Source: Radio New Zealand
The much-missed bells of the carillon in Wellington are playing again.
Silent for most of the last 14 years, this Saturday they will be heard at the national Anzac commemorations at the national war memorial in Pukeahu Park.
Inside the belltower, open now that quake strengthening had been done using a web of steel braces, an old lift with a concertina door goes up to the playing room.
A young Australian was sitting there when RNZ had a tour, at the levers and pedals of the largest musical instrument in the country, playing the Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme) from Star Wars.
Peter Bray played it at RNZ’s request – it was not on his list for Anzac Day.
“I have a Māori piece [Pōkarekare Ana] to start the programme, I have a piece that was written for the Canberra carillon at its opening, I have some peace music that has been arranged for the instrument as well.”
Bray will sound them out on the 70-odd tonnes of bells below and above the playing room.
Peter Bray. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae who heads the Ministry for Culture and Heritage had listened to him practice.
“We’ve had the privilege of being, you know, in the room when it’s being played … and then on the forecourt to listen. It’s just amazing to hear the bells again.”
During the Anzac service at dawn, and again from 11am, the biggest bell would feature – at 12 tonnes, the third heaviest carillon bell in the world.
“The Rangimarie bell, it’ll be I think it’s tolled four times to acknowledge those that have served in conflict,” said Leauanae.
Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae. Supplied / Ministry of Culture and Heritage / Mark Tantrum
The four-times tradition represents the Army, Navy, Air Force and Merchant Navy.
With a hand on a massive bell in its strengthened steel frame, softly struck, you could feel it reverberate.
They carried inscriptions, such as, “Nothing daunted these intrepid fighters, to them nothing was impossible”, the words of General Edmund Allenby of the Sinai and Palestine campaign during WWI.
Whānau and others donated or sponsored the 74 bells over the years since the tower opened in 1932.
Inscriptions on the bells. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Bray has played at 70 carillons out of the world’s 700 but it was his first time at New Zealand’s.
“I feel quite honoured. I’ve never been in New Zealand for Anzac Day and to be part of this ceremony to represent the carillon society of Australia is quite an honour.”
He was flown over from Canberra to fill the gap left by the ministry in a cost-cutting restructure disestablishing the local carillonist job.
Mac Leauanae said that was the only sustainable thing to do. “I do want to acknowledge Timothy Hurd as national carillonist … once Tim had made that decision to retire, we worked closely with the carillon society of Australia.”
They hoped to get someone over for recitals each month. The eventual aim was to train up someone locally, he said.
Inside the carillon tower. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Work on the tower had been stop-start since 2012, including an ‘re-opening’ in 2018 followed in 2020 by engineers warning the tower was still earthquake-prone despite the earlier years of work.
Since 2020, $10.1 million had been spent on the new quake measures in what was a very complex job, said Leauanae.
Two Fridays ago, he met workers finishing up at the tower. “They were just talking about how technical, how difficult it has been.
“But the main thing is … one of the technicians said that now we have a building that’s strengthened for the next 100 years.”
It was not quite finished: About 10 bells still had to be attached to their stainless steel playing cords.
That was not a problem, said Bray. “It’s nearly completely operational. In Canberra we have 57 bells so I’m used to quite a smaller amount.
“They’re very beautiful bells. They’re English bells. I grew up learning on English bells.
“It has quite a warm sound. A big, large, warm, long-resonant-sounding bells.”
There are 70-odd tonnes of bells at the memorial. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Bray had played the carillon half his life since learning at age 14 at a school holiday programme.
Leauanae said “that’s the prayer, that’s the hope” that a young New Zealander might do something similar. The ministry was working with Victoria University’s music department on that, he added.
Bray turned from Star Wars to a piece he would play on Saturday before RNZ left, back down in the unrestored, quaint lift.
Recital programme for Saturday’s Anzac services at Pukeahu
- Pōkarekare Ana – traditional, arranged Daniel Guo
- Lake Music – Terry Vaughan
- Hymn from Adienmus: Songs of the Sanctuary – Karl Jenkins – arranged Wendy Murphy
- Prelude for Peace – Gerald Finzi – arranged Austin Ferguson
- Spiegel im spiegel – Arvo Part – arranged Peter Bray
- Sonatine – Stefano Colleti
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
