Carillon News

Bok Tower Festival

The 16th International Carillon Festival, February 3–11, 2001, will feature guest carillonneurs Stéfano Colletti (France), Liesbeth Janssens (Belgium), John Courter (Berea College, Kentucky), George Matthew Jr. (Middlebury College & Norwich University, Vermont), and Bok Tower Gardens' Milford Myhre and William De Turk. Events will include daily recitals at 3 pm, a moonlight recital at 8 pm on Tuesday, February 6, carillon exhibits, and non-carillon concerts. For further information, contact Bill De Turk, 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412; ph 863/676-1154; fax 863/676-6770; e-mail: <[email protected]>;

web page: <boktowergardens.org>.

Paris carillon project

A new carillon for the city of Paris, France, is in the planning stages. The site is the Parc de La Villette. An architectural study has confirmed the possibility of installing a carillon in a contemporary structure that already exists in the park: la Folie Belvédère. The proposal is for a carillon of 51/2 octaves, 66 bells, from G2 to C8, with a total of 35 tons of bronze. The bells would hang on five levels in a conical cage of open construction without a roof. The performer in the playing cabin will be visible to the public.

Situated in the center of the park, the Folie Belvédère seems an ideal place for the resounding of bells, amidst the Cité des Sciences and the Cité de la Musique. There is ample green space for listening at an appropriate distance.  In contrast to the mystery plays that were enacted on church squares in front of cathedrals and churches in the Middle Ages, the Folie and its carillon envision popular theatrical productions such as circus, street theater, and all sorts of musical and artistic expression.

Major Dutch treat

The National Carillon Museum in Asten, The Netherlands, is expanding its facilities. The tower will be an attractive feature. It goes without saying that a carillon will be hung in the tower. Furthermore, this special tower deserves a special carillon. The choice was made for a carillon with bells that have a major-third overtone instead of the traditional minor third. These sound significantly different than classic bells and carillons. This modern type of carillon seemed to be a logical choice for the hpyermodern tower. Hence, with bells from ca. 1500 B.C. to the most contemporary specimens, the museum's collection will span 3500 years of bell history. The design for these major-third bells was developed a few years ago by Drs. André Lehr and Bert Schoofs (Technical University Eindhoven). This design was used for a carillon made by Eijsbouts for the Academy Tower of the University of Groningen. The Asten carillon will be relatively small, with 25 bells covering two octaves. The largest bell will weigh 236 kg., the smallest 10 kg., total weight 468 kg.

The museum is seeking sponsors to cover the cost of the bells which will be purchased at a significant discount from the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry in Asten. Contact Dr. André Lehr at [email protected] or Ostaderstraat 23, 5721 WC Asten, The Netherlands.

An American in Peer

When a carillon committee was formed in 1989 in the city of Peer, Belgium, there were three tolling bells in the tower of the St. Trudo Church. At that time there were no carillons in the whole province of North Limburg that were playable manually. The 14th-century brick tower of Peer had a huge bellchamber capable of accommodating a heavy carillon. Financial resources were limited such that a choice was made for a medium weight carillon of 51 bells with a bourdon sounding D.

In 1992 the new Petit & Fritsen instrument was dedicated. After the festivities the carillon committee began its quest to expand the instrument as soon as possible to a heavy carillon. The project was completed in 1999 exceeding all expectations. The 17th-century bell frame was restored, the bell chamber got a new oak floor, and the electrical components were updated.

The carillon was completely dismantled and reinstalled, and a deluxe new playing cabin was built. Thirteen new bells were cast. Most significantly, an American standard playing console was chosen over the current European standard. The instrument now boasts 64 bells covering five octaves with a bourdon sounding B-flat. The keyboard compass is B-flat, C, then chromatic through D. Erik Vandevoort is the carillonneur of Peer.

Miscellanea from abroad

The Olsen Nauen Bellfoundry in Tønsberg, Norway, made a new four-octave carillon for the Oslo Town Hall in December 1999. The 49 bells replace a 38-bell carillon of inferior quality which dated from 1952. The new instrument can be played manually from a traditional baton-type console, electrically by means of an electric keyboard, and automatically by a computer. It is the largest carillon in all of the Nordic countries.

                  There are 80 carillons in Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland. Of these, 21 are concert carillons operated manually from a baton-type playing console. The remaining 59 are automatic carillons, and 29 of them can be operated from an electric piano-style keyboard. Most of the carillons were fabricated in The Netherlands (27% Petit & Fritsen, 45% Eijsbouts) with a few from France (7% Paccard) and England (4% Taylor).

Sculptor Eric Andersen created the Campana degli Umori for the Fairy Tale Gardens in Odense, Denmark. A ten-ton bell is suspended on a steel frame at street level. Also hanging on this frame are nine clubs or hammers for striking the bell in nine different areas. Campana degli Umori means "the bell of humors"—humors in the sense of moods. The nine striking areas on the bell are color coded and symbolize different moods such as black for pain and sorrow, red for love, etc. Consequently the bell can be used as a means of expression communicating to others the mood of the person who strikes the bell. Eric Andersen, who is both a visual artist and a composer, is fascinated with the bell as the carrier of a new language, and as a musical and poetical instrument the bell can be the tongue of the soul.

The 25th anniversary of the City Hall carillon in Magdeburg, Germany, was celebrated in 1999. In contrast with other concert performances, the carillon usually has the disadvantage that its players have no immediate contact with their listeners. The carillonneur sits in a  tower cabin, high above the ground, often remaining anonymous. Recognizing this situation, the city of Magdeburg rented a four-octave mobile carillon from the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry in The Netherlands. Several concerts at various locations in the city were presented. Plentiful audiences comprising both locals and tourists witnessed the carillonneur hard at work (at play).

Zvonar ("The Bell Player") is a new periodical published by the Moscow Bell Center. The Center was established about four years ago primarily to train qualified bell players. Russian church bells are typically played by hand. The art of Russian bell ringing lost popularity because of  church reform measures in the Soviet Union. Bell players who were dying out in the 70s had few new recruits. Since it began, the Moscow Bell Center has educated over 150 bell players between the ages of 11 and 64. Most were from Moscow and its environs. The Zvonar newsletter will help spread information about liturgical tolling, bell repairs, and other technical questions while the Center will serve in consultation to church congregations and monasteries.

A new 45-bell carillon was built for the monastery tower in Kiel, Germany. The bells were cast by the Karlsruhe Bellfoundry, and the playing console, the mechanical action, and the electronic automatic player mechanism were fabricated by Otto Buer Bells & Clocks of Neustadt/Holstein. The carillon was inaugurated in September 1999. It incorporates a 1367-pound tolling bell (pitch "G") that dates from 1928 as the bourdon.

Profile: McDonogh School

The McDonogh School is an independent, endowed, non-denominational, college preparatory school for boys and girls. The spacious 775-acre country campus with colonial and contemporary brick buildings lies to the northwest of Baltimore, Maryland. Established in 1873, John McDonogh had provided for this school for promising boys who would not otherwise have been able to obtain an education. Paying students were admitted for the first time in 1922, and in 1975 the school became coeducational.

The McDonogh Carillon was given by Mr. H. Beale Rollins (class of 1915) and his wife in 1978. The 48 bells were cast by the Petit and Fritsen Bellfoundry of Aarle-Rixtel, The Netherlands. The bourdon weighs 3,300 pounds, sounds D, and is connected to C on the keyboard. The carillon hangs in the tower of the Tagart Memorial Chapel. A chime of ten bells, crafted at Baltimore's McShane Bellfoundry for the new chapel in 1898, was in use until 1978.

William S. Lyon-Vaiden has been the McDonogh Carillonneur since the instrument's installation. A special series of summer recitals on Friday evenings at 7:00 during July and August features guest recitalists from the U.S. and abroad.

Profile: Holland, Pennsylvania

Trinity United Church of Christ in Holland, Pennsylvania--near Philadelphia--is home to a unique carillon installation. The first 25 bells for the Schneider Memorial Carillon were a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schneider. Cast in 1929 by the Meneely Bell Foundry in Watervliet, New York, the original two-octave instrument was dedicated by Melvin Corbett in 1930. It was one of few American-made carillons. A third octave was realized in 1954/55 with the addition of twelve Petit & Fritsen bells. In September 1968, the carillon was removed from the tower at Broad and Venango Streets in Philadelphia and taken to the Verdin Company in Cincinnati for storage and renewal of some of the mechanism. Upon completion of the new church building, it was installed at its present location in 1970. On the occasion of the nation's Bicentennial, twelve more Petit & Fritsen bells completed the fourth octave. The 3000-pound bourdon sounds E-flat and is keyed to C, hence the instrument transposes up a minor third. In contrast with most tower installations, the playing cabin of the Schneider carillon is on ground level, and the bells hang from an open steel frame that sits atop the cabin.

Lisa Lonie, carillonneur of Trinity Church, plays for regular church services. A special series of summer recitals on Thursday evenings at 7:30 during July and August features Lonie, other Philadelphia-area carillonneurs, and guest recitalists from the U.S. and abroad.

Profile: Roeselare, Belgium

Each of the 13 stories of St. Michael's Church in Roeselare, Belgium, has a story to tell. Rebuilt following a fire that leveled the city in 1488, the Sint-Michielskerk lost its 300-foot spire to a storm in 1735, and the current campanile was erected in the middle of the 18th century. Four swinging bells hang in the attic from a large frame that supports their total weight of seven tons. A mechanical tower clock from the city hall is preserved in the tower of St. Michael's. Tourists can read a series of didactic texts on the walls that chronicle the history of several centuries of bell ringing traditions in this old Flemish city. In fact, the Roeselare bell ringers guild claims that theirs is the only place in Flanders where the tradition of tolling bells manually is preserved.

During the 19th century, the Roeselare carillon was composed of a hodgepodge of 38 bells that were played by a pneumatic system from an ivory type keyboard devised by the Ghent organbuilder Lovaert. The bells were played by the church organist until the system fell into an unplayable state of disrepair. In 1893 a new carillon was cast by Severinus van Aerschodt of Louvain and connected to a Mechelen/Denyn-standard console fabricated by Desiré Somers. In 1917, during the first World War, these bells were plundered by the Germans. Marcel Michiels of Doornik cast 35 bells (bourdon of 1,332 pounds) for Roeselare  in 1921. The bells were recast in Doornik in 1939 and returned to the tower. The bourdon had grown to 1,378 pounds. Twelve Eijsbouts bells were added in 1988, and in 1992 the old bells were returned, a new bass bell was added, and a new playing console was installed. The lightweight instrument now comprises 49 bells from a 1,962-pound bourdon which sounds F and is keyed to B-flat; hence the instrument transposes up a fifth. Koen Cosaert is municipal carillonneur of Roeselare, Izegem, and Harelbeke, an organist in Kortrijk, and an instructor at the Royal Belgian Carillon School in Mechelen. The carillon is played every Tuesday morning and every other Saturday at noon. A special series of evening recitals is organized each year from June through September. Guided tours of the tower are available from June through September; phone (051)207-843 for group reservations.

Call for papers

From August 9 through 13, 1998, the biennial congress of the World Carillon Federation will take place in Mechelen and Louvain, Belgium. As part of this event, the Catholic University of Louvain will sponsor a congress on campanology. Since campanology is an interdisciplinary field of scholarship, papers from various areas of research are welcome, including but not limited to musicology, history, sociology, psychology, theology, law, physics, and environmental science. Topics will be organized in the following categories:

1) The use of bells as public signaling devices in Europe from the 12th to the end of the 18th century (secular and religious forms or aspects, musical applications)

2) Determinants of the sound quality of bells (material, bell profile, bell chamber, environmental influences, etc.) and of the perception of bells (ideology, customization, conditioning, etc)

3) The state of carillon art between 1800 and 1900

Papers on other topics will be considered. Abstracts are due on June 30, 1997. Direct questions, suggestions, and abstracts to: Luc Rombouts, Congress Coordinator, University Hall, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; e-mail: [email protected]

Profile: Amsterdam's Westertoren

The West Church (Westerkerk) was officially opened on Whitsunday 1631. It is one of the oldest churches especially built for Protestant services, and the largest such church in The Netherlands. Hendrick de Keyser, the city architect, built the church in Dutch Renaissance style, which is characterized by a combination of brick and stone. The famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn was buried inside the church in a rental grave in 1669. In 1966 Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus were married in the church. From 1985–1990 the church was completely restored.

Not until 1686, when organ accompaniment to singing had become customary, was the Westerkerk organ built by the father and son team of Duyschot. In 1727 it was considerably extended by the father, and it was further enlarged in the 19th century. Between 1988 and 1991 Flentrop of Zaandam restored the organ as nearly as possible to its original condition of 1686/1727.

In the medieval tradition, the 280-foot tower stands projecting from the center of the west facade. The base of the tower, up to the first gallery, is of brick, while the section above this is constructed mainly of wood with a facing of sandstone. The uppermost sections are also of wood, with an outer covering of lead. It was completed in 1638. The tower, which occupies a unique place in the affections of the people of Amsterdam, bears the symbol of the imperial crown of Maximilian of Austria, which was his gift to the city in gratitude for the support given to the Austro-Burgundian princes. The tower has inspired many songs and poems and remains a symbol of the city for Amsterdammers abroad. In her famous diary, Anne Frank makes fond references to the bells of the Westertoren ("I loved it from the start, and especially in the night it's like a faithful friend.").

The hour bell is the heaviest in Amsterdam and weighs more than 16,500 pounds; the hammer alone weighs some 450 pounds. In 1658 the famous Amsterdam bellfounder François Hemony delivered a 32-bell carillon based on a 4500-pound bourdon sounding D-flat. To complete three octaves, Claude Fremy was commissioned to found an additional three bells, but due to his death in 1699, his widow passed the contract on to Fremy's foreman, Claes Noorden. An extensive renovation of the carillon was undertaken in 1959. The 14 brass bells made by Hemony were retained while the treble range was replaced and extended by the Eijsbouts bellfoundry of Asten, The Netherlands. Presently, the carillon has 50 bells and is tuned in meantone temperament.

Boudewijn Zwart of Schoonhoven is the carillonneur of the Westertoren. He plays weekly, Tuesdays from noon to 1:00. The carillon can be heard to its best advantage from the courtyard of the Pulitzer Hotel or from the north side of the church. Four of the Amsterdam carillons are featured in a special series of summer recitals at 7:00 in the evening. Recitals at the West Tower are on Wednesdays, at the Old Church on Tuesdays,  and Saturday recitals are at the South Tower or the Mint Tower. Performers include guest carillonneurs from The Netherlands and abroad, as well as the Amsterdam municipal carillonneurs: Boudewijn Zwart, Todd Fair, Gideon Bodden, and Bernhard Winsemius.

Profile: Barneveld, The Netherlands

West of the Veluwe forest in the province of Gelderland is the city of Barneveld. The 160-foot tower of the St. Adolf Church (Oude or Sint Odulphuskerk) in Barneveld dates from the 13th century. Ravaged by fire and struck by lightning on numerous occasions, it is always restored to its old splendor. Until 1927 it was topped with a pear-shaped cone spire. As part of the restoration in that year, this was replaced with an open lantern topped by an onion-shaped crown.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Baron van Nagell as Mayor of Barneveld in 1927, a two-octave carillon was placed in the upper tolling chamber of the tower. The bells were made by the English firm Gillett & Johnston and were installed by the Dutch firm Eijsbouts. Placement was not optimal; the bells were audible only from near the tower. A few bells were added in 1948 and 1949. During a tower renovation in 1961 the carillon was moved into the lantern and expanded to four octaves. Finally, four bass bells made by Eijsbouts were added in 1977 and 1992. The current ensemble of 51 bells includes 17 made by Gillett & Johnston, one by Petit & Fritsen, two by Van Bergen, and 31 by Eijsbouts. The keyboard compass is B-flat, C, D, then chromatic through D. The bourdon sounds D-flat, hence the instrument transposes up a minor third. It is tuned in equal temperament.

Henry Groen is the municipal carillonneur. He plays on Thursdays at 10 am and Fridays from May through September at 7:00 pm. During the Old Veluwe Market--Thursdays in July and August--the carillon is played at 9:30 am. A special summer series on Tuesday evenings from 8:00 to 9:00 during June, July, and August features Groen as well as guest carillonneurs from The Netherlands and abroad.

Profile: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Situated amongst the picturesque canals in the heart of Utrecht, the freestanding Dom Tower was connected with the Dom Church until a storm destroyed the church on the first of August, 1674. The tower was built in the years 1321-1382 in gothic style and was restored in the beginning of the 20th century. It has served as an example for many other Dutch towers. Of the three sections, the first two are square and of brick construction, the third is octagonal and built with natural stone. The ornate tower reaches the vertiginous height of 112 meters (367 feet)--the highest of all Dutch church towers.

In 1663 the city council of Utrecht ordered a 35-bell carillon from François and Pieter Hemony. This carillon, one of their last instruments, had as its bourdon a B(0) weighing 6056 pounds. The famous Hemony brothers were from Lorraine and worked as itinerant bellfounders until establishing themselves in the Dutch city of Zutphen in 1641. It was there in the year 1644 that, with the help of Utrecht Dom carillonneur Jacob van Eyck, they succeeded in tuning a series of carillon bells. They tuned in meantone.

Before the major tower restoration in 1902 there were a few modifications to the carillon. In 1695 seven bells made by Melchior de Haze were added. In 1888 Severinus van Aerschodt replaced one of the Hemony bells. During the period of the tower restoration which went from 1900 through 1930, considerable modifications were made to the carillon between 1902 and 1907. A modern steel frame was made to support the bells. The founder Van Bergen of Heiligerlee supplied C-sharp and E-flat bells for the bass octave in 1906; these were removed in 1951. In 1928 and 1929 the Van Aerschodt bell and one of the De Haze bells were replaced by Taylor bells. A rather extensive renovation was done in 1951. The Eijsbouts foundry replaced the De Haze bells, one of the Taylor bells, as well as a broken Hemony bell. The carillon was also extended to four octaves (47 bells) at this point.

In 1965 it became evident that rust was affecting the 1906 frame A thorough restoration, not only of the technical installation but also the bells, was deemed necessary. Between 1972 and 1974 the steel frame was replaced by a wooden frame. The Hemony bells were retuned in order to level out the effect of three centuries of corrosion. All of the non-Hemony bells were replaced by new (1972) Eijsbouts bells. Furthermore, three new bass bells were provided, the largest of which weighs upwards of 15,000 pounds.

There are now 34 Hemony bells and 16 Eijsbouts bells. The keyboard range is G, B-flat, c1, d1, then chromatic through c5. The carillon transposes down one half-step, hence the bourdon sounds F-sharp. This transposition is the result of the historical phenomenon of "c-orgeltoon" which was a B, when a¢ was 415 Hz rather than the standard present day pitch of a'=440 Hz. The Hemonys cast a total of seven carillons based on a B, three of which no longer exist.

The original automatic playing mechanism built by master clock maker Jurriaan Spraeckel of Zutphen is still in use in the Utrecht Dom Tower and plays the lowest three octaves of the carillon. The F-sharp bourdon sounds the hours, and the B(0) sounds the half-hours.

The following dactylic verse by A. den Besten appears on the bourdon:

DAGELIJKS ROEP IK U TOE,

DAG EN NACHT SPEL IK U HOE LAAT HET IS, HOE VER GIJ ZIJT: LEEF EN HEB  LIEF, HET IS TIJD!

[Daily I call out to you

Day and night I play you what

Time it is, how far you are:

Live and let live, it is time!]

Arie Abbenes is Municipal Carillonneur not only of Utrecht but also in Eindhoven, Oirschot, and Asten. He teaches at the Dutch Carillon School in  Amersfoort. Abbenes studied carillon with Peter Bakker in Hilversum and with Piet van den Broek in Mechelen, and he received the final diploma of the Royal Belgian Carillon School in 1968 with great distinction.

The carillon of the Dom Tower is played every Saturday from 11 am to noon. There is a summer series of evening recitals, Mondays at 8 pm during July and August. Additionally, Utrecht hosts a yearly Holland Early Music Festival at the end of August and beginning of September in which the carillon plays a part.

The Utrecht Dom Tower is also known for its impressive set of 14 tolling bells. While the carillon bells hang at a height of about 230 feet, this peal is at 165 feet. The six heaviest and one of the lighter bells were cast in 1505/1506 by Geert van Wou of Kampen. Van Wou originally cast a diatonic series of 13 bells for the Dom Tower, but in 1664 the smallest seven were sold and melted to finance the new carillon. In 1982 these were replaced by new bells cast by the Eijsbouts Bellfoundry of Asten. The 14th bell is of unknown origin. In this day and age, most tolling bells are swung electrically, but the bells in the Utrecht Dom are rung by hand. This means that some 70,000 pounds of bronze must be brought into motion manually. It takes four people to ring Salvator, the largest bell, which weighs 18,000 pounds. This task has been performed by members of the Utrecht Bell Tollers' Guild since 1979.

Also worthy of mention in Utrecht is the National Museum "Van Speelklok tot Pierement" where all manner of automatic music instruments--from violins and musical clocks to street organs, orchestrions, and dance-hall organs--are displayed and demonstrated.

Travelogue

From Philadelphia immediately following the national AGO convention, I hopped on a plane to Belgium to begin a two-month recital tour in Europe. Here follows an assortment of reflections as I proceed along my way, to be continued next month.

The intense six-month period of preparation was a challenge: a myriad of details to arrange for the 26 carillon and two organ recitals, dates, programs, lodging, travel, etc.; preparations for being away from home and work for 12 weeks; selecting music that will actually work on most of the varied instruments that I'll be playing--and learn it all!

Dear friends from my Fulbright years (1984-86) at the Belgian Carillon School meet me at the airport in Brussels and whisk me off to their home in Mechelen--it will be my pied-à-terre for the next few months. After dinner it was time to visit the carillon school for a session on the practice console. The dimensions of the standard European playing console differ significantly from the more ergonomically-conscious American consoles. Instead of our standard two-octave pedalboard, Belgian and Dutch carillons normally have a 11/2-octave pedalboard which is shifted quite a bit to the right in relationship to the manual keyboard. The distance between keys in both the manual and pedal keyboards differs, as does the keyfall.

A good dose of melatonin seems to have helped me get a good night's sleep and to minimize the effects of any jet lag. On Monday I return to the carillon school to practice on the lightweight carillon in the tower of the Hof van Busleyden adjacent to the school. Alas, there is no opportunity to rehearse on the carillon in Turnhout before this evening's recital. This is a bit distressing, as the console is rather uncomfortable for tall carillonneurs like me, predating the European standard. I must remember here, when playing chromatic ("black") pedal notes, to shift my knees off to the side lest they block the manual keys. The bells are enchanting, however, made some 230 years ago by the Belgian founder Vanden Gheyn.

Tuesday is a work day: more practice at the carillon school, including organ music on the piano, plus typing the text of the Flemish Carillon Guild's website (www.beiaard.org) which I had translated into English during my "spare time" during the AGO convention last week.

On Wednesday I validate my Eurailpass and take the train to Nivelles, south of Brussels in the French speaking part of Belgium. After the short walk to the Collégiale Ste. Gertrude, the organist Robert greets me. I am eager to practice for my Sunday recital. The 38-stop organ was built in the French classic style by Patrick Collon of Brussels. I set to work. The positif is a bit stiff, but the grand orgue plays like butter. Over the course of my practice sessions here I notice my technique adapting to the action. The tension that plagues my hands from practicing at home on an organ with horrible action begins to melt away. I draw the grands jeux and slide the G.O. manual towards me to engage the coupler: a treat for my ears, yet more work for my fingers. At one point while playing, the manual inches forward a bit, and excruciating sounds emanate from the organ. Yikes! I must now also concentrate on "pulling" the keys toward me so as not to disengage the coupler during performance. But it is worth the effort. DeGrigny is coming alive for me. As an undergraduate and master's student I could never get excited about French baroque organ music. Give me a Skinner with a 32' bourdon purring under some lush strings and a vox humana, or a fiery swell box and a 32' bombarde, and I was in seventh heaven. Who wanted to play Couperin with a wimpy American cornet? But then I went to France, and Monsieur Clicquot taught me a lesson or two, and now the sounds and the feel of this instrument are reminding me, teaching me more. I have the uncanny feeling that this instrument has a soul, that it is alive, that it is communicating with me when I listen carefully.

On Thursday the train takes me to Goes, a small but lively town in The Netherlands. Sjoerd, the resident carillonneur, leads the way up to the carillon cabin, and at one point we traverse a gangplank over the vaulted ceiling of the church below. We hear the organist practicing on the Marcussen. Once I've climbed the final ladder and squeezed by a huge wooden beam, there is just enough time to position the bench, set out my scores, and adjust the carillon: an adjuster above each key brings the clapper to the desired position. Since the connecting wires expand and contract with temperature changes, this adjustment is usually necessary before each recital. With the key fully depressed, I prefer that the clapper be as close as possible to the side of the bell without actually touching. This prevents the clapper from grinding into the bell (not a pretty sound) and ensures that the lightest of strokes will actually make a sound. The playing console here in Goes is old and rickety, and again the pedals are much too close to the manual, but by now I'm accustomed to moving my knees out of the way without missing the pedals. Sjoerd was enthusiastic about my playing, and with the president of the local "friends of the carillon" we went to his home on the canal for a few beers before I had to catch the last train back to Mechelen. Trains are off schedule tonight: I miss my connection in Antwerp, wait 90 minutes for the next one, land in bed at 1:45 am.

Friday: The 8:42 train takes me back to Nivelles where I have the luxury of practicing from 10 until 3. I am amazed at how focused my work is today. Perhaps because the pressure is on? Perhaps because I don't always have the opportunity to play such a fine instrument? Back in Mechelen, Koen picks me up again and drives me to Louvain. After a light meal, we head for St. Pieter's Church across from the impressive city hall. As we enter, Koen warns me to duck my head--which has bumped into something once or twice a day so far. I conclude that Europe was not built for tall people. Koen mentioned that a tall Dutchman had gashed his head there last year; sure enough, the concrete floor was still stained by huge drops of blood.

On Saturday I practice again in Nivelles and have dinner with friends in Mechelen. The recital goes well on Sunday, and Robert and I celebrate with the local beer of choice: "Jean de Nivelles," named after the jacquemart that is perched atop one of the towers of the Collégiale, poised to strike the hour bell. Monday is free for chores like laundry, making a bunch of train reservations, practicing the alternate carillon recital program, and having dinner with Mimi. I rented a room in Mimi's home for a year when I was a student at the carillon school. Back then I dropped out of the local Dutch language course after the first meeting, much preferring my evening chats with Mimi. Learning with her, and my other Flemish friends, was faster and more enjoyable. On Tuesday I took advantage of my Eurailpass and hopped on a train to Amsterdam for the afternoon and on to Haarlem to hear Wolfgang Zerer's recital in the St. Bavo Church as part of the summer organ academy. I ran into Marianne of Dresden whom I had met while studying at the academy two years ago, so we headed to the Carillon Café to catch up. A few hours and a few bottles of Westmalle (delicious Belgian Trappist beer) later I headed back to my room in Amsterdam.

Riding first class on two TGVs to Chambéry in the Savoy region of France made the long train rides more tolerable, although having to get off in Paris at the North station and traipse down to the Gare de Lyon was annoying. Chambéry carillonneur Jean-Pierre Vittot calls his instrument the "Cavaillé-Coll" of carillons. It is a "grand carillon" in the American tradition with the extended bass range to G, and 21/2 octaves of pedals. The Paccard bells sing gloriously from the chapel tower of the Château of the Dukes of Savoy. In my opinion it is one of the most beautiful sounding carillons in the world. Unfortunately, rather than serving the performer, the key action is more of an obstacle. It did not take kindly to the rapidly repeated notes in my rendition of the "Preludio" from Bach's Partita for solo violin (S.1006). I had transposed it from E up to A, a lighter range, and took a slower than usual tempo, hoping that the action could keep up with me. But alas, a C-sharp gave way early on, so I stopped. Jean-Pierre insisted that I continue, but I figured that I needed that C-sharp about 100 times in the Bach Prelude alone, so I pleaded for repairing the carillon. It wouldn't have been the first time that I had crawled up amidst the bells to fix something during a recital. It looked to me as if a screw had merely come loose. Jean-Pierre went to retrieve the bolt, knocked his head on a rather large bell, returned with the bolt and another mysterious-looking part, and promptly declared that it was broken. So I played the rest of the program, without the Bach, and without the C-sharp.

This was the first of five recitals in the festival week "Campanaires Chambéry." A camera crew was in the playing cabin, with several bright, hot, lights, filming the performances which were to be projected onto a large screen adjacent to the Château. Unfortunately the threat of rain prevented the unfurling of the screen, although the filming and bright lights continued. From the playing cabin sound system, Jean-Pierre announced each piece on the program with brief program notes. A wonderful dinner of Savoyard specialties and Chignin Bergeron wine completed the evening.

Another long train ride on Thursday took me back to The Netherlands. Changing trains and train stations again in Paris, I had just enough time to get some fresh air, sunshine, and a baguette sandwich on a short walk from the north station past the Place Franz Liszt, the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Square Cavaillé-Coll. Once in Roermond, my host's nephew Wouter meets me at the train station and escorts me to the city hall to check out the carillon: light, bright, easy to play. Whew! After dinner we meet up with my e-mail pen pal Inge and her daughter Sonja who come upstairs to watch me play and then take me home to Gelsenkirchen. Inge and I have been practicing German and English together for a few years now. Friday is free to spend with their family, and we attend an exciting flamenco performance in the evening. Inge brings me to Oirschot for my Saturday afternoon recital. It is a very nice medium-weight carillon with good action. After a few Duvals (devilishly strong Belgian beer) with the carillonneur and the mayor of Oirschot, my next host Erik takes me to Peer where I will play on Sunday evening. The Peer carillon is now one of the nicest in Belgium. The transmission system is well done and the recently installed playing console is the American standard--unique in Belgium. It is comfortable to play and very responsive. The American pedal range plus the extra treble bells here enable me to play my original transcription of Francisco Tárrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra rather than the compromised "Euro" version that I've had to play in most venues. The warm Petit & Fritsen bells sing well from this tower, making the tremolando style of playing live up to its Flemish monicker, gebonden zang (legato melody).

Here is the program that I've been playing in most places:

Prelude III, Matthias van den Gheyn; Evocation, John Courter; Preludio (Partita for Violin, S.1006), J.S. Bach; Variations on a Slavonic Theme, John Pozdro; Klinget, Glöckchen, klinget (from The Magic Flute), Laudate Dominum (from Vesperae Solemnes de Confessore), Four German Dances, W.A. Mozart; Sweelinck Fantasy, Albert de Klerk; Burlesca, John Ellis; Recuerdos de la Alhambra, Francisco Tárrega; Variations on "Ode to Joy," Brian Swager.

Brian Swager is a contributing editor of THE DIAPASON.

Preludia voor Beiaard/Preludes for Carillon; Matthias Van den Gheyn. Gilbert Huybens and Luc Rombouts, eds., part 2 of Monumenta Flandriae Musica, Eugeen Schreurs, ed. Peer: Alamire Foundation, 1997.  ISBN 90-6853-120-4. Available for 1990 BF plus postage from: Alamire Muziekuitgeverij; Postbus 45; 3990 Peer, Belgium; ph: 32.11.63.21.64; fax: 32.11.63.49.11; e-mail: <[email protected]>; web site:<http://www.innet.be/musica/alamire&gt;.

This publication is a milestone in the carillon literature. The preludes themselves are the most significant 18th-century contributions to the carillon repertory. Ever since knight Xavier van Elewyck rediscovered the carillon preludes of Matthias Van den Gheyn in the 19th century, carillonneurs have based their playing editions on a manuscript made by Van Elewyck's copyist--a hastily made manuscript riddled with mistakes and unclear notation. With the discovery and publication of an autograph manuscript, previously unknown mistakes come to light, and many of the riddles can be solved.

The boxed set includes two volumes, the first of which is a facsimile of the autograph manuscript acquired by the Louvain University Archive on 19 April 1995. The manuscript includes the eleven preludes--with the exception of the final page of the Cuckoo Prelude--as well as six carillon arrangements of existing music: an allegro in D, an untitled piece in D, and aria in G, a six-section "Cantate," a menuet in C, and an andante in D. The second volume consists of editorial commentary and a new performance edition of the eleven preludes based on the autograph. All essays are in Dutch with clear English translations by Todd Fair.

Codicologist Chris Coppens and paleographer Marc Nelissen confirm that both the text and the music notation in the manuscript are in the hand of Matthias Van den Gheyn. The editors provide a short history of the performance of the preludes, and they examine the relation between the other manuscript copies of the preludes that exist or are known to have existed. They also give some consideration to the question "for which carillon were the preludes composed?"

The editors give a cursory explanation of their rationale for choices made in the performing edition. This leaves considerable room for discussion. For example, they state simply that "incorrect note values have been corrected."  Without further justification they have changed, not corrected, note values such as the dotted rhythms in the early measures of Prelude Six. In the same prelude, they invent a quirky rhythmic pattern--for which there is no basis in the manuscript--in order to avoid one of Van den Gheyn's shifts from triple to duple divisions of the beat. As in the past, carillonneurs concerned with performance practice and performances directed at authenticity will need to scrutinize the manuscript, realizing that the performing editions--including this most recent one--are subjective interpretations. Fortunately we now have an autograph manuscript.

The publication is "Dedicated to Xavier van Elewyck and Ronald Barnes, with respect for the roles played by each in studying the work of Matthias Van den Gheyn." As an invaluable reference for historically informed performance and study, it belongs in the library of every serious carillonneur and campanologist.  Carpe Librum!

News from abroad

* Wallonian carillonneur Edmond de Vos writes in Bulletin Campanaire about the carillon and the history of Chimay, Belgium. The 26 bells are playable automatically, via the mechanical drum connected to the clock, or manually via a machine à carillonner--a piano-type keyboard with large keys. The carillon was restored in 1997 by the Clock-o-Matic firm, and because of its rarity and historical interest the mechanical piano-type keyboard was kept in service.

* Carmen Bernad V. E. Hijos announced that a 72-bell carillon was installed in the Basilica of San Pascual van Villarreal, 50 km north of Valencia. The total weight of the bells, cast in France, is 12,000 kg. The inauguration was to have taken place on 17 May 1998.

* Rosemarie Seuntiëns writes in Klok en Klepel about the history of the St.  Petrus-banden Tower in Venray, The Netherlands, and its 50-bell carillon. A new type of tumblers was adapted for the instrument's traction system.  Rather than the traditional roller bars or directed cranks, the new tumblers involve a thin steel cable that turns over a round wheel whose axis is placed off-center. The system seems to be effective for short, relatively direct connections; the action is supple, and dynamic possibilities are optimal.

* The Petit & Fritsen Bellfoundry was commissioned to cast a 36-bell carillon for the Presbyterian Church in La Porte, Indiana.

* Petit & Fritsen was commissioned to cast an 84-bell carillon (E, F-sharp, G-sharp, chromatic to F) with a bourdon of approximately 8500 kilograms and a total weight of 42,300 kilograms. The donors have not yet disclosed the specific location in America where this "Millennium Carillon" will be located.

* A 51-bell Eijsbouts carillon was installed in Hamburg and dedicated on 24 July 1993. The instrument has a completely chromatic range from C to d.  It has a unique setting amidst the ruins of the St. Nicholas' Church. Hamburger Richard Brinkmann is the carillonneur.

* Currently, one of the heaviest bells in the world can be found in Cologne, Germany. However, a Cologne television station reported last May that the American city of Newport (the particular state was not mentioned) has commissioned a 30 metric ton (approximately 33 US tons) bell from the Paccard Bellfoundry in time for millennium celebrations. The bell will be 3.6 meters high (11 feet) and cost over $360,000.  It will be housed in a tower over 450 meters high.