Carillons
Now, here is
something most people have not seen - simply because there are not a lot
of them around: by one estimate, there were 164 carillons in the USA. Carillons
are a set of tuned bells (usually of 2 octaves or more), and usually located
in a tower so they may be heard by a greater area. They are customarily played
by a carilloneur that sits at a console with a set of "keys" (pulldown
lever called a baton) and a pedalboard. And also, many of the carillons are
not accessible without climbing a whole bunch of stairs.
Many "bell
towers" produce their tunes through electronic means (amplifiers and
speakers), so many think they've heard a carillon.
Here's how it was done
before electronics. The electronic imitations are usually automatic. The "bell
driven" ones are played by a carilloneur at a console that usually has
a pedalboard.
Here are three Carillons I have heard (and shot) and some of
their practice consoles (so the carilloneur doesn't have to practice with
the neighborhood listening).
The latest addition to this page is from the
Bicentennial Mall just north of the State's Capitol building. It's a little
unusual since the bells receive their instructions to play electronically,
instead of through a mechanical linkage (the traditional method).
For now, here are photos of three carillons:
The
Music School at DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
Idlewild
Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
Belmont
University, Nashville, TN
Bicentennial Mall, Nashville, TN
