The carillon plays for everyone
At the top of the tower of Notre-Dame Cathedral is a fabulous carillon with 37 bells. This musical instrument, which dominates the Luxembourg capital, rings throughout the year. Its repertoire includes some fifty pieces of typical Luxembourg music.
Road traffic, horns, sirens, deafening construction noise: in the midst of this constant barrage of sound, the sweet melodies of the carillon in Notre-Dame Cathedral float through the avenues and winding streets of Luxembourg City. The 37 bells that make up this extraordinary musical instrument chime every day, from 7am to 10pm, bringing a touch of magic to the streets with their gentle music. To see the carillon, you will need to climb the steps of the cathedral until you reach its highest tower. And there, some 33 metres up, you will find the special musical instrument that creates these unique sounds.
How does the carillon work?
'The carillon can play around 50 melodies,' explains Paul Breisch, the cathedral organist, who also records the carillon melodies. 'Ten years ago, I spent several months producing arrangements – a tricky task because not all piano melodies can be applied to a carillon. Unlike a piano, a bell produces a sound that rings on, while the sound made by a piano disappears as soon as you release the key,' he explains.
A few decades ago, the carillon was operated by an organ with a punched card. 'Now you sit down at a sort of piano made of bells, which is operated by a small electronic keyboard. Each key is linked to a clapper inside a bell, which swings into action when the key is pressed.'
The largest of the 37 bells that make up the carillon weighs 400 kilos and has a diameter of 90 centimetres. It is the only one to bear an inscription (Incipit hora speranti preziosa - for those who hope, a precious hour begins (Abbot Emmanuel Reichling)). The smallest bell weighs 11 kilos and has a diameter of 20.5 cm.
The history of the carillon
The sound of church bells is part of the city soundscape and provides a unique musical accompaniment. A Dutch company comes to perform regular maintenance once a year to make sure this special instrument can continue bringing music to our ears for a long time to come. 'Sometimes a few hammers or a spring need to be changed. The carillon is like a car,' explains Paul Breisch.
The cathedral's carillon is no longer in its prime. In 1635, the Jesuits installed a carillon in the west tower. The east tower was not completed until 1935-38, and it was during this period that the cathedral was enlarged to 37 bells by the Ungerer bell foundry in Strasbourg. After the fire in the tower in 1985, the carillon was recast in Holland by the Petit&Fritsen bell foundry.
But the cathedral's carillon isn't the only one to set the rhythm of passers-by's days. There's still one in Echternach, another in the small tower of the Pescatore Foundation and several smaller ones scattered around the country.
Melodies resounding through the capital
'Before I began operating the carillon, typical Luxembourgish melodies were played one after the other,' remembers Paul Breisch. Nowadays, the repertoire is very varied. Some 60 arrangements of around 50 different melodies are recorded in the instrument's system. These include classics like 'De Feierwon', 'Ech sinn e Groussen Hexenmechter', 'Ech drénken gier mäin Pättchen', 'Un der Atert', 'Kättche, Kättche" and 'Et wor ee Meedche vu Gëtzen".
The melodies are played every hour on the hour and vary depending on the season. In winter, the music brings some warmth to passers-by on pavements and accompanies those working at the Christmas markets throughout the day with typical festive melodies. The tones of 'Léiwe Kleeschen', 'Kanner loost mer lëschteg sinn', 'Venez divin Messie', 'Il est né le divin enfant', 'Ave Maria' and many other well-known Christmas melodies are also part of the repertoire.
But the bells also ring for other occasions during the year, for example for the hopping procession or Pentecost, with 'T'si vill schéi Rousen an der Stad', 'D'Maargréitchen' and 'T'ass Kiermes am Duerf'. To mark the national day festivities, the carillon livens up the capital with the melodies 'Wilhelmus' and 'Léif Mamm', and even the national anthem 'Ons Heemecht'.
History of the cathedral
Nestling in the heart of the city centre, Notre-Dame Cathedral is a Norman jewel of medieval architecture. Originally a Jesuit church, the foundation stone was laid in 1613. The nave dates from the 17th century, and the transept and choir with crypt were added in 1935. Since 1794, it has housed the miraculous statue of the Consolatrice des Affligés, patron saint of the country and the city of Luxembourg. In 1879, Pope Pius IX elevated it to the rank of cathedral.
On 5 April 1985, the cathedral's bell tower caught fire during renovation work. The reconstruction was completed in October 1985.
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