1879.] on Bells. Ill 



Immmer, as in the English patent method, cannot control its stroke. 

 The beautiful Englisli mechanism has been ajiplied by Messrs. Gillett 

 and Bland to the Manchester carillon and elsewhere. 



At Mechlin the barrel weighs 1[ ton, containing 16,200 holes, 

 and the present tunes for the hour are produced by 2900 nuts or 

 spikes. The tunes are changed twice a year by the carilloncur, 

 M. Denyn. M. Adol})ho Denyn is acknowledged to be the first caril- 

 loncur living ; he is fifty-two years old, strong, thickset, muscular ; 

 he is most genial and obliging, and a musician of the finest quality. 

 He has been carilloneur of Mechlin for twenty-nine years, and, as 

 I failed to hear him six years ago, I communicated with him last year 

 in time, and was fortunate enough to be present at an exceptionally 

 fine performance, which was most courteously protracted for an hour 

 for my benefit. To hear M. Denyn, go to Mechlin and take your 

 stand in the market-place at eleven o'clock on Sunday, or at eleven to 

 twelve on Saturday morning. 



It was market-day, and crowds were assembled, and stood in 

 groups, after business, about twelve o'clock, to listen to their favourite 

 player. I stood first at a remote corner of the market-place, and 

 after a short running prelude from the top bells, weighing only a few 

 pounds and hundredweights, to the bottom ones of several tons, 

 M. Denyn broke into a brisk gallop, admirably accented, and sustained 

 at a good tearing pace without flagging for a single bar. Such an 

 exercise could not last long, as I quickly perceived when I ascended 

 the belfry and watched him at work. Whilst he w^as playing I made 

 my way up the winding stairs of that immense and incomparable 

 tower, which for majesty and beauty combined ha^ always seemed to 

 me to stand absolutely alone. The room of the carillon keyboard is 

 not large, but just suffices to isolate the player from the resonance of 

 the bells above and below him. M. Denyn then played me some 

 admirably selected flowing melodies with full legato accompaniments, 

 in the style of " Adelaide " and " Casta Diva." Then he gave me 

 a specimen of bravura passages, using the great nine-ton and six-ton 

 bells for the melody with his feet, and carrying on a rattling accom- 

 paniment of demi-semiquavers on the treble bells. Next, after a 

 rapid passage of sweej)ing arpeggios, he broke into a solemn and 

 stately movement, which reminded me of Chopin's " Funeral March." 

 This was followed by an elaborate fantasia on airs from the Dame 

 Blanche — interrupted by the mechanical clock tune, " Comme on aime 

 a vingt ans." M. Denyn waited patiently until the barrel had finished, 

 and then plunged rapidly into an extempore continuation, which was 

 finely joined on to the mechanical tune, and must have sounded below 

 as if the barrel had become suddenly inspired or gone mad. He 

 called my attention especially to the complete control he had over the 

 pianos and fortes, now lightly touching the bells, now giving them 

 thundering strokes. He wound up with " God save the Queen," 

 beautifully harmonized, and I must say that I never, on piano or 

 violin, heard more admirable phrasing and expressive rendering of 



