The ringing of bells in remembrance of someone’s life and their passing has a long history steeped in traditions from the past.  Church bells were rung slowly (tolled) to announce someone’s death or at their funeral service. The “passing bell” is the herald of death, but the custom of ringing it has largely been abandoned in this country. Its object was to call attention to the fact that a soul was “passing” into the next world, and asked your prayers.  More than this, it was believed that the ringing of the bell frightened the ever-present evil spirits, who would be making a special effort at the moment of death to obtain possession of the soul. A special bell was reserved for this purpose, known in Scotland as a “mort-bell,” and another called the “soul-bell” tolled after death had taken place. It was possible to tell by the sound of the “soul-bell” if it was rung for an adult, or for a child, for in the former case the tenor was sounded and in the latter, the treble. It was, moreover, customary to distinguish the sex, by tolling three times for a man and twice for a woman, followed, after a pause, by a stroke for each year corresponding to the age of the deceased. Nowadays a bell is sometimes tolled twenty-four hours after a death, but is seldom heard till the procession is in sight of the church, when its solemn note at minute intervals denotes the arrival of the body for burial. Belle Musique values customs and traditions of the past that turn our thoughts toward the fond and warm remembrance of loved ones.  We believe the ringing of bells is a warm reminder of life and we celebrate in community with those who come to honor and pay due respect.