A 200-Ton Instrument: The Carillon Quiz

Answer: chime

A further definitional requirement, as codified by the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA), is that the bells be "arranged in chromatic series and played from a keyboard permitting control of expression through variation of touch..." These clauses prevent any mere collection of 23 bells from being called "a carillon".

Answer: Carillonneur or carillonist

The term "carillonneur", derived from the French language, is preferred not only by European players but by many North American players, as shown by the name of the best-known players' association, the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.

Answer: Make concordant harmonies

In Europe, single bells had long been used to call the populace to church services; it was natural that as the art of casting bells improved, the use of multiple bells of differing pitch would become a sign of increasing wealth and prestige, as well as of a cultural taste for more musical sophistication.

Answer: Casting bells that were tuned to particular pitches

The history of bell-casting is long and intricate; many advances made over the centuries were lost when the craftsmen responsible for new tuning methods died. Bell-casting techniques were commonly kept secret by these craftsmen. It was not until the nineteenth century that well-tuned bells (and the knowledge of how to create them) became widely available.

Answer: Notify people of both emergencies (fire or attack), and of non-emergency events

The agreed-upon signals generally took the form of cascades of notes (for example, repeated ringing of the bells from highest note to lowest). A town or city with a carillon was capable of transmitting a wider variety of such signals, than was a town with a church containing only a few bells. Signals might announce approaching storms, births, deaths, market days, and of course particular church services.

Answer: A concert carillon

The 47-bell size is generally considered to be the world standard (unofficially); this is important to composers of carillon music, as naturally they want to produce pieces that can be played on as many instruments as possible.

Answer: 20 tons and 10 feet

The Riverside carillon is not only distinguished by having the largest carillon bell, but by being one of the largest carillons by bell-count (74) in the world. It was paid for by the wealthy Rockefeller family.

Answer: All of these are correct

Many composers feel that the special musical qualities of the carillon compensate for the challenges inherent in writing for it. Several composition competitions exist; one well-known contest is hosted each spring by Iowa State University.

Answer: Non-traditional carillon

Having up to twelve electronic bells is only one of the circumstances that can result in a carillon being designated "non-traditional"; another is the nature of the keyboard. "Traditional" implies that the keyboard from which the bells are played is mechanical, while "non-traditional" is the correct term for carillons in which the keyboard operates on electricity.

Answer: Belgium and the Netherlands

Belgium and the Netherlands had about 270 instruments defined as carillons at the turn of the Millennium, while Canada and the USA had about 170. The World Carillon Federation website lists 40 carillons in Germany, two in Poland, four in Switzerland, and none in Italy.

Thanks for taking this quiz! I hope you'll take an extra three or four seconds to scroll down this page and rate it.