Wellington Carillon

Radio Record, Volume III, Issue 33, 28 February 1930, Page 8

Wellington Carillon

Suggestion for: Rebroadcast . A CORRESPONDENT recently wrote making the suggestion that effort should be made to secure a short-wave transmission of the Wellington carillon, as now established in Hyde Park, London, and operated on at regular intervals by Miss Watkins, the talented carillonneur, Inquiry into this suggestion shows that it is hardly practicable, as in addition to the difficulty of effective short-wave transmission and static interference, the fact is that carillons do not broadcast well. In a recent issue of the "Radio Times," the editor in a footnote, commenting on a suggestion of a correspondent that some broadcasts of carillons should be wundertaken, said: "During the past few years the B.B.C. has, on various occasions, broadcast the carillons from several places, among which were those of the Malines Cathedral, Croyland Abbey, Gillette and Johnson of Oroydon, and quite recently, the fortynine bells cast for the New Zealand War Memorial from the North-Hast Coast Dxhibition, Newcastle. Further, two broadcasts have already been made of the Bond Stret carillons referred to. However, it has been found, in general, that carillons do not broadeast well. Much of the beauly mentioned by the correspondent is lost in transmission, due to technical difficulties which it is not possible to overcome," .

In the circumstances, it seems impossible that anything should be done in the way of rebroadcast by 2YA. It may be remembered, however, that some time back 2YA did broadcast a recording of the carillon, and the results in that particular case were poor. However, when the carillon is established here listeners can anticipate regular broadcasts.