GRAND CARILLON

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 23, 27 July 1927, Page 12

GRAND CARILLON

CITY WAR MEMORIAL

KEPLICA OF OTTAWA'S

CONTRACT LET FOR BELLS

The tender of Messrs. Gillett and Johnston, of Croydon, London, has been accepted for the supply of the I Wellington War Memorial carillon, which will be a sister to those of Park Avenue Church, New York, and -of the Tower of ( Victory, Houses of Parliament, Ottawa, As the Ottawa carillon embodies cer.'tain improvements on that of New York, and in the founding of the Wellington carillon the contractors have undertaken to make certain j improvements on that of Ottawa, it ■ will be seen that Wellington is about to become possessed of a noble instrument which will be one of the finest in the world. The decision to accept the tender of Messrs. Gillett and Johnston was reached at a meeting of the General Committee of the Wellington War Memorial Carillon Society, which was held in No. 2 Committee Room, Town Hall, last evening. There was an attendance ;of twenty members, over which the chairman (Mr. H. D. Bennett) presided. • : TWO TENDERS RECEIVE?). *■' Two tenders were received, for the ' supply of (1) a grand carillon of 49 bells with (2) provision in the steel framework for hanging four additional and larger bells at a later date, (3) a 52-bell playing clavier complete with all necessary operating mechanism be- , tween the bells and the clavier, (4) a 53-bell practice clavier, (5) an electrically driven automatic player suitable for .use in conjunction with the carillon, and (6) erection in Wellington. The competing' firms were Messrs. Gillett and Johnston, of Croydon, and Messrs. John Taylor and Co., of Loughborough, England, both of which are acknowledged to bo the leading bellfounders of the wrorld. The price quoted by Messrs. Gillett and Johnston on the specification was £9847 12s, and by Messrs. John Taylor and Co. £9612. Reports on the tenders were received from Mr. W. W. Stunner, lecturer in campanology at Birmingham University, and fro $ Mr. J. E. Harvey, consulting engineer to the New Zealand Government 'in London, also correspondence from the Sydney University War Memorial Carillon Committee, there being a marked difference of opinion in the recommendations made by these different authorities as to which firm 's bells should be accepted. BUB-COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION. The sub-committee, comprising Dr. E. Marsden and Messrs. Bernard F. Page, H. Temple' White, F. do'J. Clero, and E. D. Cachemaille, which was appointed by the- Genei 1 Committee of the society at its previous meeting to report upon the tenders and expert opinions received, and make a recommendation as to which tender should be accepted, presented the following roport:— ".The committee set up on the 12th instant to consider the tenders for the Wellington Carillon and to make redommendations as to which should be accepted, has carefully studied the tenders and supporting documents, and duly weighed the various reports and opinions submitted to it. "The committee is of opinion that both firnis must be considered to be equally competent to supply a first-class carillon judged from the points of view of quality of workmanship, and tone of beljs. It has therefore more particularly considered the points in which the two' tenders differ, and the special claims put forward by each tenderer, and unanimously makes the following recommendations:— "(a) That the tender of Messrs. GilJett and .Johnston, of Croydon, be accepted, the main, reason for this deeisiira, in addition to those put forward by Mr. B. J. Harvey, being:— 11. Fuller provision of means of access to the bells and operating mechanism, and, generally, greater accessibility of parts needing oiling and adjustment. ' ■ ■ ■2. Complete dissociation throughout of the mechanism operated by the hand clavier from that operated mechanically, thus providing two separate instruments wholly independent of one another and each capable of the particular adjustment best suited to it; 3. Increased range of the pedals and better arrangement of the pedal board more nearly approximating to that of an ordinary organ. "O>> That if the society can make! suitable financial arrangements th^ heaver set of bells offered by Messrs. uiJiett and Johnston be purchased as it is considered that these will be the better heard in windy weather." The chairman moved that the report of the sub-committee be adopted, and that the tender of Messrs Gillett and Johnston for the supply of the Carillon, at a price of £9847 12s be accepted. Colonel T. W. M'Donald seconded, . and after a discussion extending over two hours the motion was carried. INCREASED WEIGHT OF BELLS. The General Committee then dealt with clause B of the sub-committee's report, recommending that if the society could make suitable financial arrangements the heavier set of bells than' those originally- specified for (heaviest between 82 and 83cwt) offered by Messrs. Gillett and Johnston be purchased. This clause had reference to the following paragraph in a letter from Messrs. Gillett and Johnston covering their tender: "If required we can supply a Carillon of bells of this calibre (according to the specification), but our most recent practice has been to-supply bells of considerably greater weight for the corresponding notes, and as wo have found that the proportions we have arrived at in the Ottawa Carillon produce the most perfect musical tones that we have ever yet secur- , ed, and that these heavier bells are markedly superior in mellowness and sweetness to those of the lighter calibre, •we submit an alterative estimate for the weight of bells which we would ourselves recommend for the Welling, ton Carillon, "and we. ask for your very serious consideration of our alternative scheme." . ' :

The weightier bells for the set oi 49 recommended by Messrs. Gillett and Johnston range from 5 tons downwards as compared with those specified for, ranging from 4 tons 2 (or 3) cwt downwards. The price quoted by the firm for these 49 heavier bells was £10,512 Ts 3d, as compared with £9850, the aggregate price on which the bells were donated—an increase of £662 7s 3d. The meeting was unanimous in expressing the opinion that the best possible Carillon should bo secured, and that so widespread was tho interest in the project, the poople of Wellington • could be relied upon to provide the extra money. it was accordingly unanimously decided to accept the alternative tender of Messrs. Gillett I ftnd Johnston for the supply of a caril- *» at *» weightier bells, th« largest I 1

to be 5 tons, at the price quoted of £10,512 7s 3d;

A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the sub-committee for its report. ' " ■ ■

For the additional four larger bells bringing the Carillon up to 53 bells, the same as existing now at New York and Ottawa, Messrs. Gillett and Johnson quoted a price of £, 6311 Bs. These bells, which are left to be provided at a. later date, weigh respectively: Bell No. 50, 5 tons 18 cwt; bell No. 51, 6 tons 18 cwt; bell No. 51, 8 tons 2 cwt: beU No. 53, 10 tons.

Messrs. Gillett and Johnston were the successful tenderers for both the New York and Ottawa Carillons, and are now adding extra bells to the New York Carillon, bringing it up to a total of 58 bells. IMPROVEMENTS ON OTTAWA. In a covering letter regarding their tender, Messrs. Gillett and Johnston state:— The lay-out shows it very near the lines of the Ottawa Carillon, which is now being shipped to Canada, and which contains the same number and approximately the same weight of bells as the Carillon for which you have asked us to quote. As, however, the Ottawa Tower had already been designed before tenders were asked, for, we have been able to show considerable improvements and simplification in the designs we now submit. The contract for the supply of the bells is f.o.b. London, and the contractors undertake to erect same in Wellington when the tower is ready by sending out * special foreman. . The specification provides that the Carillon, complete in every respect, is to be erected at the contractors' works, and ready for* inspection within eighteen months from the date of notification of acceptancel of the tender by the High Commissioner for New Zealand.