Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-06-18
CHIMES MUSIC
GAINING FAVOR
IN u. S. CITIES
BY FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.

Washington, June II. - 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 its windows or
stands on the street every evening
listening to the concerts.
Under favorable conditions, that
is on a clear day With traffic at a
minimum, the bells can be heard
for three miles. so that people who
are not radio fans get music regu-
larly from the air anyway,
The distinctive feature OF this
new chime is that 1t can play THE
Star Spangled Banner" feat which
only three other sets of chimes In
the country can equal. Patriotic
Americans who have reQklessly
tried to reproduce this piece with
their vocal chords will remember
that the patriotic air runs the
gamut of the best part Of two
octaves. Most sets of chimes have
about eleven bells. This set was
to have fourteen, including several
half tones, but a fifteenth bell was
added expressly so that the unof-
fetal national anthem might be
played.
The new chimes belong to the
Church of Epiphany, and are
memorial to the late rector. DR..
Randolph McKim. AS the church
is the center of Washington's down
town shopping district the music
of the chimes reaches large audi
ences, especially when programs
are given at noon.
Such music is rather novelty
for most American cities. A good
many churches that have peal OF
bells rarely play them, and still
more rarely give programs OF any
length.
Few people who hear tunes
played by the Epiphany chimes
have any idea of how the bells are
rung. Some wonder whether the
ringer pulls on a series Of ropes, or
whether he goes from one bell TO
another striking each with a nam
mer, somewhat as a xylophone
player strikes his notes. Consld-
ering that the largest of these bells
weighs more than two tons and Is
five feet in diameter. and some OF
the others are very little smaller.
these methods would be obviously
impracticable. No player. how
ever agile. could play a tune by
leaping from bell to bell, sound
ing each with the proper stroke.
How Chimes Are Played.
Instead, the bells are played
from an instrument very much like
an organ console. This 1nstru-
ment is near the top of the b-n
tower. To reach 1t the player
climbs the tower by ladders fasten-
ed 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 concen-
trate entirely on the business or
getting clear tones from the bells.
The chime player of Epiphany says
that when he is playin5 he cannot
have anyone else in the tower with
him. No matter how quiet COM
panion might be. the player would
be conscious of another presence
and at moment when his atten-
ton was divided he might strike
the wrong bell.
And if you do that" the player
added, sit is certainly sounding
your mistake from the housetops.'
There is nothing, he explained, to
cover up the false note; no har-
mony of sound as on the piano. The
melody is carried 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 a chime rendition
the reverberating clear cut tones
of the bells make every note or the
piece stand out in pitiless relief
pitiless that is, II you make a mis-
take.
The bells are struck by an elab-
crate arrangement. The wooden
console has a row of levers, one for
each bell. These levers are at
tached to a row of leather-covered
wooden rods which rise above the
console and are in turn connected
with the bell clappers in the story
above by a system of chains run
ming over pulleys.
To strike bell the player
presses the proper lever down
firmly about eight or ten inches.