Carillion

Structure and Design

The University of the Philippines Memorial Campanile is a 130-foot structure with a carillon of 46 perfectly tuned bronze bells. The tower was built under the supervision of architect Juan Nakpil, a 1973 National Artist. The funds for its construction were provided by the UP Alumni Association and donors.

From the outside view, the tower is painted with cream and maroon. It has a very stable foundation and has a system of vertical lines topped with a small dome. A sight of an endless spiral staircase could be seen in the building’s interior.

The carillon bells were installed up in the tower with the supervision of Professor Adrian Antonisse Jr., a Dutch carilloneur and director of Veendammer Muziekschool of the Netherlands. Those bells were casted by Van Bergen Bell, Chimes and Carillon Foundry. Some of the bells were named after individual donors. The largest bell which weighs about five tons was embossed of the names of the officers and the members of the board of directors of the alumni association. The last bell was set place on July 11, 1952.

The bells were tuned to the intervals of the chromatic scale similar to a piano, and having a range of three octaves or more. The bell which has the lowest pitch can weigh many tons. The smaller the size of the bell means the higher the pitch. There are two methods of playing the carillon. A carilloneur may strike a keyboard called a “clavier” which is similar to that of an organ but the difference is that it uses wooden pegs. According to Prof. Antonisse, one to two years of devoted study is necessary to master the instrument which requires a great deal of muscular effort to play because the fists are used in striking the keys. Each key of the clavier is connected to the clapper of the corresponding bell by means of wires and cranks. Those clappers are sufficient to bring out the full volume of sound required for carillon playing. Pedals are also attached to the levers connected with the heavier bells so that these can be played by foot. The alternative way of playing is an automatic machine which plays the carillon at pre-set hours