A carillon is a musical instrument with a set of 23 or more bronze bells. This carillon, the largest in Canada, has 62 bells. It is housed at the top of this tower, which stands 27 meters (89 feet) tall. The largest bell in this carillon weighs 1500 kilograms.To play the Netherland Carillon, a musician climbs the 75 steps of the spiral staircase and then a 10-step ladder. There, the carillonneur depresses the keys and pedals of a clavier to play a song on the bells. Carillon bells do not swing like church bells; they ring when struck by clappers connected with wires to the clavier.
de zingende toren
the singing towerThe History of the Carillon
In the Middle Ages, bells became part of Europe's religious soundscape. Travelling foundry workers cast huge bells on site for great cathedrals. By the 16th century, the carillon had become a symbol of prosperity and achievement in Flemish and Dutch towns. The sound of the bells were part of a town's daily order.
In 1967, the Netherlands Centennial Committee for British Columbia raised funds for this carillon's original set of 49 tuned bronze bells, which were cast in the Netherlands at the Royal Bellfoundry of Petit and Fritsen (est. 1660). Four years later, to celebrate the centennial of British Columbia's 1871 entry into Canada, and another 13 bells were added, making this Canada's largest carillon.
The pitches of several bells commemorate specific events: D celebrates the founding of the Colony of Vancouver Island in 1849, E the founding of British Columbia as a colony in 1858, and F-sharp their union in 1866; F rings for the Confederation of Canada in 1867 and G-sharp for British Columbia's 1871 entry into the Confederation; and G remembers Canadian soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of the Netherlands, 1940-45.
het uur zingt
the hour sings.[Photo caption, upper right]
Interior of the tower belfry, above the performance room. RBCM I-05278
[Photo caption, lower left]
Herman Bergink, the first carillonneur. The baton-style keyboard is played with a closed fist. RBCM I-03277
| HM Number | HMX04 |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 at 6:59pm PDT -07:00 |
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 10U E 472741 N 5363096 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 48.42043333, -123.36841667 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 48° 25.226', W 123° 22.105' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 48° 25' 13.56" N, 123° 22' 6.30" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 715 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 655 Belleville St, Victoria BC V8W 1A1, CA |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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