Exhibition Place Carillon

The Exhibition Place Carillon (originally the Carlsberg Carillon) is a carillon located at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Exhibition Place Carillon in 2015

History

In 1974, Carling-O'Keefe Breweries provided funding for the construction of the 50-bell carillon.[1] The bells were cast by the Royal Eijsbouts foundry of Asten in the Netherlands.[2] The largest bell (the bourdon) weighs 4800 pounds.[3] The instrument transposes up a perfect fourth from concert pitch.[4] Four of the large bells including the bourdon are equipped with outside hammers to sound the Cambridge Quarters while the bourdon strikes the hour. Part way up the tower is a compartment with figures of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Swineherd"; upon activation, these figures could be moved from one side of the tower to the other, but the mechanism is no longer functional.[5] When the carillon was built, it was played most days of the week during the Exhibition summer season. The current carillonist is Gerald Martindale.

The original plaque reads:

"Carlsberg Carillon presented to the Canadian National Exhibition by Carling O'Keefe Breweries August 1974
Made by Royal Eijsbouts - Holland"

The Exhibition Place Carillon console (manual and pedals) in the playing chamber in 2015

References
  1. "Carillon Tower". Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  2. "Carillon Tower". Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  3. "Carillon Tower". Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  4. "Exhibition Place Carillon". Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  5. "Carillon Tower". Retrieved 1 February 2019.


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