Carillon composition competition
The fifth international Queen Fabiola Carillon Competition will take place in 2003 in Mechelen, Belgium. It is the most prestigious performance competition for carillonneurs. To complement this event, the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" in Mechelen, in conjunction with the city of Mechelen and with the support of local carillon associations, has organized a composition competition. The winning score will be performed by the finalists in the 2003 Queen Fabiola Competition.
The composition should last about five minutes and should be adapted to the carillon of the St. Rombout's tower in Mechelen, which comprises 49 bells. The instrument transposes down a fourth. (C on the keyboard sounds G.) The keyboard compass is B-flat, C, D, E-flat, then chromatic to C.
The jury will be asked to focus on:
* Suitability: Is the composition suitable for carillon and can it be played by an experienced carillonneur?
* Originality: How inventive is the piece?
* General musicality: Does the composition appeal to the general music lover?
The winning score, which will be the obligatory work for the Queen Fabiola Competition, will be awarded the "Jef Denyn Award" of 1000 Euros.
A special "Staf Nees Award" of 300 Euros will be awarded to a work based on a folksong.
Each participant may submit one or more original compositions. Scores can be written by hand or notated with a computer. Entries must reach the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn," F. de Merodestraat 63, B-2800 Mechelen, Belgium, by October 31, 2002. Besides the name and address of the Royal Carillon School, the outer envelope and the musical score itself may only mention the following:
* "Composition Competition 2002"
* a motto
* the award sought (Jef Denyn or Staf Nees)
A closed inner envelope mentioning only the motto on the outside, contains a page with the name and address of the composer. This envelope will be opened only after the jury has made its decision. The identity of the composer must not be discernible in any way from the envelope or the score.
The winners will be notified and invited for the presentation of awards in the Mechelen City Hall. The results of the competition will be announced by the press. The winning scores remain property of the Royal Carillon School, which retains the right to publish the works. Scores of non-winning works will be returned on request. Finally, the jury may decide not to award a prize if the scores presented do not meet the requested standards.
A new type of bell
It has been said many times that since the computer made its appearance in bell foundries in the mid-eighties, the possibilities have expanded greatly. For example, Dr. André Lehr, conservator of the Dutch National Carillon Museum and former director of the Royal Eijsbouts Bell Foundry, developed a considerably lighter bell with the same diameter as the customary bell while maintaining the same pitch and sonority. A traditional C2 bell with a diameter of 30 inches (77 cm.) weighs approximately 631 pounds (286 kg.) The new bell design with the same diameter only weighs 472 pounds (214 kg.). With 25% less bronze, the result was surprising. The Royal Petit & Fritsen Bell Foundry in Aarle-Rixtel, The Netherlands, cast a prototype. It has a beautiful sound and moreover a long, resonant decay. More details are available in an article written by Dr. Lehr entitled "The Geometrical Limits of the Carillon Bell," published in the periodical, Acustica, Vol. 86, 2000, pp. 543-549. There is no copyright on the bell--it can be cast and used by anyone who wishes.
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