New world-standard console in Victoria, British Columbia
Rosemary Laing, carillonneur of the Netherlands Centennial Carillon in Victoria, British Columbia, sends news of the installation of a new playing console. The donor who underwrote the project wished for the most part to remain anonymous and chose August 1, 2007, for the dedication ceremony and inaugural recital in honor of his wife’s birthday. It came as a complete surprise to her, and she was moved to tears as the crowd belted out a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday” accompanied by the carillon. She had been told that she was attending just another museum function. It was Victoria’s best-kept secret.
Several dignitaries were on hand, along with invited guests, the family of Carillonneur Emeritus Herman Bergink, patrons of the Royal British Columbia Museum, and a handful of the original Dutch donors who had made the Netherlands Centennial Carillon a reality in the late sixties. The media was out in full force, and the carillon was featured in all types of coverage, from live CBC radio interviews, to an article in The Globe & Mail, a national newspaper. A lavish catered reception followed the outdoor ceremony and carillon recital on a lovely summer’s afternoon in Victoria, a gentle breeze blowing off the water, the scent of flowers in the air.
But for Rosemary Laing, the story began in the dead of winter, when she was awakened from a deep sleep in the middle of the night by a phone call from the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry in Asten, the Netherlands. Victoria was in the midst of a rare snowstorm, and the city had been at a complete standstill for days. When the phone rang, she panicked, afraid that it might be heralding the early arrival of her first grandchild, during a blizzard. Fortunately, it wasn’t her grandchild, but rather, a birth of a different sort. The voice on the other end excitedly spoke about a new carillon console soon to be on its way, and in her shock and disbelief the next morning, she wondered if it had been a dream. In fact, it wasn’t until she actually saw the new console in the tower that she was convinced that it was real.
The Royal BC Museum had gone shopping for a new automatic playing system to replace the broken original roll-type player, and, thanks to the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry, had come home with a lovely new baton playing console, which conforms to the newly developed world standard, as well as an automatic player controlled by a MIDI system utilizing the clappers inside the lower 48 bells. Rosemary finds that the new console is aesthetically appealing and a real pleasure to play. Victoria is indeed fortunate to have this new instrument. Many thanks to the donor for his wonderful generosity!
The Netherlands Centennial Carillon was a gift from British Columbia’s Dutch community to honor Canada’s 100th anniversary in 1967 and in recognition of Canada’s role in the liberation of the Netherlands during World War II. The tower stands 90 feet high, and the carillon is composed of 62 bells cast by the Petit & Fritsen Royal Bellfoundry in Aarle-Rixtel, the Netherlands. The original 49 bells were installed in 1968, and 13 bells were added in 1971. The tower is located on Victoria’s Inner Harbour, in front of the Royal BC Museum and Provincial Archives.
Send items for “Carillon News” to Dr. Brian Swager, c/o The Diapason, 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, IL 60005-5025; <[email protected]>. For information on the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America: GCNA, 37 Noel Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221; <www.gcna.org>.
