Arizona republican., 1922-06-18
Chimes Grow i'm Favor

chains they fill the entire loft. They
are so heavy that the church tower
had to be considerably strengthened
to hold them safely. The whole
set weighs 1880 pounds.
The largest of these bells weighs
1900 pounds, and from this, the low
est note in the scale, the bells grade
off lighter until the bell with the
highest note weighs only 225 pounds.
This is not a record breaking light
weight for musical bell. In a four
octave carlton, such as may be
heard in Belgium, the highest toned
bell sometimes weighs as little as
Is pounds.
Long Popular in Europe
Though bells are coming into pop
ularity in this country for war men,
orials and in curch steeples, chimes
and chime players have not yet been
given the recognition here that Eu-
rope has accorded them. For more
than four centuries the bells have
held high place in the life of towns
of Europe, especially in Belgium and,
Holland Many of the larger cities
In this part of Europe have carillons
containing several octaves and at
tuned to the chromatic scale. Some
towns have as many as As or 80 bells
IN caflllOn sets or DellS.
How popular they are in these
countries may be seen from he esti-
mate that there are about loo
carillons in Holland and almost as
many in Belgium. During the war
some of the Belgium sets were
wrecked by German troops and valu-
able old bells were melted down &c
make ammunition. This was a :ause
of great indignation among the Bel
gians, who look upon their bells as
old and treasured possessions.
The player of the chimes abroad
has always been a figure of local
Importance and a musician of dis
tinction Often he holds office from
the city officials. Every day or al
set times he gives the towns-olk
concert of old melodies, hymns. folk
songs, even classical selections,
through the round, sonorous notes of
the bells.
William G. Rice, an authority en-
the carillons of Europe. says in his
book on the subject that the bells
in some towers have been played for
a hundred years or more on fixed
days and at the same hour. When
the bellmaSter in one Ditch town
obtained permission - play at an
unaccustomed hour for the benefit
of Mr.. Rice. the inhabitants of the
town were so startled Ly hearing the
bells at the unusual time of day that
the newspapers had to explain the
situation at great length.
How firmly rooted a tradition
chime playing Is in these countries
Is shown by the requirements OF
carlton player in 1887, rs described
by Fourdin. He says that even at
this time the carlton was already
perfectly organized at Nivelles. The
player took charge Of the bells and
sang in the choir "as much as pcs
sible." In return for these services
he drew a salary of 200 French
pounds and six measures of wheat,
besides what he could earn from
playing at weddings and special
services.
An interesting demand on this
carillonneur was that he must teach
his art to some child from the orphan
house, designated by the magistrate.
And the writer adds that the alder
men of this town exhibited still more
their love of the bell music: 'They
established a carlton composed of
II little and greater bells, intended
to provide for the musical instruc-
tion of the children, the future
carillonneurs
This was in the sixteenth century,
and Belgium and Holland have never
lost their interest in bell music,
Some of their finest bells have been
compared in artistic value to the vio-
Inns of Cremona. Perhaps more than
anything else such a comparison sug-
gests the possibilities of the chimes.