Carillon rings true for young ears

CHILDREN left a unique concert yesterday with the sound of music literally ringing in their ears.

One of the world’s leading carillonneurs, Boudewijn Zwart, gave four recitals on his remarkable travelling carillon, or bell organ, at Cork’s Rory Gallagher Music Library in the central library.

The massive instrument, which consists of 50 bronze bells housed inside a large glass box, weighs 2,800kg — about the same as 30 baby elephants.

It is played much like an organ, with the carillonneur striking wooden batons on a keyboard.

The first of its kind that can be used inside buildings, the instrument was built to Boudewijn’s own design in 2003 by the Royal Bell foundry Petit and Fritsen in Brabant, in the Netherlands.

It is transported on a trailer and can be deconstructed and rebuilt in three parts, allowing for both indoor and outdoor performances.

The volume of sound can be influenced by slight adaptations in the clapper material, by the glass casing, or by changing the force at which the carillonneur strikes the batons.

Boudewijn was yesterday dressed as a distant grand-nephew of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He took his young audience on a tour of the classical music world with funny music, bronze church bells and special games with his Bellmoods solo performance.

The varied programme featured jazz and folk music too.

Boudewijn also let audience members take part in performing a real bell symphony.

He also performed outside Cobh Cathedral after noon Mass last Sunday and on Monday he performed for pupils at the town’s St Mary’s Convent National School, and later at St Joseph’s Boys’ National School.

His visit to Ireland was organised by Adrian P Gebruers, leading Irish carillonneur based at St Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh.

Boudwijn Zwart comes from a well-known family of Dutch organists. He studied the carillon at The Netherlands Carillon School in Amersfoort, and took his degree in piano at The Sweenlinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. His international recital schedule and recordings for radio, film and television have helped promote the carillon as a musical instrument in its own right. Professional music students are trained at his Netherlands Carillon Institute.