- Title: FRANCE: Last of eight new bells for Paris' Notre Dame cathedral comes to life
- Date: 14th December 2012
- Summary: VILLEDIEU-LES-POELES, FRANCE (DECEMBER 14, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF CORNILLE HAVARD BELL FOUNDRY SIGN READING (French): "BELL FOUNDRY, RING AND ENTER" VARIOUS OF BELL RINGING OUTSIDE FOUNDRY VARIOUS OF FOUNDRY WORKERS MIXING COPPER AND TIN MIXTURE IN FURNACE FOUNDRY WORKER SHOVELLING DUST INTO FURNACE (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF CORNILLE HAVARD BELL FOUNDRY PAUL BERGAMO SAYING: "They asked for the eight bells of the North Tower to have a contemporary artistic creation and there was a bell expert, Mr. Singer, who made some real research about the history of the old bells of Notre Dame, the bells before the French Revolution, which have been very clearly explained and described. The aim of the project is to reconstitute the sound in terms of power, in terms of notes, of the bells before the French Revolution." RED HOT METAL RODS WORKER TAKING HOT METAL ROD OUT OF FURNACE FOUNDRY WORKER WEARING PROTECTIVE MASK SPECTATORS WEARING PROTECTIVE MOUTH AND NOSE MASKS (SOUNDBITE) (French) DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AT CORNILLE HAVARD BELL FOUNDRY STEPHANE MOUTON SAYING: "Everyone participates in a project like this one. And, of course, we're proud. This only happens once in a lifetime, and we're expecting these to last for 250-300 years. So it's not like we're going to make more new bells for Notre Dame, at least not for our generation of foundry workers." VARIOUS OF FOUNDRY WORKERS DIGGING IN BELL MOULD FOUNDRY WORKER WEARING PROTECTIVE HELMET AND MASK VARIOUS OF MONSEIGNEUR LAGOUTTE, RECTOR OF LISIEUX BASILICA AND FATHER FRANK BAJADA BLESSING BELL CHART SHOWING BELL CONSTRUCTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) FATHER FRANK BAJADA SAYING: "It's always a sensation, to hear the bells which from a piece of metal you could hear such a nice noise, sound and I should say voice." FOUNDRY WORKERS HOLDING FLAMING METAL POUCHES FOR THE GAS TREATMENT OF THE BELL HOT FURNACE VARIOUS OF RED HOT METAL IN BELL CAST MONSEIGNEUR LAGOUTTE CROSSING HIMSELF SPECTATORS CLAPPING RED HOT METAL COOLING IN BELL CAST VARIOUS OF WOMAN TAPPING ON BELLS
- Embargoed: 29th December 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Quirky,Religion,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA50A31UPCR2CFUBQXQIDX8I84X
- Story Text: The last of eight new bells for Paris' Notre Dame cathedral's north tower was cast in a Normandy bell foundry on Friday (December 14).
Hours of hard work and sweat in a scorching metal workshop in the town of Villedieu-les-Poeles finally paid off, as the foundry team saw the colossal project nearing completion.
The team, which has been working for several months on the Notre Dame bells, poured the red-hot liquid metal into a mould to complete the last new birthday bell, christened Anne-Genevieve, and constructed for the cathedral's 850th anniversary celebration.
President of Cornille Havard bell foundry Paul Bergamo said what makes these new bells special is that they're a new interpretation of a traditional ideal.
"They asked for the eight bells of the North Tower to have a contemporary artistic creation and there was a bell expert, Mr. Singer, who made some real research about the history of the old bells of Notre Dame, the bells before the French Revolution, which have been very clearly explained and described. The aim of the project is to reconstitute the sound in terms of power, in terms of notes, of the bells before the French Revolution," Bergamo said.
Stephane Mouton, the director of production at the foundry, said the Notre Dame bell project was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"Everyone participates in a project like this one. And, of course, we're proud. This only happens once in a lifetime, and we're expecting these to last for 250-300 years. So it's not like we're going to make more new bells for Notre Dame, at least not for our generation of foundry workers," Mouton said.
On Friday, guests of the cathedral watched foundry workers mix six tonnes of tin and copper in a furnace, treat the mixture to release unwanted gasses and pour the red-hot liquid bronze into a giant mould at the back of the workshop.
Father Frank Bajada of Malta joined Monseigneur Lagoutte, the rector of the Lisieux basilica in blessing the infant bell. Bajada said that for him the bells of Notre Dame nearly have the ability of human expression.
"It's always a sensation, to hear the bells which from a piece of metal you could hear such a nice noise, sound and I should say voice," Bajada said.
The Catholic church's 850th celebration, which began on December 12, will continue until November 24, 2013, during what has been dubbed the 'Year of Faith' by Pope Benedict XVI.
Notre Dame is basking in a birthday facelift -- on top of new bells, improved lighting and a renovated organ, a new viewing platform was erected on the vast plaza outside the cathedral this week.
The last bell will sit in the mould for 10 days, and will be inaugurated with the rest of its bronze counterparts at Notre Dame on February 2. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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