Four-sided hand-bells are emblematic of the early Irish church. They were used from St Patrick’s time in the 5th century and – like the cow-bells they copied – were made at first from sheet iron.

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... The bells of Christmas will be ringing early Friday, but only two of Denver’s greats are still regularly rung the medieval way. At two of the city’s ...

What is it? Bells are among the oldest and simplest musical instruments in the world, capable of making some of the grandest music ever (church bells, the carillon), or some of the daintiest ...