human ear as a sustained, deep, beautiful and soul stirring humming sound.
A bell inside Tring Bell Tower
Bell founders and tuners carefully tune these partial tones, including the hum-note, prime, tierce, quint and nominal, so that they are in harmony with one another, producing a rich pleasant tone.
When a bell is rung muffled to create a solomn mournful sound for Remembrance Day or a funeral, the eerie echoing hum note is more prominent. It creates that sense of sorrow and loss for the end of a life, either well-lived or with inevitable regrets, on this earth.
Johanna Morgan
Tring Bell Tower