Bells of All Nations by Ernest Morris File 03 – Part one, Chapters VIII to XIV – Pages 55 to 94 This document is provided for you by The Whiting Society of Ringers visit www.whitingsociety.org.uk for the full range of publications and articles about bells and change ringing CHAPTER VIII Carillons IN FRANCE THE definite term " carillon " originated from the low Latin word "quatrinio "-a group of four, since the earliest carillons were played on four bells, while the Rev. G. S. Tyack1 states that the word came from the Italian quadriglio, a dance measure from which is derived the English word quadrille. The word carillon has been applied by the French since early times to any collection of bells, without relation to their number ; it generally being implied that they were fixed stationary and sounded by mechanical means. By the time the number of bells increased to six or eight, a Flemish word appeared for them namely beiaard. This term has been applied to the larger carillon which developed in the country north east of France, to what the French more specifically designate as carillon de Flandre. Used in England since r8og, its pronunciation has been trans­ formed into "Kar-ilon" or "Karil-yon ", without alteration of spelling. In Holland the instrument is called Klok-Kenspel. A carillon is a set of bells tuned to the notes of the chromatic scale upon which music in two or more parts may be played, that is-airs with accompaniment, sonatas, fugues, fantasias, and similar music. The bells hang stationary and are played either by the carillonneur (bell-player), or automatically. The smallest number of bells to which the term " carillon " may be applied correctly is two chromatic octaves consisting of twenty-five bells. Any less number would be called more precisely a " chime ", and upon so limited a scale only music in one part is possible, that is-tunes without accompaniment, " bell-change~ ", and single-note phrases. The bells in a carillon may extend in number to fifty or even more. A range of four chromatic octaves consisting of forty-nine bells affords the caril­ lonneur generous scope for the expression of his art. The size 1 Book about Bells, p. 272. 55 BELLS OF ALL NATIONS of the largest bell distinguishes the character and the importance of a carillon more definitely than does the number of bells. For instance, forty bells with the largest of 3 tons weight is a much more important carillon than forty-four bells with largest weigh­ ing say only 1! tons. The carillonneur plays the bells by means of a clavier which is constructed on a principle somewhat similar to that of the manuals and pedals of an organ ; the keys of the manual are made of wood, round in shape, and i in. in diameter ; there are two rows, the upper d · in. above the lower ; the upper represents the " black-notes" of the organ or piano and projects 3! in., while the lower represents the " white-notes ", and projects 6! in. The keys of the pedal are also of wood, flat in shape, and so placed as to be actuated easily by the feet of the carillonneur. They resemble closely the arrangement of the pedals of the organ, and the pedal compass is usually about an octave and a half. The keys of the clavier are connected to the clappers of the bells in a manner similar to that of the tracker action of the organ : bronze wires and steel transmission bars in the carillon taking the place of wood in the action work of the organ. The bells of a carillon are hung in their framework at different levels, the largest bells hanging in the lowest tier, and the smallest in the uppermost. The higher and more spacious the tower, the better is the musical effect of the bells. The automatic arrangement for playing a carillon is similar to that already given under " chimes ", except of course, it is on a larger scale. The revolving cylinder is like a giant musical box, and its exact designation is " carillon a cylindre " or " carillon a tambour ". Tunes are set upon the cylinder by the carillonneur and by periodic changing are made appropriate to the season of the year. In order to secure the quick repetition of a single note, some bells are equipped with as many as five or six hammers. Among the earliest of these automatic players were those at Lille in Artois, Dunkirk and Douai in West Flanders, Alost in East Flanders, and Zierikzee in Zeeland. By I 500 large chiming sets were found in churches, abbeys and hotels-de-ville throughout what is now Northern France, Belgium, the Nether­ lands, North West Germany, and--on a smaller scale-England. Mechanical operation of the carillon is an advantage where Caller's rostrum and Lutine Bell at Lloyd's Giotto Bell Tower at Florence Set of hemispherical bells erected on oak framework, with chiming hammers attached Tubular bells CARILLONS 57 the services of a skilled carillonneur to play on the hand clavier are not always obtainable. Mechanical playing, though crisp and accurate, and bringing out a full volume of sound from each bell, does not lend itself to expression and modulation of tone. It is, however, of great value as an addition to the carillon, yet lacks a full degree of the much discussed element of tone colour which the human touch alone can give, an element making all personal playing individual. The carillon like other instrument<> requires human temperament to give the be~t music. If a set of bells is tuned well enough and has a sufficient range for harmonic effects, it is wDrthy of a better measure of expression than a machine can provide. 1 The same might also be said in regard to the English change­ ringing peals. To insert in a church tower a machine to ring the bells to call folks to service-or a gramaphone reproduction of a peal of bells-as has been done in some instances, is nothing short of desecration. The human touch is immediately lost, quite apart from the impropriety of such an innovation. The most modern adaptation for playing carillons is the Electro-Pneumatic operation. It does not require the skilled manipulation of the clavier levers, while the automatic paper­ band player needs no skill whatever, being started by push­ button or clockwork release. Compressed air at low pressure, acting on pistons, is used to give the actual blow, and low voltage direct current to provide the connections between the keyboard or automatic player and the air valves of the pistons. The power-plant, usually placed in the clavier chamber, consists of a cast iron base-plate on which is mounted a standard motor, wound to suit the local electric supply : a generator, producing direct current at 25 volts : an air-cooled compressor, delivering air at 25 lbs. per square inch, and the Remote Control unit for starting and stopping. The pistons and cylinders are arranged in gangs and are propor­ tioned to the size of the bells operated. Each piston has an air­ valve operated by an enclosed solenoid, these latter being inter­ changeable and secured by bayonet-joint fastenings. The cylinders are mounted on air receiver bases, and the complete units are placed in the room immediately under the belfry and 1 F. P. Price, The Carillon (1933), p. 134· BELLS OF ALL NATIONS are attached by means of a series of standard rollers and cranks, to special clappers striking on the opposite side of the bell to the clappers attached to the clavier. Thus it is possible to obtain the best results from both methods of operation, the mechanically­ operated clappers being adjusted to give full blows of good carry­ ing power, and the clavier clappers adjusted to suit the more delicate manipulation by the carillonneur. A standard ivory keyboard is fixed, and this has practically the same touch as an organ, and on a key being depressed the 25 volt circuit is closed and operates the solenoid on the corres­ ponding piston and cylinder. The keyboard can be fixed at any distance from the tower. The automatic player has inter­ changeable paper bands perforated by special machinery in accordance with the music desired. It can be started by push­ button, or by an 8-day timepiece. A typical example of one of these installations is the carillon of 23 bells at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. It is equipped with a clavier for special recitals, an automatic paper-band player started by clockwork three times a day, and an ivory keyboard to enable any local musician to play special airs on the bells in the absence of a skilled carillonneur. This is the production of Messrs. Gillett & John­ ston, of Croydon, and similar installations from this firm have been placed elsewhere. Messrs.John Taylor & Co., ofLoughborough, England, have also installed such combined automatic-player and clavier operated carillons at many places, among these are : The City Hall, Albany, N.Y., U.S.A. (47 bells) : Mountain Lake Sanctu­ ary Tower, Florida, U.S.A. (71 bells): Springfield, Mass., U.S.A. (6 I bells) : Sydney, Australia (62 bells) : Masonic Cathedral, Indianapolis, U.S.A. (63 bells) : Soldiers War Memorial, Rich­ mond, U.S.A. (66 bells) and several others. Of music written specially for the carillon there is very little, the reason being largely that there are few carillons which con­ tain exactly the same number of bells, indeed the number varies so widely that each carillonneur is obliged to arrange his music to suit the particular scale and compass of his bell.