Ottawa 
Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal in Quebec is celebrating the return of its magnificent carillon after undergoing a major restoration.
Credit: Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal
The carillon, consisting of 56 bronze bells, was restored at Fonderie Paccard in France, where it was originally cast for the Eiffel Tower. However, it was loaned to the Oratory in 1955 and later donated as a gift. The carillon holds significant cultural value and is the only instrument of its kind in Quebec.
As part of the restoration, six new bells were added to the carillon, including the heaviest one called the bourdon. This expansion was made possible through a successful fundraising campaign. The total weight of the 62 bells now amounts to 19,000 kg, varying from 5 kg to 3,600 kg.
Inaugural Concert in 1955/Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal
To mark this occasion, Saint Joseph’s Oratory invites the public to a bell blessing ceremony on June 17, 2023. The ceremony will be attended by Father Patrick Vézina, CSC, Director of the Associates of Brother André; Andrée-Anne Doane, the Titular Carillonist; Cyril Paccard from Fonderie Paccard; as well as Oratory donors and staff. Before the bells are permanently installed in the bell tower, they will be temporarily placed in a structure near the outdoor parvis in front of the Crypt Church. This arrangement allows visitors to have a close-up look at the bells on June 17 and 18.
The historical significance of the carillon stems from its origins. The bells were originally intended for the Eiffel Tower but were never installed there. Instead, they were loaned to Saint Joseph’s Oratory in 1954 for the sanctuary’s 50th anniversary. The bells were later purchased by generous pilgrims and donated to the Oratory as a gift. With only eleven carillons throughout Canada, Saint Joseph’s Oratory holds the only one in the province of Quebec.
The carillon itself is made of a copper and tin alloy, with a total weight of 10,900 kg. The largest bell weighs 1,500 kg, while the smallest bell weighs 5 kg. The bells are mounted outside and do not move; instead, sound is produced by bell clappers activated by steel cables connected to an interior keyboard, where the carillonist sits. The carillonist plays the instrument using wooden levers, called batons, that correspond to the black and white notes of a piano keyboard, as well as pedal keys connected to the lower octaves of the keyboard.
In addition to the bell blessing ceremony, there will be an electronic carillon concert performed by Andrée-Anne Doane at 10:30 a.m. on June 17. The ceremony itself will take place on the outdoor terrace in front of the Crypt Church, and in case of rain, it will be moved to the Oratory’s Major Development Project Hall.
Furthermore, there will be a bell exhibition, allowing the public to admire the bells up close on June 17 and 18, and a small exhibition on the history of the carillon in the Major Development Project Hall.
