Arizona republican., 1922-06-18
Rx Frederic ]. Haskin


WASHINGTON. June 16.-The
music of the bells is gaining favor
in this country. Another church in
this city has just installed a chime
of bells, and Washington for blocks
around leans out of it's windows or
stands on the street every evening
listening TO the concerts.
Under favorable conditions. that is,
on clear day, with traffic at a min
imum, the bells tan be heard Tor
three miles, SO that people who are
not radio fans get music -eSuiarly
from the air, anyway.
The distinctive feature OF this new
chime is that it can play THE Star
Spangled Banner" a feat which only
three other sets CT chimes In the
country can equal. Patriotic Amerl-
cans who have recklessly tried TO re-
produce this piece with their vocal
chords will remember that the patrl-
otic air runs the esarlut of the best
part of two octaves. Most sets of
chimes have about il bells. This set
was to have IA, including S seVeral halI
tones, but a fifteenth bell was added
expressly so that the unofficial Ea-
tional anthem might be played.
The new chimes belong to the
Church of the Epiphany, and are
memorial to the late rector, DIR. KAN
dolph McKim. As the church Is the
center of Washington downtown
shopping district, the music of The
chimes reaches large audiences, cspe-
cially when programs arc given at
noon.
Such music Is rather novelty for
most American cities. A good many
churches that have a peal of bells
rarely play them, and still more
rarely give programs of any length.
Few people who heaf the tunes
played by the Epiphany chimes have
any idea of how the bells arc rurg.
Some wonder whether the ringer
pulls on a series Of ropes, or whether
he goes from one bell to another,
striking each with a hamne-, some
what as a xylophone player strikes
his notes. Considering that the lai g.
est of these bells weighs more thao
two tons and is five feet IN diameter,
and some of the others are very little
smaller. these methods would be OBJ
viously impracticable. No player,
however agile, could play a tune by
leaping from bell to Dell, sounding
each with the proper stroke.
How Chimes Are Played
Instead, the bells are played from
an instrument very much like an
organ console. This instrument is
near the top of the bell tower. To
reach it the player climbs the tower
by ladders fastened to the walls.
The console is the only article of
furniture in the little tower room,
for the bell-ringer wants nothing TO
distract him. He must concentrate
entirely on the business of getting
clear tones from the bells. The
chime player of Epiphany says that
when he is playing he cannot nave
anyone else in the tower with him.
No matter how quiet a companion
might be, the player would be con-
scious of another presence and at a
moment when his attention was dl-
yided he might strike the wrong bell.
And if you do that" the player
added, "it is certainly sounding your
mistake from the housetops." There
is nothing, he explained. to cover up
the false note; no harmony of sound
rs on the piano. The melody is car
ried by the bells, one note at time,
as on a violin or horn, except that
the significance of each note is even
more striking in bell music. In
chime rendition the reVerberating.
clear-cut tones of the bells make
every note OF the piece Stdlu ouC III
nitiless relief-pitiless. that is, if you
make a mistake.
The bells are struck by an elab-
crate arrangement. The wooden con-
sole has a row of levers, one for each
hell These levers are attached to
row of leather covered wooden
rods which rise above the console
and are in turn connected with the
hell clappers in the story above by
a system of chains running over
pulleys.
To strike a bell the player presses
the proper lever down firmly about
eight or ten inches. Producing this
sort of music is good exercise as 1t
requires steady use OF the arm mus
cles. and. incidentally, of a good
MANY other muscles in the BODY.
However, considering that six of the
fifteen bells weigh more than 1,2oo
mounds. the exertion required to ring
them by the levers Is slight.
The bells in the story above the
console are arranged in square OF
two tiers. With the network OF