The fascinating history of the Oratory carillon

There are 11 international-level carillons in Canada, but only one in Quebec. It is located at Saint Joseph’s Oratory. If I tell you about it, it is because its 56 bells have just made a trip to France from where they returned more sparkling than ever.

This facelift was necessary after their 68 years of existence. The vagaries of our seasons had damaged them. Their sound was altered. They were therefore sent to the Paccard foundry in Annecy-le-Vieux, a French house which has existed since 1796 and which designed the entire carillon in the early 1950s.

These bells have a fascinating history. I would even say that they have something legendary about them. You should know that they were first intended for the Eiffel Tower. The reasons why they were not installed in the famous metal structure remain unclear today.

That’s why I went digging through the newspaper archives The world to learn that in 1952, a group called Les amis de la cloche campaigned for the addition of a carillon in the Eiffel Tower. His approach was supported by the D^r Vericourt, a city councilor. But in the issue of June 11, 1952, we learn that “the chime of the Eiffel Tower is not about to be installed”.

We then invoke “technical reasons”. By dint of reading on the subject, I understood that sound tests showed that the soft sounds of the carillon reached visitors to the Champ-de-Mars very badly, the ambient noises of Paris caused by vehicles of all kinds breaking the magic and spoiling the desired effect.

The bells therefore slumbered for a few months in France until Quebec devotees had the idea of ​​temporarily “borrowing” the carillon in order to mark the 50^e anniversary of Saint Joseph’s Oratory. An agreement was made and the 11,000 kg carillon was delivered to us at the end of 1954.

A ceremony intended to bless the bells took place on Sunday February 27, 1955. It was obviously Cardinal Léger, surrounded by 10 bishops, who had this honor. All the newspapers of the time, The Press in the lead, made a big noise about this event. The carillon concerts were very popular that summer.

It seems that the set of 56 bells was not complete when it arrived. On April 13, 1955, there is talk of another bell blessing, that of the 52^e (F sharp of the third octave) and 53^e (G sharp of the third octave). In September, it was the turn of the 55^e bell to be sprinkled with holy water.

A temporary campanile was built at the foot of the Oratory to accommodate the carillon. Montrealers and many visitors quickly succumbed to the charm of this rare and intriguing instrument. Note that the bells of a carillon do not move. Sounds are created by clappers (rods) striking the bells. The carilloniste activates these clappers by pushing levers down and using a pedal.

Quickly, donors gathered in order to purchase the carillon. Patrons (pompously identified in the newspapers) acquired certain bells, giving their name to them. This is how Saint Joseph’s Oratory became the owner of this chime, which is now part of our heritage.

Tradition obliges, the bells restored with “several hundred thousand dollars” were blessed on Saturday. However, they will have to wait in crates until the fall before being installed in a new campanile of a certain modernity. The glass structure that will protect the bells is part of the extensive work that has been carried out on the grounds of the Oratory since 2018.

The old bells will soon have new sisters. Indeed, we found two bells here and we had four others made. “I’m now going to play on 62 bells,” says Anne-Andrée Doane proudly. A carillon player has octaves in front of him, like a keyboard. You can play with four hands, which gives beautiful effects. »

Claude Aubin was the titular carillonist from 1974 to 2009. It was he who trained Andrée-Anne Doane. The latter had the chance to complete her training with the carillon player of the Ottawa parliament.

The one who was part of the choirs of the Oratory when she was younger offers two carillon concerts a day (Wednesday to Sunday). She is in the process of training one of her sons, a student at the Vincent-d’Indy school. “He can replace me from time to time,” she said.

Those who wonder if there are restrictions on the choice of pieces played at the Oratory, know that each carillon player has his own repertoire. “Yes, there is sacred music, but also classical works,” says Andrée-Anne Doane. And then, I offer myself some fantasies. On Halloween, I happened to do the theme of Phantom of the Opera. »

While waiting to find her keyboard, which will be installed in the campanile under the carillon, Andrée-Anne Doane will continue to offer her daily concerts from a digital keyboard. “The sound is almost identical,” he says. It is to be mistaken. But it’s not like playing on a real chime. »