The bells of the Abbey of Santa Maria de Montserrat (Monistrol de Montserrat, Barcelona) form the largest harmonic ensemble in terms of number of bronzes and weight in Spain; a total of approximately 16 tons of bronze divided between 10 bells. In 1950, Father Justí Bruguera, who was studying in Germany at the time, reported that an impressive ensemble of bells had been installed in the Bavarian archabbey of Santa Otilia that could serve as a model for a new bell ringing system in Montserrat. Father Abbot Aureli M. Escarré asked Father Gregori M Estrada (1918 – 2015) to follow up on the matter, and the first thing that was done was to invite the founder of the bells of St. Ottilien, Carl Czudnochowsky (Erding, Bavaria, Germany) to Montserrat to advise them on the possibilities of a new ensemble. His conclusion was: “Here you have to make a low F. Then you can complete it.” Based on this recommendation, Father Estrada designed a set of ten bells in F Major with the following characteristics: A Major triad chord in F and from there a diatonic scale up to high C. On October 23, 1955, the first six bells were blessed in the atrium of Montserrat: A 2 dedicated to Saint Benedict of Nursia, D 3 dedicated to Saint Paul, E 3 dedicated to Santiago, G 3 dedicated to Saint Gregory the Great, A 3 dedicated to Saint Pius X, and C 4 dedicated to the archangel Saint Michael. After this first blessing of six bronzes, attention was turned to the commission of the largest bell dedicated to Saint Mary of Montserrat. The economic possibilities at the time did not allow such an expense, so public funds were raised for its construction. The bell was founded in 1958, and apart from having the inscriptions in Latin like all the other six, the Montserrat hymn was added in Catalan. For this reason it had problems crossing the border between France and Spain. After several negotiations it managed to cross the line and was displayed for a few days in the Plaza Cataluña in Barcelona in gratitude for the popular collaboration. Finally it was blessed in the atrium of Montserrat on June 29, 1958. Father Abbot Escarré determined that this bell would ring from Monday to Friday at 12:50 to announce the midday Salve in honor of the people who made it possible. On August 10 of the same year, El Do 3 was blessed, dedicated to Saint Peter. From this moment on, the project was interrupted and for the next 47 years the monastery had eight bells. The two largest were placed in a metal structure on the bell tower and the other six in the windows of the tower in an orderly fashion from largest to smallest, leaving the two corresponding windows free for the remaining bells. All of them were installed on retrograde yokes with a counterweighted clapper. In 1995 the bell tower was crowned with a metal tip and the two clock bells that were currently above the face of the façade were moved to the side of the larger bells. During this intervention the curved yokes of the smaller ones were replaced by straight ones, changing them to a straight ring. 50 years after the first six bells were cast, the Vilaseca – Roca family decided to donate the two missing bells: the F 3 dedicated to Saint George and the Bb 3 dedicated to Saint Joseph. The two bells were cast by the master Albert Bachert (Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) and arrived in Montserrat on March 22, 2005, being received with a great ringing of the others. They were blessed by Father Josep M. Soler on April 3. Finally, on April 26, 2005 at 12:50, the eve of the solemnity of Santa Maria de Montserrat, the ten bells rang together for the first time, 50 years after the first ones were inaugurated. On March 18, 2015, Father Gregori M Estrada Gamissans, who designed the current group in his youth and was able to enjoy it in his final years, passed away. On the day of his funeral, during the exit, the bells bid him farewell eternally with the customary death knell followed by a plenum. The abbey bells play a very important role in monastic life. They are the ones that announce the celebrations, festivals and internal events of the community. The plenum can be heard at 10:52 on solemnities and festivities celebrated in Montserrat as the third conventual ring and at 12:50 the day before for the midday Salve. Currently, Brother Ramon M Oranias Orga is in charge of the programming and routine maintenance of the bells, to whom we are extremely grateful for his dedication, knowledge and contribution to the world of bell-ringing. Blai Ciurana Abellí, secretary of the Brotherhood of Bell-Ringers and Carillonists of Catalonia, and author of these lyrics. Luís Baldó Blanco, cameras and post-production. Bell data, complete information at: http://campaners.com/php/campanar.php...