FRANCE: Paris district mayor is trying to raise funds to save an historic bell in church

Record ID: 186896

  • Title: FRANCE: Paris district mayor is trying to raise funds to save an historic bell in church
  • Date: 25th April 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF BELL RINGER, RENAUD GAGNEUX, PLAYING THE BELLS
  • Embargoed: 10th May 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: History
  • Reuters ID: LVA8S1XCI9AFV2PI2PJCVE61U5TB
  • Story Text: A Paris district mayor is trying to raise funds to save an historic bell in a Paris church that apparently sounds so bad even Quasimodo doesn't want the job.
    Not far from Notre-Dame and its legendary hunchbacked bell-ringer is the Saint-Germain de l'Auxerrois belfry, whose carillon bell have already received a partial upgrade, but according to Jean-Francois Legaret, mayor of Paris 1st district, they still sound so bad he is hoping to raise a more funds so they can renovate the entire instrument - after all, it is a protected monument, he says.
    "I am calling on the generosity of all those who will be willing to come forward, who know this carillon, who are interested in it, who know it's the only active carillon in Paris, and who will be willing to help us in the renovation work which in turn will mobilise sponsors and patrons. It's a protected monument, so both the state and the city of Paris will participate funds, but I think that to finalise it, we need to call on everyone's generosity," the mayor said.
    The bells, which ring out every hour but also for quick quarter-hour clangs, apparently sound terrible when the low notes are played due to the type of bell used.
    According to the belfry's in-house bell-player, Renaud Gagneux, the problem lies not only in the bells themselves, but in the electronic automation which is used to play them.
    "The problem, as always, is the budget. Because it is obviously incredibly expensive. Not only to install a new 'keyboard' if you may, a keyboard with wooden keys, so a traditional keyboard. But there will probably be the positioning of the bells to rethink entirely, and even the melting of the bells," Gagneux said.
    "Real carillon ringers from northern France and Flanders know very well that this is a relatively mediocre instrument and not at all traditional, so what are we going to do? But there is already a lot of interest, there is an association which is interested by it. The problem, as always, is the budget, because it is obviously incredibly expensive. Not only to install a new 'keyboard', a keyboard with wooden keys, a traditional keyboard. But there will probably be the positioning of the bells to redo, and even the melting of the bells. So you see, there are quite a few big problems."
    The mayor says they will need a few hundred thousand euro more to renovate the bell, but he is hoping for enough interest from the community and history fans to achieve this.
    After all, Saint-Germain de l'Auxerrois is the only active carillon in Paris and has a Napoleonic engraving, the majority of other carillon bells occupying Northern France.
    Gangneux and the community at least, will be hoping that their ears as well as the carillon will be saved by the bell.
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