The chime to the 9th song of the canon: what does it refer to?

Abstract

This article for the first time raises a topical issue in the bell ringing practice – about the reference of the chime to the 9th song of the canon. The object of the study is the chime, that in major part of churches is performed as 9 measured strikes on one of the biggest bells after the deacon proclaims "Let us glorify the Mother of God and the Mother of Light in a song" or after a festive verse. It continues during the singing of the song of the Mother of God "My soul glorifies the Lord" or the 9th song of the canon. The chime to the 9th song was chosen not random – in modern guidelines on the bell ringing charter, as well as in the bell ringing practice, the issue of its reference remains not determinated, and the relation to the 9th song or to the song of the Mother of God seems not persuasive. In the comparative analysis of various charters of bell ringing, starting from the middle of the XIX century to the present, it was found that there was no unity in explaining the reference of this chime. In order to clarify the historical significance of the chime on the 9th song, the author used the Regulations («Chinovniki») of the Moscow Assumption Cathedral, published with a foreword and index by Professor A. P. Golubtsov and reflecting the practice of worship and bell ringing in the XVII - early XVIII centuries. On the basis of Regulations («Chinovniki»), we can confirm that the chime to the 9th song was performed to gather the clergy, prepare for the subsequent procession on the Glorification. Later, this procession was lost in liturgical practice. Thus, it can be concluded that the chime to the 9th song has lost its practical significance, and the issue arises about the necessity to perform it at the present time.