The Grandfather Clocks Company – Clock Chimes   GRANDFATHER CLOCK CHIMES   Grandfather Clocks typically play one, two or three different chimes or tunes. A clock’s movement maybe referred to as a single, dual or triple chime movement, which indicates the number of chimes or tunes that that clock will play.   Each clock maker uses variants on many of the chime tunes so the chimes below will give you an approximation of your grandfather clocks chime but may not be an exact representation of the chime your clock will play.   For a complete history of each chime please see below.   Howard Miller Clock Chimes   Whittington Chimes – click here to listen Westminster Chimes – click here to listen St Michael Chimes – click here to listen Ave Maria Chimes – click here to listen Ode To Joy Chimes – click here to listen Bim Bam Chimes – click here to listen Ridgeway Clock Chimes   Whittington Chimes – click here to listen Westminster Chimes – click here to listen Westminster Chimes (Quartz) – click here to listen St Michael Chimes – click here to listen Ave Maria Chimes (Quartz) – click here to listen Ode To Joy Chimes – click here to listen Bim Bam Chimes (Quartz) – click here to listen Kieninger Clock Chimes   Westminster, Whittington, St Michael Chimes -  click here to listen   Hermle Clock Chimes   Whittington Chimes – click here to listen Westminster Chimes – click here to listen Westminster Chimes (Quartz) – click here to listen St Michael Chimes – click here to listen   The History of Your Grandfather Clock’s Chime   Each grandfather clock chimes has a unique history and origin which in turn adds to the history of your grandfather clock.   Click here to enlarge image Westminster Chimes   The Westminster Chimes are the same notes first used on the clock in the University Church tower of St. Mary, Cambridge, England, and in 1859, selected for the Victoria Clock Tower in the House of Parliament in London better known as Big Ben. There, the hour is still struck on the famous old bell, "Big Ben", after the four famous phrases have been played on the smaller bells. The music was inspired by a phrase from Handel’s symphony, "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth", and the words and music were arranged by William Crotch in 1793.   “Lord through this hour, Be Thou our guide So, by Thy power No foot shall slide.”     Click here to enlarge image Whittington Chimes   The legendary Whittington Chimes rang in the Church of St. Mary Le Bow in Cheapside, London in the 16th Century. Legend has it that a penniless boy, Dick Whittington (1354-1423) heard them as he ran away to escape his drudgery as an ill-treated servant. The chimes seemed to say to him "Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London Town!" So, back he went and persisted in his labors until he finally did become Lord Mayor of London Town and served three terms! For further research on this most interesting story click the following links (Click here for more information).   “Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London Town”   Click here to enlarge image St Michael’s Chimes A true story of adventure surrounds St. Michael’s Chimes: The bells, cast in London, were installed in the St. Michael Church steeple in Charleston, South Carolina in 1764. During the Revolutionary War, the British took the bells back to England. After the war, a Charleston merchant bought them and sent them back to America. In1823, when cracks were discovered in them, they were sent back to London to be recast.   In 1862, during the Charleston siege, they were moved to Columbia, South Carolina for safe keeping, but Sherman’s army set fire to the area, and nothing but fragments of the bells remained. These were sent back to London once more, where the original molds still stood, and again, recast. In February 1867, the eight bells were reinstated in the St. Michael steeple, and on March 21 1867 they rang out joyously, seeming to say "Home again, home again, from a foreign land!" There was a great rejoicing by the entire city as the bells rang out. Since then, they have endured a cyclone, earthquake and fire unharmed.   "Home again, home again, from a foreign land!"   Click here to enlarge image Ave Maria Chimes   In the early 1500's. King James V banished the Douglas Clan to Scotland where Ellen Douglas lived in hiding. He did so because Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus had imprisoned the child king during the early days of his rein. In 1825 Franz Peter Schubert wrote Ellen's Song, which was a prayer for the safety of herself and her father as they hid in the forest. There are several versions of the Ave Maria song written by Charles Gounod, J. Stone, Franz Liszt, Biebel, and Schubert; with the most popular being those of Liszt and Schubert, the latter displayed above.   Click here to enlarge image Beethoven's 9th Symphony Chimes (aka Ode To Joy)   Ludwig Van Beethoven lived from 1770 to 1827. One of the greatest and most radical composers of all time. A tormented genius, who went deaf in later life and never hear his final works. His nine symphonies are probably his greatest achievement, each one an unrivalled masterpiece, but he also wrote 5 piano concertos, piano sonatas, string quartets and one opera, Fidelio   Composed in 1823, this famous melody comes from the final movement of Beethoven's "Choral" Symphony No.9 in d minor, Op.125. It is a setting for choir and orchestra of the German poet Schiller's 1785 poem An die Freude. The Ode to Joy was adopted as Europe's anthem by the Council of Europe in 1972. The first lines read:   “Oh friends, no more of these sad tones! Let us rather raise our voices together In more pleasant and joyful tones. Joy!“   Christians quickly recognize this tune as Hymn To Joy:   “Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of Glory, Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, Opening to the sun above.” “Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day.”   Click here to enlarge image Oxford Chimes   This unusual tune is apparently also known as "Magdalen" or "Parsifal". But there is some confusion and debate over this. The graphic above is labeled as the "Parsifal" chime pattern though it does not match the Oxford Magdalen recording. "Parsifal" was the final opera written by Richard Wagner and he apparently "borrowed" the tune from a German Abbey!   Click here to enlarge image Canterbury Chimes   In 1913 the “Canterbury Chimes” was added to the Whittington and Westminster chimes on Herschede Hall Clocks. Some accounts we've read say tune was composed by Charles Eisen, "a gifted American pianist," especially for Frank Herschede, but the Herschede Clock Company catalogue reads a little differently, stating that the tune was written by a factory employee who was visiting England.   Click here to enlarge image Trinity Chimes   The six bell Trinity Chimes originate from London's Trinity church in Gough Square, destroyed in 1902. This chime sequence was extremely popular in Germany and the USA and adapted for clocks made in Germany by both the Peerless and Hamburg American (HAC) clock companies.   Click here to enlarge image Winchester Chimes (aka Wynchestre Chimes)   Winchester Chimes have a very interesting history. The Norman conquerors of England did not like the fantastic cathedral chimes of the Saxons, so Bishop Walkilin, a friend and advisor to William the Conqueror, demolished and rebuilt the Winchester chimes in 1093. The cathedral's central tower that contained the chimes fell in 1107, but soon was rebuilt. This edifice forms a substantial part of the present cathedral, located in Hampshire, England. The lyrics of the Winchester chime is: "O Art Divine, exalted blessing! Each celestial charm expressing! Proudest gift the gods bestow Sweetest chimes that mortals know."