Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-06-18
ALBUQUERQUE MORNING JOURNAL

Producing this sort of music is good
exercise as 1t requires steady use
of the arm muscles. However. con-
sidering that six of the fifteen bells
weigh more than 1900 pounds. the
exertion required to ring them by
the levers is slight.
The bells in the story above the
console are arranged in a square of
two tiers. With the network of
chains they fill the entire loft. They
are so heavy that the church tower
had to be considerably strengthen
cd to hold them safely. The WHOLE
set weighs 1880 pounds.
| The largest of these bells weighs
1890 pounds and from this, the
lowest 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-break-
| ing lightweight for musical bell.
In a four octave carillion, such as
may be heard In Belgium, the high
est toned bell sometimes weighs as
little as sighteen pounds.
Though bells are coming into
popularity in this country. for war
memorials and in church steeples,
chimes and chime players have not
vet been given the recognition here
that Europe has accorded them,
For more than four centuries the
bells have held a 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 attuned to the
chromatic scale. Some towns have
as many as forty-five or fifty bells
in carlton sets of bells.
How popular they are in these
countries may be seen from the
estimate that there are about one
hundred carillons in Holland and
almost as many in Belgium. Dur
ing the war some of the Belgium
sets were wrecked by German
troops and valuable old bells
were melted down to make am
munition. This was a cause 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 figure
OF local importance and a music
ian of distinction. Often he holds
office from the city officials.
Every day or at set times he
gives the townsfolk a concert of
old melodies, hymns, folk songs,
even classical selections, through
the round, sonorous notes of the
bells.
William G. Rice, an authority
on 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 bell master
in one Dutch town obtained per-
mission to play at an unaccus-
toned hour for the benefit Of
Mr.. Rice, the inhabitants of the
town were so startled by 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 coun-
tries is shown by the require
ments of carlton player in
1887. as described by Fourdin.
He says that even at this time
the carlton was already perfect
ly organized at Nivelles. The play
err took charge of the bells and
sang in the choir 'as much as
possible In return for these
services he drew 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 aldermen of this
town exhibited still more their
love of the bell music: "They
established a carlton composed Of
seventeen little and greater bells,
intended to provide for the must
cal instruction of the children,
the future carillonneurs."
This was In the sixteenth CEN
fury. and Belgium and Holland
have never lost their interest in
bell music. Some of their finest
bells have been compared in ar
| tistic value to the violins of
Cremona. Perhaps more than any
thing else such comparison
suggests the possibilities OF the
chimes.
|