Exhibition Place Carillon

Bell instrument in Toronto, Canada

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

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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]} The current carillonist is Gerald Martindale.^{[citation needed]}

The original plaque reads:

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

^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "Carillon Tower". Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^ "Carillon Tower". Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^ "Carillon Tower". Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^ "Exhibition Place Carillon". Retrieved 1 February 2019.
^ "Carillon Tower". Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.