Evening star., 1949-12-18
Carlton Ready
At Cemetery
"Wednesday
By Alice Eversmon

OF Arlington National Cemetery
Wednesday at o'clock. 1t is a
gift in perpetuity from Amvets
and each day thereafter it will be
heard at the hour of retreat in a
constant remembrance and honor
ing of the dead of World War II.
When the new National Evening
Hymn Memorial" will be played
for the first time, a distinguished
assembly will be present headed by
President Truman who will accept
the gift in the name of the Amer
lean people.
A fifteen minute program, be-
side the dedicatory hymns, will
be played by DR.. Arthur Bigelow,
Bell Master of Princeton Uni
versity. 1t will be broadcast by the
Voice of America and. in this
country, by the Mutual broadcast
ing System. Chosen in the Office
of the Chief of Chaplains in con-
sultation with DR.. BigeloW, the
hymns selected include Wards
America the Beautiful" chorus
from Sibelius' "Finlandia,' Rock
of Ages" Abide With Me-"
Swing Low Sweet Chariot"
when Day Is Done" and Nearer
My God to Thee"
Ceremonial director at the dedi-
cation will be Father Joseph Tim
othy O'Callahan of Boston, the
heroic priest and winner of the
Congressional Medal of Honor.
who helped care for the men
aboard the carrier Franklin when
it burned following an attack by
the japanese. Nonsectarian re-
ligious services will be conducted
Jointly by the Chief of Chaplains
of the different branches of the
armed forces.
Authority and Tester.
Dr.. Bigelow is one Of the few
outstanding authorities on CARL
Ions, and has taken measure
ments of and tested most Of the
famous carillons in the world. He
has served for many years as
consultant and advisor when the
installation of carlton was
proposed. Among those he super
vised was that in Cleveland Tower
on the Princeton University
campus. He is also a carillonneur
of worldwide fame, having re-
ceived his diploma from the Caril-
lon School of Mechlin, Belgium.
He became the resident concert
artist on this instrument at the
University of Louvain. and after
it was destroyed during the war
and later rebuilt, he was one OF
the first invited to play upon 1T.
He still holds the title Of bell
master Of Louvain and is the au-
thor of Carlton" a book.
The instrument to be installed
in Arlington Cemetery is one OF
the largest, having 81 Flemish
bells and SO English chimes. 1t
cannot be seen, for one of the
Government requirements was
that the physical appearance OF
the amphitheater remain un-
changed. Only the console Is
visible in the second floor trophy
room, and is so arranged that 1t
can be brought out to the amphl-
theater stage when necessary. The
basement guard room holds the
bells and the amplification, while
the tone projectors are placed
under a false ceiling on the roof.
Playing Is Strenuous.
Carlton playing is perhaps the
most strenuous form OF music
making. When played manually.
as it will be at the dedication
ceremonies, tremendous force Is
required to strike the keys. and
most carillonneurs, If their hands
are not sufficiently calloused, need
to wear heavy gloves. Even so. IN
the last 400 years since it was
invented, many improvements
have been made. Most of the
great carillons are located in Eu-
rope where, in earlier times, they
served for the announcement OF
events of various kinds.
For the fiat countries, such as
Holland, it was found that the
sound of the carlton carried fur
ther than any other means when
some warning had to be broadcast
or a happy occasion celebrated.
They were more popular in noun
tainless countries for too much
echo resounded when the terrain
was uneven.
Since the first carlton was
erected in this hemisphere In 1882,
a Guild of Carillonneurs has been
established. Members were in
vited to participate in an interna-
tional contest held in Amsterdam,
Holland, in 1884. sponsored by the
OuUCll oOClcty '1Ol NdI AloAl A1S
ing. Two years ago. the Amerl-
can carillonneurs met in conven-
ton in Luray. Va, where At
bell carlton is installed.
It was at the AMVETS national
convention in Chicago last year
that a resolution was passed to es-
tablish national living me-
mortal" to the war dead. The idea
of carlton belongs to the
AMVETS chaplain, Rev. Roger
Bell of Texas. Now it is installed
in Arlington, the console bear
ing a bronze plaque with these
words: "While These Bells Ring,
Safely Rest, Freedom Lives"
AS AMVETS' National Comdr.
Harold Russell said: Daily -
the memorial will ring out in the
universal tongue of music as a
living tribute to our hero dead"
Messiah Thursday
YT/.I1 n