I have lived many years in Victoria close to St. Francis Square. When the ambient noise was very low, next to zero in those days, I used to hear the hour bells of The Citadel, St, Francis and a couple others every 15 minutes. Then the big bell of nearly all churches would toll at 8am and at noon, prompting us to say out appropriate prayers. I also recognise by the tonality of the bells, to which church they appertain to.

I hated the ones at the Cathedral until they changed them to a beautiful new set when I was already an adult. I believe now that the St. Frances, the St George and the Cathedral ones in Victoria are the best tuned and beautiful bell tower bells.

Of course, no matter how beautiful they sound, they are a nuisance when they are rung excessively. The Church, I believe, have created some administrative groups to superintend and oversee areas like Environment, Climate Change and others.

The bells are usually rung from the bottom of the bell Tower by ropes. The Tower is not safeguarded and any zealous person can go in and pull the ropes. Well this is something that does not happen except once to disturb a political meeting at it-Tokk, once when the Queen was passing by from Ghajn Qatet Street to go and lay the first stone at the Gozo General Hospital and also once, when England won their first, and to date only, FIFA World Cup trophy in 1966.

The then, zealous rector of St. Paul’s church in Marsalforn introduced ‘the electronic bells’ which were quite nice for a seaside area. The only similar electronic bells were at the Oratory Don Bosco chapel as Symphonic Chimes, which, if I am not mistaken, were sometimes amplified on occasions on horn tweeters.

Then The Good Shepherd rector at tac-Cawla decided to buy an electronic bell, which I could never could get used to as a counterpart of traditional bells. In reality it is a small Church which we locally call a chapel.

But now my last years of my life are being disturbed by a set of new electronic bells which some other chapel has decided to horn out! I lived my whole life ‘behind St. Francis’ and I get used to anything but these new electronic bells are too loud and they play ”pagan hymns.”

This is what is referred to as ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’ It is an American patriotic song that was written by abolitionist writer Julia Ward Howe during the American Civil War.

It is the Union cause with God’s vengeance at the Day of Judgement, drawing from biblical passages such as Isaiah 63:1–6, Revelation 19, and Revelation 14:14–19. This song/hymn has been used by Gay protest marches, ante slavery, with its refrain of “Glory, glory, hallelujah,” had been used to root for college football teams, or as an anthem for labour unions. Evangelist Billy Graham, who helped popularise the song among Christians, even took it to the Russian army chorus in 1992. It has even been at St. Laurence fiesta in Gozo.

Please, whoever is playing this ‘Saints Keep Marching On’ in Victoria Gozo, stop using this song and please lower the volume down, drastically. Thank you.

Anthony Zammit,

Victoria

Photo: Gozo News/Alain Salvary

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