On the other hand, maybe we can all just buy CDs of the carillon music
and listen to it in the privacy of our own homes whenever we want.
Preferably with earphones on, so we won't disturb others. We'll never
have to go out again! Pooh on live music!
Briana LeClaire
Jo Williams wrote:
>
> Last evening's Daily News story about the U. of Idaho's
> carillon,"Restoring the chimes to campus" (a nice local story) prompted a
> Vision 1997- that of 183 metal bars parked in a wheelchair and left at
> the dog track. Some broken parts, a faulty memory and out she
> goes......replaced by "digitally-sampled bell sounds" at age 33.
> Cruelly, (I thought) the story points out that she's only getting what
> she deserved, having herself once replaced the original tradition of
> 100,000 lb. bronze bells. Sure- try and stay healthy, lose a little
> weight- this is what happens. But at least she was real metal.
> Though this list is about visionary solutions, as with restaurants and
> journalism, sometimes the 'old ways' are visionary. Before spending
> $40,000 in donations for a digital 'grandson', could the Carillon
> Restoration... Project committee look into alternatives;
> l) "...many of the mechanical pieces needed to get the carillon back in
> shape are no longer available." Can the U. of Idaho's School of
> Engineering design/rebuild/repair them?
> 2) "... a digital- tape system...to trigger pre-programmed music..." is
> worn out. Can the U. of Idaho's Computer Science Department/Computer
> Engineering Dept. do anything for this?
> 3) "The carillon can still be played manually..."; I think that would be
> great! A daily School of Music production- live entertainment.
> Maybe none of these suggestions will be practical. Maybe, like so many
> other things, no one will really notice the difference between real metal
> and 'bell sounds'. Maybe after awhile I won't either.
> Jo Williams
> tajs@potlatch.com
>
>