Weighing in on the four-ton carillon

To the lords and ladies of this good land, we bid thee listen ‘mdash; for there is a festival in… To the lords and ladies of this good land, we bid thee listen ‘mdash; for there is a festival in town complete with one of the world’s most unique instruments. Playing at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival for the second year, the Spirit of the Bells, or 35-year-old Frank DellaPenna and his traveling carillon, have returned to mystify audiences. But traveling is not such an easy task ‘mdash; the festival’s carillon is composed of 35 bells and weighs 4 tons. A carillon is an instrument, but not in the sense of a piano or saxophone. Defined as 23 or more bells that are attached and played through a mechanical keyboard, the carillon has bells hung and tied to a peg on the keyboard. The smaller ones can be played by hand, while one’s foot must stomp on the largest and heaviest bells. The level of intensity used to press on the keyboards decides the intensity of the note played. And the Spirit of the Bells, performing at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival, is in fact a fairly local guest ‘mdash; he began his journey with the carillon in Valley Forge, Pa., as a teenager searching for a classical piano teacher. One private teacher, Frank Pechin Law, was the carillonneur for the Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge and made the deal that if the young DellaPenna was to study piano, he would also study the carillon. The carillon quickly became the dominant instrument. DellaPenna went on to become the first American to graduate from the French Carillon School in Tourcoing, France, with a degree of Master Carillonneur. He returned to the United States and took over Law’s position. Continuing in DellaPenna’s storybook reality, eight years later, a complete stranger walked into the chapel tower when DellaPenna forgot to lock the chapel door. DellaPenna welcomed the stranger and played for him. The stranger stated that people should be able to see DellaPenna play and soon bought the instrument on the condition that its player share it with the world. ‘It’s really hard for most people to believe that things like this could happen. But, I always envisioned that I could bring the carillon to people, but I never knew how,’ said DellaPenna. DellaPenna and the carillon now play under the name, Cast In Bronze. Dressed in all black and wearing a gold bird’s mask, he performs for the entire world to see ‘mdash; by hiding his face, he retains the seclusion that the original ‘spirits’ would have had in towers. The performance is hypnotic and beautiful to say the least. DellaPenna plays at Renaissance and music festivals. All performances have been outdoors, except spots opening an Alice Cooper benefit concert and playing the opening mass for Pope John Paul II. The carillonneur has recorded six CDs, has performed at countless shows and is booked 10 months out of the year for various shows and gigs. The remaining two months are spent doing administrative work and inspecting the carillon. Between all of this, DellaPenna has written out a musical script and score.’ Titled, ‘The Bells,’ it focuses around the carillon, its history and how it impacted the people around it. DellaPenna is cautiously optimistic about his show, despite it currently being reviewed ‘by someone powerful in the theater world. This is the guy that could make it happen. This is the guy who has already put 120 shows on Broadway.’ He has the right to be cautious ‘mdash; though the screening showed positive response to the musical, the same cannot be said for the rest of the world’s instruments. ‘ Carillons were created about 500 years go in the Netherlands and originally placed high in towers, where a designated ‘spirit of the bells’ played the instrument to announce special events, including weddings and market days. The result was that over time, the almost invisible instruments lost their appeal and power over villages and towns. ‘ ‘The carillon is in big trouble because it is so unusual. A lot are [sitting in their towers] doing absolutely nothing,’ said DellaPenna. Part of bringing the instrument into the modern era includes a Web site. The Cast In Bronze Web site is reachable online through e-mail. The Web site also includes a newsletter, merchandise and live clips. YouTube also hosts a number of homemade videos. But DellaPenna will not be alone in his efforts for much longer. He was called when another company and player bought a second traveling carillon to work in the United States. The group was concerned it would be competition. DellaPenna is welcoming the newcomers, offering as much as to assist booking them. He’s mostly excited about the chance to talk to another player with new ideas of how to share their marvelous instruments ‘mdash; his ideas include college workshops in the future. His carillon has already made an impact ‘mdash; the Spirit of the Bells has collected three full binders of letters of testimony from his show listeners, all describing how the instrument affected and inspired them. For example, children who might have disliked practicing piano began to practice more after learning DellaPenna started as a piano player. Adults who have tried speaking to him after a show have broken into tears instead. ‘It opens up a part of them they didn’t know existed,’ said DellaPenna. ‘I would have to say that this is the only carillon in history that has ever been solely supported by listeners,’ he said. ‘I get to share my energy with people, and they feel something enough to support me by taking a CD home.’ The original mission, to share the carillon with listeners, has also evolved over time with the carillon’s style. ‘I think maybe we’re all just here to help each other. And maybe Cast In Bronze can inspire people to just achieve their own dreams.’