TOWER AND CARILLON

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1925, Page 8

TOWER AND CARILLON

■':"■: TO THE EDITOR. . : Sir,—The interest' taken by your readers in a tower and'carillon as a.war memorial is sufficient to/show they will like to have a few facts concerning such a structure. Belgium has thirteen carillons in: as, many,cities,: and the average number of bells vis- just' under forty-five. SomG.'details-'of tho construction of a modern ; carillon and tower, erected in iioughbbrough as a • war memorial, and supplied.by the local.firm of John Taylor and Sons, are'taken ;from an illustrated, handbook, of' a bazaar held' in-'that town in 1923.. . "This firm Had .already erected .■ carillons in Rotterdam, Qiieensto^vn, Armagh, Gloucester, Flushing, and :, In; tlie ' Loughborough carillon, the 'base of the, tower and tho. facings sxo of .'Portland:, stone,; and the speciallymade,bricks are two inches in thickness, bonded with-white Portland cement mor-. taf, the effect.of this special size ininass adding very greatly; to. the appearance ot the structure. The domed roof . and cupola are of wood covered .with copper, and all the exposed woodwork is also sheathed in the same metal; the mellowmg. 6f,:which'with age and weather \yill give an appropriately, artistic finish to the tower.'.';'■■' 'i')'-\.':': '.-:■■'.: ''. -'. '■■■:'■'■■■'■■';

V The .base is 26feet 9 inchessquare;' and stands on concrete, foundations 6 feet deep . From the entrance hall level to theJarge balcony is;B7 feet;-to thefsmallm\ balcony iindei-the cupola, >, 115 feet 6 inches;: to-the top of-the cupola' 142 feet 6 inches, and to the' top' of the cross 151 feet- 8. inches. , :A '.spiral staircase leads by 130 steps to -the-: main balcony, which will ■ Wthe highest" point to which visitoy^Kil ascend, and access mi parts .a<^Te :this is by ladders. ... There aTe \ three 1 rooms in "the" lower portion of the tb\ver,: two of which it is" proposed, to .-use ;as a- war .'■ museum. 1 Above these there is; a clavier chamber,' ?u- , PV: from Sround level, containing the-keyboard onV,which '■ the carillonneur will, play his, great .instrument. ■i ' : • i. On a steel .frame in- a chamber SO feet high- hang: the 47 bells' in':decreasing- size fromthe bottom-upwards: There are no openings in the. sides of this chamber, and,the- whole of. the sound will travel up- and •.emerge).into:, -the' .outer air t irough * the - eight doors opening on to the .The effect of - this will 'be. to balance the-weight of the'tone andprevent -the' .heavier/ bells from.' over-, whelming the lighter.. .This' feature' is- of special interest, "as; the famous bell-tow-ers "of Flanders were not originally built for carillons; .whereas the -design of the Loughborpiigh structure' is-mainly based' oirits.specific purpose.'.: ' ■.-■'•'■'.. ; V,; ' ■•"'-.-. _ There are 47 bells- corering. a range of four octaves: chromatic:V- The weight 'of the heaviest is foiir tons 4cwt, it has a dmmeter of 6 feef > ■ inches, and stands 5 feet high. The/smallest Veighs- 201 V with-a diameter of 7 inches: and height 11 inches.:: The total;weight of the' set is about 21 - tons., ■ ■ :,-:.:.::

.^^The clavier, or- keyboard,: bearV resem-' Wance to that: of an 'organ or pianoforte only. ln .arrangement. The keys are zSSu^O^ Gn h-andles Kojectinr horizontauy, the mam row correspondin"- to the white keys, and-: a" row - just abov? in gi-oups of two and three," corresponding to the black'keys./Some of the lower bells are also: played -by the feet on a pedal jbomd.-- Each key Is connect- ? d .V 4 wire-to aclapper striking-on the inside of. the bell, and, in distinction to the nnpng: of a. cKurch'' bell, the player powers of?, expression^'under ■ his control., It is, interesting : to'-know that in this mattery.of. carillon, mechanism, Lou-h----borough is; leadm- the way,; and that as tfficl^ fc' 1 0!- Cal'eful tho^«t and scientific, calculation, .several improvements have been / made 1 on ; all other, existing' carilloiis,; and which will place Loughborough.^in possession^ of the: best carit lon m the world.'.- ; .> „r - '■:

orZ'^i"^ taMbts' m: the ot the tower bear the names of 478 men in whose honoured-memory it is erected.A. bronze .plate,, executed and given by Loughborough CollegeUnd placed in the entrance hall, records the laying of the foundation-stones'. on.22hd.Janua?y W% \l T % al Lord .H°vne,,G.C.]3., and Mrs. J. T. Codber, who'was chosen by ™ r to .represent th e relatives of the 'falAs an old Lougliburian, I know the kM£ w o ° f rk«°f John Taylor and Sons; bells made by them,J-I am' etc, f° ' ■ ■ ..-.■ - ■ E. S. BALDWIN;27th June. . / .....