UNIVERSITY CARILLON

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1925, Page 4

UNIVERSITY CARILLON

(Herbert E. Ross, F.L.A., in “Sydney Herald.”) A Press message from London has contained a statement that Dr Bradfield is calling for tenders in London for the University carillon. Writing as one who has given this general subject some study, I hope that in the expenditure of a large sum of money in connection with what is a .highly specialised craft, founded on carefully guarded experience, the greatest care .will he exercised in the selection of the hells. The history of bell-founding is, unfortunately, fraught with numerous instances of failure to produce those essentials to a carillon where, quite part from tuning, every tone must lie truly associated with all other tones in the set. There is a sentiment about hells which begins with early infancy and endures through life. Whet her it is iho deep-toned hell in some cathedral spire, or the measured tones of the watch calling the midnight hour on the lonely ocean, there is probably no musical sound which carries so much sentiment as the sound of a hell. There is, intl'-.'d. a strange mystic sympathy between the sound of a hell and human emotions, so that even the most unimaginative are influenced by it. THE GREAT MOSCOW BELL. It was the ambition in the Middle Ages to cast hells of enormous size and weight, and perhaps the most lainous instance is that of the great hell of Moscow. Here the bell founders dug a great pit in the ground, and having formed therm the core of brickwork and clay to form the interior cavity of the boll, they east 1.80 tons of bronze, resulting in a huge easting 10ft. high and 60ft. in circumference. Owing, however, to the shrinkage of the metal upon what is called Llio core, or the central portion of the mould, the hell cracked, and as in those days they fiat!) no means of cutting it up or of lifLiug it out of position, if lay buried in the earth for 103 years. It was subsequenty lifted and forms the dome of a small chapel. The thickest Part of the hell is near the bottom edge or rim of the inverted cup, and the thickness of the bronze in this part in the yeat Moscow hell was over 2ft. Later on the Russians succeeded in casting another immense hell, which is now in use, and weighs 128 tons. Of course a bell of this size is not swung like the church hell of our familiar acquaintance, but is struck by a separate hammer on its outer surface. From the time of these great hells there seems to have been no attempt to cast hells of phenomenal size. With the advance of technical science other and more simple means have been discovered of transmitting warning and calling signs to the populace. The steam whistle and the foghorn were unknown in those days, and the advent of lire brigades, police systems, and the organised control of public disorder are on a different basis in our time. ENGLISH BELLFOUNIiERS.

Prohahlv the finest tone in any large hell is to he found in “Great Raul" in London, a magnificent easting liv the historic firm of Taylors, of Loughborough, England, in whose works the art of lielllouiiding has been in continuous operation for nearly 600 years. During this time many famous hells were produced. Our well-known “Great Barkes" in the Host Olfioo tower. which weighs five tons, and the accompanying quarter hells, were constructed li.v this ancient firm. One must not imagine that the tone ef a hell depends upon one note, ft is. quite.it work of art to produce a hell which is correct in tune and tone, for it must he borne in mind that the sound of the hell is derived from Hire" main distinct notes and two secondary notes. There are thus five distinct sounds in a properly tuned hell. As showing the progress which has taken place iai recent years it may lie mentioned that the older hells, and those in some modern carillon'-', are rarely in tune with one another in the broadest sense of the word. When their various tones are analysed the hells of olden times—and indeed. Mime made ttj> to recent dates—are found to he hopelessly mil of tune. The modeni hellion ndcr • has brought the making of hells to a scientific- hut withal, se-cret--art. and special machinery is used to shave oil parts ol I lie metal from (he hell, in order to bring it into time in all live el Ihe note essential fur I lie proper so 1111 d The main note of a hell is t lie “fnndameiilal,” or tonic note, which will take some definite

place in (he musical scale. There is a second note, which is one octave higher, known as the nominal, and in modern hell timing this nominal is tin* important note, especially for carillons of hells on which a musical piece would he played as il would he on a grand organ or any oilier instrument. The third important note is the “hum” note, which is one octave below the I nndamental. so that the nominal and the hum notes vary by two octaves lielow the fundamental, so that the nominal and the hum notes vary by two octaves in the chromatic scale. It is owing largely to the hum note that the peculiar beauty of the hell sound becomes evident. There are also two other notes, usually a third and a fifth above the I'umlr.mental, which are essential for the beauty of the tone. The hellfoniider. therefore, has to know not only where he has to place his metal in the hotly of the casting, hut where to put so much in order to have the hell tuned by the machine process which must follow. It is greatly to the perfection of the modern hell manufacturer that perfection of time has made the most beautiful music possible In carillons numbering anywhere from -ID to 80 hells. As is the ease with the piano, and indeed most instruments, the higher notes in the register are depended on to give* the air or the main theme of the musical composition, hence the necessity for the nominal note being correct. In ordinary change ringing on a peal of hells, such as we are most familiar with, tlie purity of the nominal note is not so essential. PLAYTNG THE CARILLON.

A carillon of hells is played at a keyboard situated at some point distant from the hells hy a musician known as a earilloneur, whose training and special experience may ho compared to that of some well-known organist. who by liis skill and experience can produce the finest effects from the combination of sound. Carillon music stands in a class by itself. The high elevation of ...o bells, the effect ol wind and air ciirrenls in varying the peculiar quality of the general tone, combine to produce an effect of extraordinary beauty. The Australian people are musical by nature, if perhaps not by training, and tin' beautiful carillon of bells to be provided for the University will be an acquisition of which any city may well be proud. Madame Melba, whose musical education and experience must stand in high Ausrnlian regard, is well known to be greatly interested in this class of music, and anyone who lias heard a rendering of a properly-tuned set of carillon bells will have bad an experience of a most convincing nature.