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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>One of the worst features of the G&J carillon
at Riverside NY was the distance betwen the several tiers of bells.
The five huge swinging bells which formed five notes at the bass end
of the clavier - with power assist, as they had to have massive external
hammers - were of course at the bottom, and there were five or six tiers of
bells extending up the tower. The latter is nearly 400 ft high, the bells near
the top, with little around it to be an adequate listening area, so as a concert
instrument it has its limitations. The late Frank Godfrey was in NY installing
the heavy 21-bell chime (now a carillon) at St Thomas Church just as G&J
completed at Riverside. To the chagrin of Cyril Johnston, ABC decided that the
Riverside bells were too difficult to record for its "Christmas Bells"
interlude, and so it was the Taylor chimes at St Thomas which were used. FCG
visited Riverside after G&J had left and wrote home, "It was just like being
in a plane cabin - pistons, switches and flashing lights
everywhere". </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Chicago, on the other hand has an excellent concert
area before which Daniel Robins used to play great music seated at the
clavier in full tuxedo, tails and bow tie! Although it too has five great
swinging bells, the disposition of the carillon is far better than at Riverside.
But I gather that the Johnston six-octave carillon never really did catch on,
and certainly there is only one other (by P&F) with over 70 bells, also
in the USA and much lighter ("The smaller bells", the late Jim Lawson wrote
to me "resemble tone bars.")</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I have wondered if the best solution to Riverside's
problems would be to take the non-swinging bells right out, leaving the five big
swingers as a unit in themselves, unconnected to the carillon. The
remaining 11 G&J bells could form part of a new and more
manageable carillon - say 5 octaves, 61 bells, of the calibre say of Washington
or Lake Wales (Bok), Eb ("Great Peter") instruments of unsurpassed
excellence.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>DLC</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=matthewhigby@QS831_6CVtvMCwS_t2JHiVG8ImH234K2mwudy03oyjUPC80SPcMBYkR5kF7ivzEILgMUvKDZczewPA3rCbUxf9EmU1OLFg.yahoo.invalid
href="mailto:matthewhigby@YcR4gUtxGRKdsduNOu2YdsTVp4ydL3OqVL8FgzEUIWIpKvAH2x_BvM6og2N2froZ7v5rVGDkMeGPCQY.yahoo.invalid">matthewhigby@YcR4gUtxGRKdsduNOu2YdsTVp4ydL3OqVL8FgzEUIWIpKvAH2x_BvM6og2N2froZ7v5rVGDkMeGPCQY.yahoo.invalid</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com
href="mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com">bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, March 22, 2010 10:52
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bell Historians]
Riverside</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><SPAN style="DISPLAY: none"> </SPAN>
<DIV id=ygrp-text>
<P><FONT color=black size=2 face=arial>
<DIV>I saw the new Riverside bells at Whitechapel in 1999, just after they had
been inspected by a carillon 'expert' from The Netherlands - I'm not sure who!
It was my understanding that the top 58 Van bergen bells had been replaced -
upto about one ton in weight - the biggest that they could fit in the
lift. The new Whitechapel bells were pure G&J profiles at the larger end,
blending into std Whitechapel shapes for the smaller bells. The trebles were
almost solid - just a hole with a shoulder up the middle for a bell
bolt.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I was told that Whitechapel had done a lot of research on G&J bells
and had visited other G&J carrillons (Chicago included). They cast a 7cwt
test bell before they cast the Riverside set - this was later bought by myself
and now forms the tenor of the G&J style octave at Marston Bigot,
Somerset. Whitechapel also had stamps made for the traditional "batwing"
frieze and the 1920's 'hobnail' letters (several different sizes).</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I'm sure Nigel is lurking in the background watching all this -
he'll certainly be able confirm the above!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Best wishes,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Matthew</DIV></FONT>
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