Last but not least: Swiss carillon in London shines in new splendor
The Swiss carillon at the Swiss Centre on Leicester Square in London was restored as part of an initiative by Switzerland Tourism and the City of Westminster. It was officially unveiled on November 28.
The restored Swiss carillon, inaugurated yesterday at the Swiss Centre in London, replaces the original one given by Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the City of Westminster in 1985 for its 400th anniversary as a sign of their long-standing friendship. The new carillon includes eleven moving figures set against a typical Swiss mountain backdrop, the coats of arms of the 26 cantons, 27 bells and four figures in Swiss costume representing the language regions. This writes Switzerland Tourism on Tuesday in a statement.
The work of repairing the carillon was carried out jointly by artists and craftsmen from England and Switzerland. The manufacturer of large clocks, Smith of Derby, was commissioned to realize the carillon. According to the brief, the clock was to retain its strong Swiss identity as well as harmonize with the adjacent buildings and urban context. As the manufacturer of the previous carillon, the Aarau bell company H. Rüetschi was commissioned to combine the traditional elements with modern wireless technology and to coordinate the art and design elements as well as the music. Swiss artist Adalbert Fässler of Appenzell restored the wooden figures, originally hand-carved by Brienz sculptor Fritz Buchs. Finally, the music was rehearsed by the Royal Academy of Music in Westminster and the Musikhochschule Bern.
The inauguration ceremony included a demonstration that showed, among other things, that the carillon can be connected to a keyboard for live performances. Six alphorn players were posted on rooftops around Leicester Square - some of them hidden, leaving some passersby to wonder where the strange sounds were coming from. On the street, bell-ringing folk groups from different parts of Switzerland moved to the carillon and formed a circle around the guests of honor.
According to Jürg Schmid, CEO of Switzerland Tourism, the carillon should perpetuate the symbol of friendship and the original idea of Albert Kunz. Furthermore, the carillon should remind people of Switzerland and its numerous tourist attractions.
What exactly about the chimes is supposed to remind the listener of "magnificent mountains, picturesque towns, glittering lakes and spectacular panoramic trains" is difficult to discern from the picture. For that, one would possibly have to stand directly under the ringing bells.
