Bells of Porto

 Throughout the centuries bells have been placed in churches and cathedrals and church towers. They are used to call people to prayer, to special events (weddings and funerals etc.) and to worship services. Porto has a lot of big bells in beautiful churches and towers.

I think that if the psalmist had bells available he would have added them to this list of instruments used to praise the Lord.

Psalm 150

1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. 

2

 Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. 

3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. 

4 Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. 

5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. 

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.Praise the LORD!

Salmos 150

1 Aleluia! Louvem ao Senhor! Louvai a Deus no seu santuário; 

louvem-no pelo 

firmamento, que é a sua fortaleza!! 

2 Louvem-no pelas suas obras poderosos; 

louvem-no por todas as suas grandezas!

3 Louvem-no com o toque da trombeta; 

louvem-no com harpas e liras!

4 Louvem-no com tambores e danças;

 louvem-no com instrumentos de corda e flautas! 

5 Louvem-no com címbalos sonoros; 

louvm-no com címbalos vibrantes! 

6 Que todos os seres vivos louvem o Senhor!

Aleluia!

Handbells were first used as a way for those who rang bells in church towers to practice. I suppose if you were going to play for a wedding people would come to church for the wedding while ringers were just practicing.

You can hear my handbell choir and read about our trip to Porto on my Rezounding Praize blog.

Rezounding Praize

These - of course - aren't all of the bells in Porto. Just ones I happened to get pictures of.