Bells bad for health

I am indebted to those who responded to my letter about the Zabbar church bells.

While appreciating what they say regarding not moving here in the first place, I should clarify that I was willing to accept the few seconds the bells ring to mark the quarter-hour, but had not realised that it carried on throughout the night. I should have thought that ringing bells at night would have been banned by law as in many other countries.

What I do object to is the extravagant and unnecessary ringing for longer periods, which on the day I wrote had been going on for 50 minutes. This had not occurred when I had come to view the property.

The contributors have largely devaluated their own arguments, I find, by the fact that not one of them even mentioned, let alone condemned, the twice 30-minute stints for about a week leading up to the marathon 50 minutes! All this about three months before the local feast day and so was, presumably, just a wanton exercise. On those same days we also endured other ringing bouts lasting between five to 15 minutes each time.

One contributor stated that there is a long tradition of excessive ringing in the village core. I was told by a distressed neighbour that this extravaganza of noise only started when the present parish priest took over, the bells having been relatively silent before. Is this true or just wild talk due to severe nervous stress? Not every church in Malta rings its bells, so is it possible? I have lived abroad for many years, in different places, often within the proximity of churches. What happens here is not the norm.

A greater concern of mine is the effect this immoderate noise must have on the health of local residents, particularly those already unwell. Having worked in the health sector for many years, I have witnessed the deleterious effect of noise on people.

They say you get used to it. It is not true! Noise has a slow corrosive effect, no matter how healthy you may be at the start. Even in short but regular bouts it frays the nerves, usually starting with "disturbed sleep syndrome", then inexorably damaging the whole nervous system.

Many Maltese have a propensity towards creating noise. You hear it in the screeching car tires' burning rubber, the unnecessary revving of cars' engines day or night, the blaring car/bus horns each one trying to outdo the other, the loud music, loud voices, petards, church bells; etc! It is rather a childish trait of character; childish because it shows a sense of insecurity. If they do not make themselves heard they feel unnoticed or, worse, forgotten! A wonderful English expression sums it all up very aptly "Empty vessels make most sound."