Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-18
NEWS OF MUSIC
Luruy's Carlton Sings
With Genuine Bells

trical about the keyboard
mechanism. There are no
couplers, as with the organ.
although the bells can be
played manually from the
keyboard or from the pedal
board"
Playing Range and Scope
Our host played several
virtuoso pieces to prove that
the carlton can be made to
speak with great rapidity, that
it can sound deceptively le-
cato. and that it can handle
chords Of six or more parts.
The loud, rafting parasitic
noise Of the wood and wire
working ! parts of the instru-
ment is disturbing to the
casual auditor. but the CARL
lonneur himself becomes obli-
vious to it over the years. At
any rate. the surrounding
countryside, rather than a
little room 20 feet below the
big bells. is the proper place
to listen to a carlton.
Mr.. Chapman took us up a
winding stair into the open
air under the tremendous
bells. Composed of an alloy
Of purse copper and tin, the
bells. the largest of which is
6 feet in diameter. had been
cast by the Taylor Bellfoundry
of Loughborough, England.
The history of the firm, we
were told, goes back to 1860.
The bells are struck by clap
pers which are kept from
swinging freely by coiled steel
springs.
wait here a minute" said
Mr.. Chapman. spiraling down
to his console. 1.-THE maximum
dynamic output of a large
symphony orchestra is about
IS decibels, but this instru-
ment has been measured at 95
decibelS."
Cold Bells Come Alive
Standing about 2 feet under
the larger bells, we shivered in
the cold. Snow was falling in
the mountains 5 or miles
away. The big, silent, notion
less metal cones seemed the
epitome of chill. stone cold"
is the popular expression;
Shakespeare says 'key-cold";
the term "bell-cold" came to
my mind.
Suddenly the bells we're
wildly alive. Before the shat
tering sound became 'acutely
painful to ear and skull it had
a primitive fascination. A bell
with its multitude of unusual
harmonicS has no counterpart
among the standard inStru-'
ments of the orchestra. 1t is
suggested more than initiated
by a horn with a pizzicato vio-
lin note at the moment of at
tack. The most curious thing
about a beN-its unique char
acteristic-iS its appeal to ev-
erybody. the man susceptible
to music and him with no ear
at all.
We escaped from the torture
chamber in which we had in
generated ourselves in the
spirit of enquiry to expand ex-
perience. After thanking our
host we walked back to the car
still listening to the bells from
an increasingly better location.
1 had learned that the carlton
is a genuinely musical instru-
ment. and I recognized in Mr..
Chapman a genuine artist.
x \ i 4
The "Cinques Can't con
alcuni strumenti" of Luigi
Dallapiccola, recently sched-
uled to be sung at the Library
of Congress by Martial Sin
CHER. but dropped from the
program at the last minute,
will be sung twice at a single
concert at the Library by
Frederick Fuller on Novem-
Der 80. This new work by the
eminent Italian composer was
denounced as unsingable by
several leading musicians at
the time of the abortive
premiere.
The songs, which require
an accompaniment of several
instruments, will be conducted
by Paul Galloway. Other
pieces on the program are:
Cantata for bass, Itch babe
genug" by Bach; "Diverti-
mento for Nine Instruments, "
Piston; Mass for Four Voices
and Continual Mnnteverdi