A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Touch (bell-ringing)

by William Barclay Squire

TOUCH in bell-ringing denotes any number of changes less than a peal, the latter term being properly used only for 'the performance of the full number of changes which may be rung on a given number of bells.' By old writers the word touch is used as equivalent to sound, in which sense it occurs in Massinger's 'Guardian' (Act ii. Sc. 4), where Severino says 'I'll touch my horn—(blows his horn).' An earlier example will be found in the Romance of Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight (c. 1320) line 120, p. 4 of the edition of 1864. The word appears also to have been used in English music during two centuries for a Toccata. 'A touche by Mr. Byrd' is found in the MS. of a virginall piece in the British Museum; and 'Mr. Kelway's touches,' as a heading to several passages of a florid character, appears in a MS., probably in the handwriting of Dr. B. Cooke, in the Library of the Royal College of Music.

[ W. B. S. ]