If I had a bell…Canada's carilloneurs ring remembrance

Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada, Autumn, 2002 by Sarah B. Hood

YOU WOULD HARDLY THINK IT OF A MUSICAL PROFESSION THAT INVOLVES PERFORMING FOR THOUSANDS OF LISTENERS AT A TIME, BUT THE CAREER OF A CARILLONEUR is a lonely calling. Solitary in their bell towers, carilloneurs are also a scarce breed, for they play the largest and among the costliest of instruments. In all of Canada there are only eleven true carillons, which must have at least 23 bells and must be played from a keyboard by a human being, not a machine. They are very unevenly distributed, with only one each in British Columbia and Quebec, nine in Ontario and none at all in rest of the country.

Born in Flanders around the end of the 15th century, the carillon was originally played to mark the passage of the hours of the day, usually near the market square to encourage commerce. In time the complexity of the tunes and the number of bells increased, and great rivalries sprang up amongst various towns, who were competing for shoppers as much as for artistic reasons. ("It was the world's first Muzak," irreverently comments Toronto cariloneur Michael Hart.)

The existence of many Canadian carillons is due to the energy of our Dutch communities, for the carillon is loved in the Netherlands. "There are eight carillons in Amsterdam," says Hart, who studied near that city. "The one that we heard in the evening was the one that Anne Frank listened to."

"It's a very physical instrument," says Rosemary Laing, carilloneur at The Netherlands Centennial Carillon in Victoria (Canada's largest, with 62 bells). "It's wonderful, it's so primal. It's a very good workout. Then there's the trip up the tower. It's almost five stories."

"It's really hot work," concurs Hart, who plays at Soldiers' Tower on the University of Toronto campus. "I know a woman who plays in her underwear," he confides, "One of the national carilloneurs of Australia."

Hart enters his tower by a small door, easy to miss, in the west wall. From there he climbs a spiral stairway straight up into the heart of the tower - not a good spot for someone who dislikes confined spaces - until it opens up into a dim chamber dominated by the sonorous ticking of the tower's clock. The carillon is operated from a loft situated directly below the bells. Hart is less remote than some from his audience. "Through the windows you can hear them sometimes," he says, "If they clap loudly."

Perhaps because of the solitude of their performances, those musicians who specialize in the carillon tend to seek each other out; it's common for carillons to feature guest performers from other cities. For example, Hart, a member of the Guild of Carilloneurs in North America, the British Carillon Society and the World Carillon Federation, arranges an annual series of guest performances.

What draws someone to the carillon in the first place? "It's as simple as being attracted to that sound," says Gordon Slater, Canada's Dominion Carillloneur at the Peace Tower in Ottawa. Family connections don't hurt; in Slater's case, a father who played the carillon at Toronto's Metropolitan United Church. Besides performing there, Slater played the Exhibition Place carillon for the first two years of its life. ("There's a sad story," he sighs.) He also played for half a dozen years at Soldiers' Tower.

Michael Hart's story sounds almost like predestination. "I was walking through the University one day many years ago and I heard these bells," he says. He followed the sound to the Porter's Desk at Hart House, and was soon in conversation with carilloneur Heather Spry. "She gave me two lessons and she left," he says. Later, however, Hart fell into contact with James ("Bud") Slater, Gordon Slater's father, who was seeking people with an interest in learning to play. Upon the senior Slater's retirement, Hart was offered the position at Metropolitan Church, but it wasn't until his own retirement from teaching in 1999 that he took the position at Soldiers' Tower.

A carilloneur often has complete freedom to choose her or his repertoire. Among Canadian composers for the instrument, "Perhaps the pre-eminent one is Emilien Allard," says Slater, referring to his predecessor as Dominion Carilloneur.

"There is a carillon repertoire," says Laing. "There's some that date back to the time of Bach. I play a lot of Canadian folk songs; sometimes I'll play some old jazz standards because the carillon repertoire... It can be beautiful, but after 45 minutes of it, people need a break!" However Laing also names Allard as her favourite composer. "His music is very special to me and I play a lot of it," she says.

"I'm still challenged by the repertoire: Bach, Beethoven, Handel," says Hart. "I like making a mixture of music that has audience appeal." He is also interested in exploring compositions for brass, choir and carillon, or carillon and electronic music.

However, the nature of the instrument means that those who play it are peculiarly constrained by its unique conditions. Apart from the quality and location of the bells, says S later, "Is the carillon as an instrument supported institutionally and financially?" For instance, he points out: "This carillon [at the Peace Tower] is the only one in the country which provides a full time salary."