Clang-CLONG, ring the bells of Sant Romà. The Spanish church is home to Vall d’en Bas School of Bell Ringers. A man named Xavier Pallàs leads the class.  

The swinging bronze bell pulses with each strike of the clapper. The small stone tower fills with a vibrating hum. 

Most people think of a church bell as a sound effect for a phone’s ring tone or doorbell chime. Mr. Pallàs teaches that church bells have a much deeper purpose.  

Before radio, television, or the internet, bellringers shared the local news. Bells told villagers about weddings, funerals, or even emergencies.  

At Sant Romà, students of Vall d’en Bas take turns practicing chimes for Easter, weather warnings, or help for fighting a fire. They also learned how to tell workers to get busy reaping wheat.  

 The message depends on which bells get rung and how many times. It’s like a kind of code.  

Even after memorizing the correct songs or notes, bellringing is tough. Bell ringers must be very strong. Some of the bells weigh over 900 pounds. And bell ringers are basically signing up to be human clocks.  

Today, most people hear about their friends’ lives from texts or social media posts. But news delivered by church bells once helped neighborhoods come together. 

Roser Sauri, one of the bell-ringing students, learned how church bells rang out when her grandfather got baptized. She grew up hearing the chimes.  

“The bells formed a part of my life,” says Ms. Sauri.  

Why? Some treasured traditions aren’t just lovely. They served important functions.