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The Story of Carillons In 1950, near Anyang, China, archeologists uncovered bells that had been cast during the Chinese Bronze Age which dates back 4,000 years. The "modern" carillon, dating back to the beginning of the sixteenth century, is an instrument comprised of at least twenty-five chromatically tuned bronze bells played manually by means of a console called a clavier. The bells are usually suspended in a steel frame adapted to the belfry for which the carillon is intended. Each bell's clapper is connected by a linkage of wires and tumblers to levers on the clavier. By striking appropriate levers, the carillonneur can ring any bell he desires. Thus, with a full chromatic range of bells, any melody may be played. Carillon bells are cast from pure bronze and are tuned to 1/100th of a half tone. Pouring and tuning a musical bell is a highly refined art. A musical bell is in itself a symphony, having a strike tone, a hum tone, an overtone, and two partials - a tierce and a fifth. All five tones must be in exact harmony, and each bell chromatically tuned with others of the carillon. Tones of bells are determined by material, shape, and weight. The first two factors have more or less become standardized by individual bell founders. Final tning is therefore directly related to weight (wall thickness). In tuning, excess material is removed from inside the bell at just the right place in just the right amounts, else the bell is ruined and must be recast. Tuning is done by hand-milling in conjunction with aid of tuning forms and electronic equipment. |