Westminster Quarters

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Westminster Quarters

The Westminster Quarters is the most common name for a melody used by a set of clock

Clock

A clock is an instrument used for indicating and maintaining the time and passage thereof. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic languages words clagan and clocca meaning "bell"....
bell

Bell (instrument)

A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually an open-ended hollow drum which resonates upon being struck....
s to strike the hour. It is also known as the Westminster Chimes, or the Cambridge Chimes from its place of origin.

Description
The melody consists of five different permutation

Permutation

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Westminster-chimes.mid: a midi file of the Westminster Quarters striking six o'clock

The Westminster Quarters is the most common name for a melody used by a set of clock

Clock

Bell (instrument)

Description

The melody consists of five different permutation

Permutation

In several fields of mathematics the term permutation is used with different but closely related meanings. They all relate to the notion of mapping the element s of a set to other elements of the same set, i.e., exchanging elements of a set....
s of four pitches, which can be played in any key. In this description, we will refer to them using the conventional key of C Major: G, C, D, and E (the Palace of Westminster chimes are in fact in the key of E). These permutations are:

E, D, C, G
C, E, D, G
C, D, E, C (or sometimes C, E, D, C; in either case "malformed", as it lacks G)
E, C, D, G
G, D, E, C

played as three crotchets and a dotted

Dotted note

In Western musical notation, a dotted note is a note with a small dot written after it. The dot adds a half as much again to the basic note's duration....
minim. A different sequence of these permutations is played at each quarter-hour: one set at the first quarter, two sets at the half, and so forth, as follows:

First quarter:	(1)

Half-hour:	(2) (3)

Third quarter:	(4) (5) (1)

Full hour:	(2) (3) (4) (5)

The full hour strike is followed by one strike for the number of the hour (one strike for one o'clock, two strikes for two o'clock, etc.).

In other words, a cycle of five permutations, (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), is repeated twice during the course of an hour. For a clock chiming mechanism, this has the advantage that the mechanism that trips the hammers need only store five sequences (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) instead of ten. The mechanism then plays two complete sets of five sequences for each complete hour. In musical terms, the first and third quarters finish on the dominant

Dominant (music)

In music, the dominant is the fifth degree of the Scale . For example, in the C major scale , the dominant is the note G; and the dominant chord uses the notes G, B, and D....
(G), whilst the second and fourth quarters (the half and full hours) finish on the tonic

Tonic (music)

The tonic is the first note of a scale in the tonality method of musical composition. The chord #The Triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord ....
(C). This produces the very satisfying musical effect that has contributed so much to the popularity of the chimes.

History

This chime is traditionally, though unsubstantiatedly, believed to be a set of variations on the four notes that make up the fifth and sixth measures of "I know that my redeemer liveth" from Handel

George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel was an England Baroque music composer of Germany birth who is famous for his operas, oratorios, and concerto grosso. His life and music may justly be described as "cosmopolitan": he was born in Germany, trained in Italy, and spent most of his life in England....
's Messiah
Messiah (Handel)

Messiah is an oratorio by George Frideric Handel based on a libretto by Charles Jennens. Composed in the summer of 1741 and premiered in Dublin on the 13 April 1742, Messiah is Handel's most famous creation and is among the most popular works in Western choral literature....
. It was written in 1793 for a new clock in St Mary the Great, the University Church

St Mary the Great with St Michael, Cambridge

St Mary the Great is a Church of England church in Cambridge, known locally as Great St Mary's or simply GSM.In addition to being a parish church in the Diocese of Ely, it is the University Church for the University of Cambridge....
in Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge , located in Cambridge, England, is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation university in the Anglosphere....
. There is some doubt over exactly who composed it: Revd Dr Joseph Jowett, Regius Professor of Civil Law

Regius Professor of Civil Law (Cambridge)

The Regius Professorship of Civil Law is one of the oldest and most prestigious of the List of Professorships at the University of Cambridge at the University of Cambridge....
, was given the job, but he was probably assisted by either Dr John Randall (1715-99), who was the Professor of Music

Professor of Music, Cambridge University

The Professorship of Music was founded in 1684, one of the oldest List of Professorships at the University of Cambridge at the University of Cambridge....
from 1755, or his brilliant undergraduate pupil, William Crotch

William Crotch

William Crotch was an England composer, organ and artist.Born in Norwich to a master carpenter he showed early musical talent . The three and a half year old Master William Crotch was taken to London by his ambitious mother, where he not only played on the organ of the Chapel Royal in St....
(1775-1847).

In the mid-19th century the chime was adopted by the clock tower

Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster

Big Ben is the nickname for the great Bell of the clock at the north-eastern end of the Palace of Westminster in London. The nickname is often also used to refer to the clock and the clock tower....
at the Palace of Westminster

Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, in London, is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom meet....
(where Big Ben hangs), whence its fame spread. It is now possibly the most commonly used chime for striking clock

Striking clock

File:Big Ben 2007-1.jpgA striking clock is a clock that sounds the hours audibly on a bell or gong.The striking feature of clocks was originally more important than their clock faces; the earliest clocks struck the hours, but had no dials to enable the time to be read....
s.

The chime is also used in many doorbells

Doorbell

A doorbell is a signaling device commonly found near a door. It commonly emits a ringing sound to alert the occupant of the building to a visitor's presence....
and school bells

Bell (school)

A bell is a signal in a school, either a real bell , a distributed ringer or a sound heard over the intercom system that tells the students when it is time to go to class in the morning and when it is time to change classes during the day....
. Most Japanese and Taiwanese schools play the chimes to signal the end and beginning of periods.

Words

According to tradition, the tune has words: "O Lord our God/Be Thou our guide/That by thy help/No foot may slide." An additional rendering of the lyrics changes the third line: "O Lord our God/Be Thou our guide/So by Thy power/No foot shall slide." A variation on this, to the same tune, is sung at the end of a Brownie

Brownies (Girl Guides)

A Brownie is a member of a section of some Girl Guides organisations who is between the ages of 7 and 10. Exact age limits are slightly different in each organisation....
meeting in the UK. "Oh Lord our God/Thy children call/Grant us Thy peace/And bless us all". According to an inscription in the clockroom of Big Ben, the lyrics are "All through this hour/Lord, be my guide/And by Thy power/No foot shall slide."

Musical references

The melody of the Westminster Quarters has been used in many other clocks. Among the musical works that make specific reference to the original are:

Louis Vierne
Louis Vierne

Louis Victor Jules Vierne was a renowned French organ ist and composer. He was born October 8, 1870 in Poitiers and died June 2, 1937 in Paris....
, the French organist-composer, quoted the tune repeatedly in his organ piece Carillon de Westminster. But his tune is slightly different from the original.
A London Symphony
A London Symphony

A London Symphony is the second symphony composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The work is sometimes referred to as the Symphony No. 2, though not so designated by the composer....
, by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams Order of Merit was an England composer of symphony, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film Film score. He was also a collector of England folk music and folk song; this also influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, which began in 1904, many folk song arrangements being set as hymn tunes,...
, quotes the quarters at the beginning and end of the piece (according to the quotation, only a quarter of an hour has passed, although the symphony is considerably longer).
This melody is also found as a variation in Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms , composer and pianist, was one of the leading musicians of the Romantic music. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene....
´ Symphony No. 1
Symphony No. 1 (Brahms)

The Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, is a symphony written by Johannes Brahms. Brahms spent at least fourteen years completing this work, whose sketches date from 1854....
, 4th movement.
The Westminster Waltz, a 1956 piece of light music
Light music

Light music is a generic term applied to a mainly United Kingdom musical style of "light" orchestral music, which originated in the 19th Century and had its heyday during the early to mid part of the 20th century, although arguably lasts to the present day....
by Robert Farnon
Robert Farnon

Robert Joseph Farnon was a Canadian-born composer, conductor, musical arranger and trumpet player....
similarly quotes the chimes a number of times during the piece. For many years, it was used as a linking theme for the radio programme in In Town Tonight
In Town Tonight

In Town Tonight was a BBC radio programme broadcast on Saturday evening from 1933 to 1960. It was an early example of the chat show, originally presented by Eric Maschwitz....
.
Alan Menken
Alan Menken

Alan Menken is an United States musical theatre and film composer and pianist. Menken has collaborated with several renowned lyricists including Howard Ashman , Tim Rice and Stephen Schwartz ....
, American musical theatre composer, quotes the chimes during the overture and denouement of the 1994 musical adaptation of "A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas is a book by Charles Dickens that was first published on December 19, 1843 with illustrations by John Leech ....
".
The theme tune to Yes Minister
Yes Minister

Yes Minister is a satire British sitcom written by Sir Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn that was first transmitted by BBC television and BBC Radio between 1980 and 1984, split over three seven-episode series....
, written by Ronnie Hazlehurst
Ronnie Hazlehurst

'Ronald Hazlehurst' was an England composer and conductor who, having joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director.He composed the theme music for many well known British sitcoms and shows of the 1970s and 1980s, including Are You Being Served?, Last of the Summer Wine, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, To th...
, is based on the quarters.
The introduction to Workaholic
Workaholic (song)

"Workaholic" was the third single released by Dutch act 2 Unlimited from their album Get Ready!. The song differed from the album version by virtue of it not being an instrumental track....
by 2 Unlimited
2 Unlimited

2 Unlimited was a Eurodance act formed in 1991. The project was the brainchild of Belgium producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde, and was fronted by a Netherlands duo, Hip hop music Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth....
. A sample from this version is also played at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium

The original Yankee Stadium is a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It served as the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1923 in baseball to 1973 in baseball and after extensive renovations, from 1976 in baseball to 2008 in baseball....
on offensive plays resulting in the Yankees
New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball based in the Borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of the American League East of Major League Baseball's American League....
scoring a run
Run (baseball)

In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third baseball field and returns out to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three out are recorded....
.
The chimes (in a marching band arrangement) are also used in the introduction to "Carmen Ohio
Carmen Ohio

'Carmen Ohio' remains the oldest school song still used by The Ohio State University. Eventually becoming the school's Alma Mater, on the train ride home from Ann Arbor, Michigan after Ohio State suffered an 86-0 loss to the University of Michigan during the 1902 season, Freshman football player Fred Cornell wrote lyrics to the melody of Spa...
", the school anthem of The Ohio State University. This is a reference to the familiar bell tower of Orton Hall on the OSU campus, the bells of which play the chimes on the quarter hour.
The chimes, played by the brass section of the Pride of the Rockies Marching Band, introduce "Ah, Well I Remember," the Alma Mater for the University of Northern Colorado
University of Northern Colorado

The University of Northern Colorado, often called UNC or Northern Colorado is a coeducational public institution of higher education and research located in Greeley, Colorado, United States....
.
The chimes (originally from a nearby clock tower) are the basis of the Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth F.C.

Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey , sometimes called 'The Blues', with their fans known as 'The Blue Army'....
chant Pompey Chimes. The original words as printed in the 1900-01 Official Handbook of Portsmouth FC, were: Play up Pompey, Just one more goal! Make tracks! What ho! Hallo! Hallo!!
Claude Gagnon quotes the Quarters in his composition for guitar trio Alice au pays des merveilles (1995). Not only is the tune quoted, but it is used as the basis for composition.
The Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick is a United States Rock music band formed in the 1970s and consisting of Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E. Carlos ....
song "Clock Strikes Ten
In Color

In Color is a studio album released in 1977 by Cheap Trick and produced by Tom Werman. It was the band's second release.In 2003, the album was ranked number 448 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time....
" references the quarters in the introduction.
The Norwegian
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
band Turbonegro
Turbonegro

Turbonegro is a Norway punk rock band that combines hard rock and punk music into a style the band describes as "deathpunk".Among the band's main influences are Black Flag , Rolling Stones, Kiss , Venom , Radio Birdman, AC/DC, Kill City, Circle Jerks, Ramones, Alice Cooper, Negazione, The Dictators and The Stooges, as well as Norwegian roc...
uses the melody in a part of their song "The Age of Pamparius".
Both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur Football Clubs use this tune in their songs about Adebayor. The only difference is that one is praising him and the other is somewhat racist.
The beginning of the chime is also used by Arsenal and rival supporters alike to indicate either the regular occurrence of the Arsenal team toying with their opponents: "Same old Arsenal, taking the piss!" for fans of the former or the regular occurrence of unsportsmanship from the Arsenal team: "Same old Arsenal, always cheating!" used by the latter.
The song "London" from Patrick Wolfs' first album Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy (album)

Lycanthropy is the first studio album by singer-songwriter Patrick Wolf and was recorded over the eight years between 1994 and 2002. It was critically acclaimed at the time of its release, as was his next effort, Wind in the Wires ....
uses the Quarters as a bridging point at various points.

External links

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