Carillon News

Profile: Bok Tower Gardens

Bok Tower Gradens is one of Florida's most famous landmarks.
It was a gift to the American people from Edward Bok whose purpose was
"simply to preach the gospel and influence of beauty reaching out to
visitors through tree, shrub, flowers, birds, superb architecture, the music of
bells, and the sylvan setting. And a restful, quiet, beautiful spot where where
visitors may feel, as the sign at the entrance declares by an extract from John
Burroughs: 'I come here to find myself. It is so easy to get lost in the
world.'"

Originally named Mountain Lake Sanctuary--"a sanctuary
for humans and birds"--the carillon tower, wildlife sanctuary, and gardens
were dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge in 1929. Near Lake Wales, Bok Tower
Gardens is situated atop Iron Mountain--Florida's highest point of elevation,
298 feet. Based on the extraordinary architectural and artistic quality of both
the gardens and the tower, Bok Tower Gardens was designated by the federal
government in 1993 as a national Historic Landmark--one of the few in the State
of Florida.

Edward William Bok

Born in Den Helder, the Netherlands, in 1863, Edward William
Bok emigrated to the United States at age six, and eventually became a
successful, influential, and affluent Philadelphia editor and publisher. Bok
was a champion of social causes--a pioneer in the field of public sex
education, prenatal education, and childcare; and an environmental activist in
public health and the saving of Niagara Falls. His autobiography, The
Americanization of Edward Bok, won the Gold Medal of the Academy of Political
and Social Science and a Joseph Pulitzer Prize. Bok was a noted philanthropist,
and after his 1919 retirement, he devoted his life to fulfilling his mother's
charge: "make you the world a bit more beautiful and better because you
have been in it." One of his benefactions was the Mountain Lake Sanctuary,
realized in gratitude for the opportunities America had given him.

The Gardens

Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. of Brookline, Massachusetts,
designed the original gardens. Olmsted--whose father created New York's Central
Park--was for many years America's foremost landscape architect. In but five
years, he transformed a dreary sandhill devoid of growth and beauty into one of
the most exquisite spots of verdure in the United States. Bok Tower Gardens is
now 157 acres--more than double the amount at the time of Edward Bok's death in
1930. Thousands of azaleas, camellias, magnolias, and other flowering plants
provide seasonal vistas of color against a lush green background of ferns,
palms, oaks, and pines. Bok Tower Gardens is home to a colony of wood ducks and
126 other wild bird species.

The Tower

The centerpiece of the Gardens, Bok Tower rises elegantly to
a height of 205 feet. It is surrounded by a 15-foot-wide moat, and is
stunningly mirrored in a large reflection pond. At the base the tower is 51'
wide, and is square below 150'. It is octagonal above that mark, and 37' wide
at the top. Architect Milton B. Medary of Philadelphia was commissioned by
Edward Bok to build a tower as beautiful as the one at Mechelen, Belgium. The
pink and gray marble was quarried in Tate, Georgia. The tan coquina rock
between the tower's ribs is native to Florida and is the same as that used by
the Spaniards in the old fort at Saint Augustine.

The work of three other celebrated Philadelphians
contributes to the total effect. Lee Lawrie designed the sculpture which
decorates the tower. Thirty-two feet above the base is a frieze of Florida
wildlife, including pelicans, herons, flamingos, geese, and swans. The first
windows, 130 feet high, have a grill of colored faience of under-sea life, such
as the sea-horse and jelly-fish. Three-quarters of the way up the tower, at the
point where the octagon begins, there are corner finials of eagles and on
either side, doves and oak branches. The crown of the tower is comprised of
eight figures of cock and hen herons with nests and young joined by a
sculptured marble screen of palms and roses. Samuel Yellin wrought the ironwork
used in the tower and the moat bridges. He also designed and executed the great
brass entrance door which depicts the creation of all forms of life in 30
hand-wrought panels. J.H. Dulles Allen created colorful grilles using
earthenware decorated with opaque colored glazes. Each of the eight grilles
enclosing the bell chamber is 35 feet high. The tower weighs 5,500 tons.

The Carillon

The primary purpose of the Bok Tower is to support and house
its voice. It is a "Singing Tower." Edward Bok's Netherlandic
heritage made him keenly aware of the role of bell towers in the culture of the
Low Countries, calling the people to work, to prayer, to war, and to feast.
When installed in 1928, the instrument for Bok Tower was the largest carillon
ever cast by the Taylor Foundry at Loughborough, England. There were 61 bells
for four octaves, the top 13 notes being doubled in an attempt to mask the
deficiencies of the treble bells. With the exception of the omission of the
lowest semitone, it was completely chromatic. The bourdon weighed 22,300 pounds
and sounded Eb1 (a thirteenth below middle c). Shortly after the inauguration,
the smaller Taylor bells were added--five being doubles. All the treble doubles
were eventually removed, 24 treble bells were recast in heavier profiles, and
the range of the instrument was expanded upward to 57 tones. The transmission
system was redesigned in 1979. The Eb bourdon is now keyed to F1, hence the
instrument transposes down one whole step. The inscription on the bourdon
reads: "This Carillon is a tribute of affection from Edward William Bok to
his grandparents: Lovers of Beauty. Nineteen Hundred and Twenty-Six."

During the 1930's sound physicist Dr. G.M. Giannini from the
Curtis Institute of Music invented some means of damping the minor-third
partial in bells which was applied to the large bells in the Bok Tower carillon
as well as in the carillon of the Riverside Church in New York City. The
dampers soon went out of use.

The Carillonneurs

The Belgian Anton Brees served as carillonneur from the time
the instrument was installed in 1928 until his death in 1967. He was the son of
Antwerp city carillonneur, Staf Brees.

Milford Myhre was appointed carillonneur in 1968. Myhre
began his study of the carillon with Ronald Barnes at Lincoln, Nebraska, and
continued with Staf Nees at the Belgian Carillon School and with Percival Price
at the University of Michigan. He also studied organ with André Marchal
in Paris. Myhre is a past president of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North
America, an honorary member of the Guild of Carillonneurs of France, and was
president (1982-90) and a founding member of the World Carillon Federation. He
is highly regarded as a performer as well as for his carillon music
arrangements.

William De Turk has been the assistant carillonneur at Bok
Tower Gardens since 1993. He is also the librarian for the Anton Brees Carillon
Library which is housed in the tower. De Turk holds music degrees from
Heidelberg College and the University of Michigan, and was the first Carillon
Scholar at Bok Tower Gardens in 1974. He is also a past president of the Guild
of Carillonneurs in North America, and is currently the archivist for the Guild.

The Anton Brees Carillon Library

A large collection of materials relating to bells and
carillons had accumulated at Bok Tower when, in 1971, Milford Myhre embarked on
a project to organize it. He enlisted the help of music librarian Stephen M.
Fry to devise a system for classifying this special collection. The library
functions as both a performance collection as well as a resource for the study
of historical and technical aspects of bells and bell instruments. Helena
Caldwell served as librarian until her retirement in 1991. The catalog of the
collection is currently being converted to computer and will soon be available
on the Internet.

Education

Endeavoring to perpetuate the vision of its founder, the Bok
Tower Gardens Foundation sponsors numerous educational, cultural, scientific,
horticultural, and conservation activities. In the 1930's there was a
cooperative program between Bok Tower Gardens and the Curtis Institute of Music
(which was founded by Edward Bok's wife, Mary Louise Curtis). The conservatory's
curriculum included carillon study, for which students went to Florida. Three
composition students--Nino Rota, Gian-Carlo Menotti, and Samuel Barber--took
advantage of this program in the winter of 1931. Several of their resulting
carillon works were published by G. Schirmer in 1934; this was the only
estimable music written in America for the carillon before World War II.

A scholarship program for study at Bok Tower existed briefly
in the 1970's. Bok Tower Gardens has most recently announced the establishment
of a new, post-graduate Carillon Scholar Program for the advancement of
scholarly research, composition, and other activities relating to the art of
the carillon.

Visit Bok Tower Gardens!

Live carillon recitals are
played on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 3 pm, from December 1
through April 30 and from late June through Labor Day. Recorded recitals are
provided on the remaining days of the year at the same hour. Recorded
selections are played on the hour and half hour each day. Visiting artists,
moonlight recitals, and other special programs are given periodically during
the summer and winter seasons. The annual carillon festival features an
international slate of performers each February.

Bok Tower Gardens is located
near the crossroads of U.S. Hwy 27 and S.R. Hwy 60. It is open to the public
every day of the year from 8 am to 5 pm. For information on membership or the
Carillon Scholar Program, please note the new address: 1151 Tower Boulevard,
Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412.

As the president of the Bok
Tower Gardens Foundation, Jonathan Shaw, stated, "Bok's dream remains--a
place where everyone can discover, in the serene beauty of the Gardens, that
art and nature and humanity itself are not antithetical but a single harmonious
whole."

Brian Swager is a contributing editor of THE DIAPASON.

Bok Tower Festival

The 17th International Carillon Festival at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, February 23-March 3, 2002, will feature guest carillonneurs Koen Van Assche (Belgium), Sjoerd Tamminga (The Netherlands), J. Samuel Hammond (Duke University, Durham NC), Helen Hawley (Lawrence, KS), and Bok Tower carillonneurs Milford Myhre and William De Turk. Events will include daily recitals at 3 pm, a moonlight recital at 8 pm on Monday, February 25, carillon and art exhibits, and non-carillon concerts. For further information, contact Bill De Turk: 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412; phone: 863/676-1154; fax: 863/676-6770; E-mail: <[email protected]>;

web page: <boktowergardens.org>.

Ireland World Congress

The next congress of the World Carillon Federation will take place in Cobh and at the National University of Ireland in Cork from Sunday 28 July through Thursday 1 August, 2002. Hosted by the British Carillon Society, this is the first world congress to be held in Ireland or Britain. The theme of the congress is "The Carillon and the Music of the People."

Cobh (pronounced "Cove") has a population of 10,000. Cobh is a picturesque and historic harbor town on Ireland's south coast and a major tourist destination. Cork Airport and Ringaskiddy Ferry Port are a 30-minute drive from Cobh, and both have regular international service.

The magnificent fully chromatic four-octave 49-bell carillon of St. Colman's Cathedral (bourdon 8000 pounds) is a Taylor instrument dating from 1916 which was completely restored, modernized and enlarged by the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry of Asten, The Netherlands, in 1998. It is a transposing instrument, in A, and is now the largest carillon in Ireland and Britain in terms of the number of bells.  The playing console is of North-American standard dimensions. There is also a state-of-the-art practice console.

Some 15 miles upriver is Cork (population 200,000), where the university's renowned music department has recently been relocated to a fine period building overlooking the city. Its facilities include a carillon practice console, identical to the one in Cobh.

The President of Ireland, Her Excellency Mary McAleese, has been invited to formally open the Congress; Most Rev. Dr. John Magee, Bishop of Cloyne, and Professor G.T. Wrixon, President of the University College Cork, are the congress patrons. The Eijsbouts traveling carillon will be available for the duration of the congress. An interesting and enjoyable program is being planned by the organizers, including morning, lunch time, afternoon and evening carillon recitals (30 minutes) every day. There will be an academic day at University College Cork, a day featuring young and upcoming carillonneurs, a congress banquet, Irish traditional music and dancing, sight-seeing tour of East Cork, a Cobh harbor boat trip, and a fireworks display.

Congress participants will be based in Cobh, which offers a range of accommodation--hotels, guest houses and self-catering apartments for four to six occupants.  Registration forms will be available on the Cobh Carillon Website: http://homepage.eircom.net/~adriangebruers. Specific questions can be sent to: [email protected].

Send items for "Carillon News" to Dr. Brian Swager, c/o The Diapason, 380 E. Northwest Hwy., Suite 200, Des Plaines, IL 60016-2282. For information on the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, write to: GCNA, 37 Noel Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221.

Brian Swager is a contributing editor of THE DIAPASON.

Bok Tower Festival

The eleventh International Carillon Festival at Bok Tower Gardens near Lake Wales, Florida, will take place February 10-18, 1996, featuring guest carillonneurs Gideon Bodden (The Netherlands), Gildas Delaporte (France), John Courter (Berea College, Berea, KY), Sam Hammond (Duke University, Durham, NC), and Bok Tower carillonneur Milford Myhre and assistant carillonneur William De Turk.

The Festival will pay tribute to the remarkable musical career of Ronald Barnes, who recently retired after completing 50 years as a professional carillonneur. His most recent post was at the University of California at Berkeley. Previously he served at Washington National Cathedral and at the University of Kansas.

There will be daily recitals at 3:00 p.m., displays of Mr. Barnes' satirical drawings of carillons, organ cases and other musical instruments, and displays/videotape presentations from the Anton Brees Carillon Library.

For detailed information, contact Bill De Turk, ICF Coordinator, Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412. Phone: 941/676-1408. Fax: 841/676-6770.

Brian Swager is a contributing editor to The Diapason.

Bok Carillon Festival 2004

Historic Bok Sanctuary announces its 19th International
Carillon Festival to be held 28 February through 7 March 2004. The festival will
feature guest carillonneurs Geert D'hollander (Belgium), Bernard Winsemius (The
Netherlands), John Courter (Berea, Kentucky), David Hunsberger (Berkeley,
California), as well as resident carillonneurs Milford Myhre and William De
Turk.

This will be Milford Myhre's final official festival
appearance, as he will be retiring at the end of June 2004. This festival will
also be a part of the 75th anniversary celebration of Historic Bok Sanctuary.
Events will include daily recitals at 3 pm, a moonlight recital by D'hollander
at 8 pm on Thursday 4 March, carillon and art exhibits, and non-carillon
concerts as well.

Information is available from Bill De Turk; Historic Bok
Sanctuary; 1151 Tower Blvd.; Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412; 863/676-1154. E-mail:
<[email protected]>

<www.boksanctuary.org&gt;.

GCNA Composition Competition

The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America has announced
its biennial Carillon Composition Competition. The competition is open to
composers of any age or nationality. Compositions must be of four to ten
minutes' duration and playable on a four-octave carillon (47 bells, C, D, E,
chromatic to c4). Compositions which have already been performed or published,
or which were written prior to August 1, 2001, are ineligible. First
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  prize is $800 (US) and second prize is
$400. (The judges reserve the right not to award either prize.) Prize-winning
pieces are premiered at a congress of the GCNA and published by that
organization. Deadline for submissions is 15 January 2004.

The competition is organized by the Johan Franco Composition
Fund Committee, which is also active in commissioning new music for carillon.
For information: John Gouwens, attn: Composition Competition, The Culver
Academies, 1300 Academy Rd., #133, Culver, IN 46511-1291;

<[email protected]>

<www.gcna.org/compcomp.html&gt;.

February Florida Festival

The 14th International Carillon Festival at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, will occur February 20-28, featuring carillonneurs Geert D'hollander, Todd Fair, Ulla Laage, Carlo van Ulft, Milford Myhre and William De Turk. Events include daily 3 pm carillon recitals, a moonlight recital  on February 27, lectures and exhibits in the new Education & Visitor Center, and several non-carillon concerts. For more information, contact Bill De Turk, Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412; phone: 941/676-1154; fax: 941/676-6770; E-mail: <[email protected]>.

Berkeley Congress Report

The 56th Congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America was held at the University of California at Berkeley, 17-20 June 1998 with 126 persons in attendance. University Carillonneur Geert D'hollander was the host. Held in conjunction with the Fifth Berkeley International Carillon Festival, the 1998 meeting focused on the life and work of Emilien Allard and honored the memory of Ronald Barnes. Madeleine Allard was present as an honored guest. Also honored were Evelyn Chambers and other members of the Class of 1928, patrons of the Berkeley Carillon and its International Carillon Festival.

Recitalists for the Congress were Lisa Lonie of Philadelphia; George Gregory of San Antonio, Texas; Claude Aubin of Montréal, Québec, Canada; Gideon Bodden of The Netherlands; Andrea McCrady of Spokane, Washington; and the carillonneurs of Berkeley: Geert D'hollander, John Agraz, Jeff Davis, David Hunsberger, and Liesbeth Janssens. The Berkeley Brass Quintet conducted by David Milnes joined Geert D'hollander and Liesbeth Janssens in a special program of music arranged for bells and brass by Ms.  Janssens. D'hollander gave the premiere performances of the winning pieces in the 1998 Johan Franco Composition Competition. The first prize was awarded to Mr. D'hollander himself for his Modal Nocturne. Ennis Fruhauf's Passacaglia was awarded second prize.

John Agraz gave a workshop on basic carillon maintenance. Masterclasses were taught by John Gouwens on interpretation and by Geert D'hollander on effective ways to learn new music. Two presentations on the music of Emilien Allard were given: Milford Myhre played historic recordings from Bok Tower, and Liesbeth Janssen shared her findings based on theoretical analyses of some of Allard's pieces.

Following successful examination recitals, ten members were accorded Carillonneur status by vote of the Guild: Steven Ball of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Linda Dzuris of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Chuck Barland of Lawrence, Kansas; Andy Greene of Berkeley, California; Andrew Capule of Berkeley, California; Liesbeth Janssens of Berkeley, California; Helena Chen of Berkeley, California; Sabin Levi of Provo, Utah; Geert D'hollander of Berkeley, California;  and Lynne Tidwell  of Lawrence, Kansas.

Dr. Joseph F. Marsh, Jr., former president of Concord College, and Alicia Porter Washam and Rufus "Buddy" Porter of Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas, were recommended and approved for Honorary Membership. Janet Dundore was awarded the Extraordinary Service Award for her many contributions to the Guild and to the profession, most particularly her original, audience-friendly approach to recitals. Emilien Allard, Evelyn Chambers, the Class of 1928, Janet Dundore, and Karel and Linda Keldermans received Berkeley Medals. A memorial fund in the name of Ronald Barnes was established to provide scholarships for North Americans to study the North American Carillon Art in North America.

The next congress of the GCNA will be held at Iowa State University, Ames, 16-19 June 1999. Tin-shi Tan will be our host. In the year 2000, the CGNA congress will be held in the city of Frederick, Maryland as well as at the Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. John Widmann and Jim Smith will be our hosts. Also in 2000 will be a congress of the World Carillon Federation in Springfield, Illinois, hosted by Karel Keldermans.

News from Iowa State

Iowa State University Carillonneur Tin-shi Tam sends the following news.

Spring carillon festival 1998

Iowa State University (ISU) hosted the Spring Carillon Festival 1998 and the Carillon Composition Competition during the weekend of April 24-26. Guest carillonneur was Albert Gerken, Carillonneur at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. He performed a recital featuring carillon music by Gary C. White, Professor Emeritus of Composition at ISU. He also conducted a seminar on "The importance of musical considerations in building or renovating a carillon." The Festival also included a Family concert featuring ISU student carillonneurs, the Ames Children's Preparatory Choir, ISU Dance and ISU/Ames Flute Ensemble. Tin-shi Tam, ISU University Carillonneur, presented a faculty recital during the Festival that included Emilien Allard's Sonata (1968).

In conjunction with the Festival, a Carillon Composition Competition was held to encourage the writing of original carillon compositions by young composers. Contestants from all parts of the country and overseas submitted entries. No award was given this year.

In 1999, Iowa State University will celebrate  the centennial anniversary of the Stanton Memorial Carillon. ISU will host the 57th Congress of The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America from June 16-19. Additional celebrations have also been planned.

Summer keyboard camp

The Sixth Annual Keyboard Exploration was hosted by Iowa State University Music Department from June 22 through 27. The summer music camp was for keyboard students who were entering grades 7-12. Participants experienced first-hand the thrill of playing various kinds of keyboard instruments including organ, harpsichord, piano and carillon. Nine students studied carillon under ISU University Carillonneur, Tin-shi Tam. Two carillon concerts were performed by students towards the end of the week.

News from Springfield

Karel Keldermans, carillonneur for the Springfield, Illinois, park district, sends the following news.

Midwest regional conference

The second Midwest Regional Conference of the GCNA was held in Springfield, Illinois, on Saturday, May 30, 1998. Participants from Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois, and Denmark were hosted by Karel Keldermans.

John Courter of Berea College began the presentations with a description of his personal compositional style and indicated the importance of Gregorian chant in his music. He played a recording of two of his carillon fantasies, and a lively discussion ensued. Albert Gerken of the University of Kansas at Lawrence then took the podium to make the first of his two presentations for the conference. Bert gave an excellent analysis relative to the usefulness of C-sharp and D-sharp in the bass of the carillon. To this end, he gave an insightful explanation as to why Pieter Hemony several centuries ago had in fact been incorrect in asserting that C-sharp and D-sharp were "useless." With cogent examples from the  De Gruytters Carillon Book and various Van den Gheyn Preludes--music appropriate to the period under discussion--Bert then demonstrated musically why a carillon indeed needs to be fully chromatic.

Informal discussions continued as a catered lunch was served in the parlor, courtesy of the Springfield Park District. Following the lunch break, Ann-Kirstine Christiansen, a Danish carillonneur and administrator at the Scandinavian Carillon School in Løgumkloster, Denmark, gave her presentation on the formation of the School and explained how courses are set up, the number of students attending, and the number graduated. After Ann-Kirstine's presentation, the group transferred to the Rees Carillon where Bert Gerken took the second afternoon session--that of music notation. Bert has developed a unique system of handling and pedaling on his scores, and the group was very interested in his techniques as he demonstrated them at the keyboard of the Rees Carillon. The conference adjourned in the late afternoon with some of the attendees remaining in Springfield for the International Carillon Festival.

Annual Springfield festival

The 37th International Carillon Festival in Springfield, Illinois, was held at the Rees Memorial Carillon in Washington Park from May 31 through June 7, 1998. The eight days of the Festival were filled with carillon-related activities, culminating each evening in two or three recitals by guest carillonneurs.  This year's recitalists were Albert Gerken, Kansas; Ann-Kirstine Christiansen, Denmark; Ray McLellan, Michigan; Bob van Wely, The Netherlands; Gert Oldenbeuving, The Netherlands; Koen Cosaert, Belgium; Sue Jones, Illinois; and host Karel Keldermans.

The first evening of recitals featured Albert Gerken and Karel Keldermans performing original compositions and arrangements by Ronald Barnes (1927-1997). This evening of special tribute to North America's premier composer for the instrument was especially meaningful to festival audiences who had come to know Ron Barnes as a frequent participant and visitor to the Festival. During the rest of the week, Barnes' works were prominently featured in recitals by other guest carillonneurs. Huge crowds gathered Saturday evening for the traditional gala fireworks to the accompaniment of carillon music.

Prospectus: French Carillon School

The French Carillon School was established in 1971 in Tourcoing and has been associated with the Conservatoire National de Région de Douai since September, 1997. During the academic year, instruction is given at all levels: beginners, amateurs, professional, advanced, and virtuosity. Lessons are given regularly on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and are available on other days by appointment. Intensive sessions are available for those traveling from afar. Applied lessons are given alternately on practice consoles, the mobile carillon, and the belfry carillon. There is a mid-year exam, and a final exam with an international jury is held in mid-June to determine the award to be presented according to the guidelines of the National Music Conservatories: * Mentions: at the initial, preparatory, and elementary levels * Medals and Practice Diploma: at the middle level * Carillonneur Diploma: upon completion of program of study * Gold, Vermeil, Silver, and Bronze Medals: advanced level * Prizes and Certificates of Merit: superior level. (The Master Carillonneur Diploma is awarded as the Premier Prix at this level.) Since its inception, the French Carillon School has awarded twenty carillonneur diplomas (nine to foreigners) and ten Master Carillonneur Diplomas (three to foreigners). A class of virtuosity, a class for the preparation for international competitions, and a special course for the preparation for the State Diploma and Certificate of Aptitude for carillon instruction were recently established. There is an annual registration fee but no tuition. For information and registration, contact: Ecole Française de Carillon; 39, rue de l'Université; 59500 Douai; France. Phone/Fax: 33.3.27.93.58.33. Lessons are available in Tourcoing-contact Bruno Membrey; rue Paul Doumer; 59200 Tourcoing. Beginners can study in Dijon-contact M. Alain Chobert; 2 rue de Tillot; 21000 Dijon.

Brian Swager is a contributing editor of THE DIAPASON.

Cobh bells return home

Adrian Patrick Gebruers, carillonneur of St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh, Ireland, sends the following news. Adrian Gebruers and St. Colman's Cathedral will be hosts for the congress of the World Carillon Federation in 2002.

Early in the morning of Wednesday April 15, 1998, the ship "Mathilda" sailed past St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh,  Ireland, en route from Rotterdam to the Port of Cork.  On board was the precious cargo of the bells of the cathedral carillon returning from the Royal Eijsbouts Foundry in Asten, The Netherlands, where they had been since the previous October as part of the complete restoration and modernization of this famous carillon. The following Sunday afternoon, all forty-nine bells were lined up at the base of the cathedral tower to be viewed by the general public. In all, several thousand people came to admire and photograph the bells which have always been so much a part of the life of the community. An exhibition of material illustrating the history of the Cobh Carillon past and present aroused great interest. At 6 pm, Bishop John Magee of Cloyne, who had specially returned from the Vatican where he was on official business, performed the solemn blessing of the bells. The two new bass bells were named for the Irish martyrs St. Oliver Plunkett and Blessed Dominic Collins, and the five treble bells added in 1958 but not named at the time were christened Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice, the great Irish educationalist. In his homily, the Bishop referred to the significance and importance of bells in religious worship and in the daily life of the community. He also thanked all those who had made the carillon restoration possible, including Royal Eijsbouts. The choir was under the direction of Adrian Patrick Gebruers, organist, choirmaster, and carillonneur of St. Colman's Cathedral. Readings were done by members of the Cobh Carillon Committee, including David H. Cox, professor of music at University College Cork, and Dr. Elizabeth Gebruers, wife of the carillonneur. The responsorial psalm "I Will Sing Forever of Your Love O Lord" was sung by Adrian Gebruers in a setting composed by his late father, Staf Gebruers, the first carillonneur of St. Colman's. The intercessions included prayers for those deceased carillonneurs who had played the Cobh Carillon and for Jef Rottiers, teacher in Mechelen of the present carillonneur. As the Bishop blessed and incensed the bells, the cathedral choir sang the church's great hymn of thanksgiving, the first line of which is inscribed on the bourdon of the carillon: "Te Deum Laudamus" ("We praise Thee, O God").

The formal rededication of the restored and modernised 49-bell carillon of St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh took place on Pentecost Sunday, May 31, 1998. The day began with a live link-up on the regional radio station of key figures involved in the restoration, including Bishop John Magee and the Cathedral Carillonneur. This was followed at noon by a special Mass in the Cathedral, concelebrated by the Bishop and members of the Diocesan Chapter. The first Carillonneur of St. Colman's, the late Staf Gebruers, and his wife Maureen were commemorated in the Bidding Prayers. In addition, the Cathedral Choir sang compositions by Staf Gebruers during the Mass. The two new bass bells, named St. Oliver Plunkett and Blessed Dominic Collins, were formally rung for the first time during the Elevation. At the conclusion of the Mass, the Bishop and other dignitaries walked in solemn procession to the tower entrance where a commemorative sculpture was unveiled. The Bishop then formally declared the carillon rededicated and the Carillonneur played the hymn, "The Bells of the Angelus," which was the last piece heard on the bells the previous October just before the restoration work began. This was followed by the "Te Deum" Prelude by Charpentier. The short recital concluded with the first performance of The Sacred Metal by David Harold Cox, Professor of Music at University College Cork. This work was commissioned for the occasion by the Cobh Carillon Committee, with funds provided by the Arts Council, and especially highlights the two new bass bell notes of C-sharp and D-sharp. There followed a formal reception in the Bishop's House. In attendance were local and visiting dignitaries, including Ministers of State and TD's (Members of Parliament). In a speech, Bishop Magree spoke emotionally of his joy in finally having the carillon restored. A letter of congratulations from Mr. Loek Boogert, President of the World Carillon Federation, was also read out. There was an hour-long recital at 4:30 during which guests and journalists were given an opportunity to view the new carillon installation. They were shown the computer-operated automatic and practice-console systems, the galvanized steel framework and mechanism and the playing cabin now located within the belfry. All expressed their approval of the quality of the workmanship and congratulations were extended to P. J. Hegarty & Sons, the main contractors, and Royal Eijsbouts, the bellfounders, for a job well done.

Dutch Carillon Museum

The National Carilllon Museum in Asten, The Netherlands, publishes the quarterly Berichten uit Het Nationaal Beiaarrdmuseum. Here follows some information from recent issues.

* Many bells were removed from towers during World War II to be melted for their metal. A number were saved from destruction and were the subject of research. One resulting dissertation was Acoustical Measurements on Church Bells and Carillons by E.W. van Heuven (Delft, 1949). Less well-known is the research done by E. Thienhaus of Hamburg which includes detailed drawings of hundreds of German bells. Simon Lighthart of Bemmel has taken on the project to do statistical research on this collection of information in the Dutch National Carillon Museum.

* A recent donation to the museum is an African mask which was traditionally used in an adolescent's initiation rite to manhood. A bell is found on the back of the mask with which the Great Spirit announced its coming. The mask has its origins in the Baga tribe in Guinea. The museum also acquired an African mask used by the Dan tribe of the Ivory Coast in their ritual dances. A beard of bells forms a half circle which is completed with jingle bells around the forehead hairline. Further, the museum acquired items worn by shamans from Nepal: two leather belts are decorated with bells, a tail, and tiger teeth.

* Museum curator André Lehr tells the fascinating story of "A squabble between Nijmegen and Liege--or--how Jean-Baptiste Levache of Liege cast a false-sounding carillon for  Nijmegen in 1735." It could also be entitled "The merry pranks of an unscrupulous bellfounder."

* The traditional western European bell profile has scarcely changed since the Middle Ages. The cost of experimentation has been drastically reduced thanks to the advent of special computer programs. A recent design demonstrates that it would be possible to produce a bell with the same pitch and timbre as, yet 20% lighter than, a bell with a traditional profile.

* The Dutch National Service for the Preservation of Monuments publishes a brochure concerning the nuisance of pigeons in towers.

* Bert Augustus discusses the Eijsbouts firm's restoration of the tolling bells for the cathedral of Seville. He describes the Spanish tradition of tolling bells in which the bells are swung in complete revolutions causing characteristic rhythmic patterns, a characteristic timbre due to the dampening of the bell by the clapper, and lots of damage to the bells. For a web page on the bells of Seville, see "Campanas de las Catedrales de España" at <http://www.cult.gva.es/scripts/gcv/campacat.idc?cpoblacio=sevilla&gt;.

* André Lehre muses over what possessed the 16th-century inhabitants of the Low Countries to enthusiastically acquire incredibly false-sounding carillons for virtually every city. He says that a pilgrimage to Monnickendam is in order to hear the Speeltoren carillon that was cast in 1596 by Peter III van den Ghein, since it is the only place that one can witness the original sound of a complete 16th-century carillon. He notes that the imperfections of early carillon bells were masked to a certain extent in several ways. Old playing consoles and photographs indicate that there was sometimes the possibility of reducing the keyfall in which case the bells were struck with less force producing a sound that favored the fundamental pitch and reduced the strength of the overtones. The use of wrought iron clappers gave a milder sound. Furthermore, performance practice differed: virtuosic playing was the exception. Also, dissonance was minimized in a musical texture in which normally only two notes were struck simultaneously.

* The National Carillon Museum's Internet address is <www.carillon-museum.nl&gt;. The e-mail address is <[email protected]>.

Send items for "Carillon News" to Dr. Brian Swager, c/o The Diapason, 380 E. Northwest Hwy., Suite 200, Des Plaines, IL 60016-2282. For information on the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, write to: GCNA, 37 Noel Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221.