Last time on the blog we looked at the views of Queen's Park, Loughborough, and beyond from the top of the Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum - to give it its full title!
This time, we'll have a look at some of the bells, and learn about the wonderful carilloneurs (1) who have regularly played the carillon instrument down the years. The bells really speak for themselves!
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| A poor quality view of the clavier room, and the carillon instrument |
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| View of the carilloneur's seat! |
The above seat has been the playing position of quite a number of carilloneurs, as well as visiting players. The first-ever recital was performed at the opening of the Carillon on 22nd July 1923, when the playing of the "Last Post" and a minute of silence had happened, 'Chevalier' (2) Jef Denyn, from Belgium played Elgar's "Land of Hope and Glory". This was followed by a rendition of the more sombre "Marche Funebre" by Chopin, then a Flemish piece, and ended with a performance of "Carillon Chimes", a piece specially written by Elgar for the occasion, before the national anthem was played. According to a report in the 'South Nottinghamshire Echo' there was a crowd of around 30,000 people in Queen's Park, and amongst the dignitaries attending, were the principals of the town colleges, headteachers from the town schools, the local clergy, members of the War Memorial committee, members of the Corporation, the mayor, mayoress (Mr and Mrs Wilfred Moss) and guests, which included Dame Nellie Melba, who had come to visit as she was hoping that a carillon could be built in Melbourne, Australia.
A year before the opening of Loughborough's Carillon, Jef Denyn had founded the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" in Mechelen (3), Belgium, which was also known informally as the Mechelen Carillon School. It was the world's first and largest carillon school, and was a mecca for would-be carilloneurs.
Following the installation of the Carillon in 1923, the borough appointed Eric Jordan as the borough carilloneur, and Sidney Potter, as the deputy borough carilloneur. Both studied at the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" in Mechelen, Belgium, under the great man himself. By 1952, Eric was tutoring two local people in the art of playing the carillon, but was very keen to find more pupils!
A very short account of Eric Jordan
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to meet some descendants of Loughborough's carilloneur, Eric Jordan, when they visited Loughborough and the Carillon.
Eric was born in 1901 in Loughborough to parents William Joseph Jordan and Hannah Wightman, who were married in 1884. At the time of the 1901 census, the family were living in Thorpe Acre, having previously been recorded in 1891 as living at 25 Hastings Street in Loughborough, when William Joseph was a drayman. In 1901 Eric's father was listed as a woodworking machinist, Eric's sister, Edith was aged 14, and a school teacher, his brother Charles was a school student, and sister Alice, aged 10, was at the General Hospital on Baxter Gate. Eric did not appear on the 1901 census as this was taken in April, and he was not born until September.
The 1911 census return sees Eric listed for the first time, living in Thorpe Acre with his parents, Joseph and Hannah, where his father is now a horticultural builder (a woodworking machinist), as is his brother Charles. In 1926, Eric Jordan married Edith Agnes Swift, who was born in 1900, and brought up on the main road in Hathern, where her father, Henry, was a dairyman. Henry had married Hannah Elizabeth Wightman, daughter of a joiner, Charles, and his wife, Elizabeth Street, in 1884.
I believe Eric and Edith had two sons, one born in 1929, the other in 1934, and the family lived on Lime Street. Eric's main occupation was that of insurance agent. Both Eric and his wife lived into their 90s, Edith dying in 1993 at the age of 93 in 1993, and Eric at the age of 92 in 1994. Both are buried in the church of All Saints in Long Whatton.
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| All Saints church at Long Whatton |
Sadly, as usual, I have run out of time, and I have done little other than mention the basics of Eric Jordan's life, and not done him justice. There is a vast body of information to sift through, so please be assured that this is not the last I will write about Loughborough's first Borough Carilloneur, and his successors. Do pop over to this post on the Zeppelin raid of 1916 to see a likeness of Eric Jordan.
Notes
(1) Oh dear, different reputable sources have used different spelling for this word, and now that I've looked it up in a reputable dictionary, I find I have used the incorrect spelling. However, since I have done this consistently I shall continue with using 'carilloneur' rather than the correct spelling, of 'carillonneur'.
(2) The use of the word 'Chevalier' preceding his name indicates that Jef Denyn had been granted the title "Chevalier of the Order of Leopold" by the King of Belgium.
(3) I have to apologise here for my confusion over whether to refer to the Belgium city in its Dutch form, Mechelen, or in its French name, Malines. Apparently, Belgium's linguistic diversity is potentially a hot political potato, and I wouldn't want to offend anyone, by using a non-preferred version of the name, without at least some small explanation.
You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follows:
Lynne
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