Enjoy the lovely music from the National Carillon on a sunny autumn afternoon, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. A carillon is an idiophone percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast bronze bells

            A carillon is an idiophone percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast bronze bells in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmoniously together. Usually housed in a bell tower, the bells are struck with clappers, which are connected to a keyboard of wooden batons played with the hands and pedals played with the feet. Often, carillons include an automatic system through which the time is announced (via the Westminster Quarters, for example) and simple tunes are played. Carillons come in a wide variety of appearances, weights, sizes, and sounds. It is one of the world's heaviest instruments, with the heaviest carillon weighing in at over 91 metric tons (100 short tons). A minimum of 23 bells are needed to be called a carillon by those who play and study them. Concert sized instruments have about 50, and the world's largest has 77 bells. The appearance of a carillon is dependent on the number and weight of the bells and the tower in which it is housed. They may be found in towers connected to buildings or free-standing, and a small minority are fixed to a frame that enables them to be transported. The bells of the carillon may be directly exposed to the elements or hidden away inside the structure of their tower. The origins of the carillon can be traced back to the Low Countries—Belgium, the Netherlands, and the French Netherlands—in the 16th century. The modern carillon is considered to be invented in 1644 when Jacob van Eyck and the Hemony brothers cast the first tuned carillon. Today, there are approximately 700 carillons worldwide. The majority are concentrated around its place of origin, though nearly 200 have been constructed in North America. Most extant carillons were constructed in the last two centuries.   
The National Carillon is a large carillon situated on Aspen Island in Lake Burley Griffin, central Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The carillon is managed and maintained by the National Capital Authority on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia. It has 57 bells, ranging nearly 5 octaves from thThe carillon was a gift from the British Government to the people of Australia to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the national capital, Canberra. The structure was the subject of a limited competition between three selected Australian architects and three selected British architects. Assessors of the competition were Lord Holford, Sir Donald Gibson and Sir John Overall (Chairman of the National Capital Development Commission). The winners were the Western Australian firm of Cameron Chisholm Nicol. The Carillon was designed in 1967, built during 1969 and completed in 1970. The three columns of the design symbolise the British and Australian Governments and the City of Canberra. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the National Carillon on 26 April 1970. The Carillon has a symbolic value in the link between Britain and Australia. It also has some historic value for its association with the commemoration of the 50th Jubilee of the founding of Canberra. The tower stands 50 metres (160 ft) tall. The concept was developed in 1968 by Don Ho, an architect at Cameron Chisholm Nicol. The carillon bells and mechanism were designed and constructed by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough. The Carillon is a good example of the late twentieth century Brutalist style. Its use of strong shapes which are boldly composed, the diagonal line of the roofs, large areas of blank wall, use of precast non load-bearing wall panels and strongly vertical windows and openings are all features of this style.e 6,108kg bass bell in F# to the 8kg treble bell in D. In 2019 the carillon was upgraded with a new clavier, a fully replaced transmission and the addition of 2 new bells to add the lowest semitone and a new highest bell. The new lowest semitone bell was called the Ngunnawal bell, in recognition of the first peoples of the Canberra region. This bell weighs just over 5 tonnes and sounds the note G. The other bell added was a new lightest bell to extend the rage of the instrument to nearly 5 octaves. This work was carried out by John Taylor & Co. Carillons must have at least 23 bells to be considered as such, and the National Carillon has 57. It was initially installed with 53, and increased to 55 during refurbishments in 2003-4. Each bell weighs between seven kilograms (fifteen pounds) and six tonnes (six point six short tons). The bells span four and a half octaves chromatically. John Douglas Gordon, after whom the Aspen Island footbridge is now named, played the inaugural recital. The carillon features moderate-size function facilities for small gatherings offering views over Lake Burley Griffin and central Canberra. The carillon is in regular use, chiming every quarter-hour and playing a short tune on the hour along with tours and recitals on many days. For example, there is usually a recital of carols on Christmas Eve each year with music being played for around an hour at dusk. The best place to listen to the carillon is suggested to be within 100 metres (330 ft) of the building though the sound can usually be heard much further away in the Parliamentary Triangle, Kingston and Civic. S20N_787
   

Taken in: Australia / ACT / Barton (show map)

Taken on: April 16, 2021

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