Bells at the OSM

For several years, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal had been toying with the idea of adding bells to its percussion section. The team approached patron Roger Dubois, president of Groupe Canimex and a long-standing partner, who generously agreed to acquire a set of ten bells for use by the OSM.

Mélanie La Couture, Cheffe de la direction – Sébastien Almon, Directeur opérations artistiques et développement international – Rafael Payare, Directeur musical – Roger Dubois, Président du Groupe Canimex – Serge Desgagnés, percussions solo © Antoine saito

A brief history

For the past several years, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal has nurtured the project of outfitting its percussion section with bells. Its team therefore approached patron Roger Dubois, the President of Groupe Canimex and a longstanding partner of the Orchestra, who generously agreed to acquire a set of ten bells reserved for use by the OSM. Many orchestras are equipped with bells—in Berlin, Paris, New York, Boston, Amsterdam, and Cleveland, among others. The symphonic repertoire comprises several works that call for carillon bells, and when orchestras do not have them available, they will often use tubular bells instead. The OSM is pleased to have obtained its first four bells in June 2024, to which six more will be added, in November 2024.

Carillon bells for the OSM

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One will usually do!

A few bells are often all that is needed to augment a performance: two (G and C) for Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, one (E♭) for “The Great Gate of Kyiv” in Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and three (F♯, A, and B) for Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, for example. The OSM’s first two bells, tuned to G and C, were heard for the first time at the Maison symphonique on September 18 and 19, 2024, in performances of Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, as well as in its World Premiere of an OSM commission La Chapelle to composer Michael Oesterle, conducted by Rafael Payare.

Choosing a foundry

Serge Desgagnés, who has been a member of the Orchestra since 1997, and who was appointed Principal Percussion, was tasked by the OSM with evaluating the globe’s operating foundries. After a rigorous selection process, the final choice was the Royal Eijsbouts Foundry located in the Netherlands. Established in 1872, this company developed its expertise casting bells for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra before gaining an international clientele among large orchestras.

The finesse of bell sounds

Carillon bells are very much like the bells installed in church towers and civic buildings, but they are devoid of clappers inside. They are placed on special stands, and the percussionist produces their sound by striking them with metal mallets, with varying degrees of force. The bells are designed to emit a very specific pitch, and they blend subtly with the Orchestra.

Maximum effect

Some scores—such as Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique—contain only a few notes assigned to bells, but the effect is well worth the effort! That’s why, in November, the OSM will tour Europe with two of its new bells (G and C) in tow, adding 451 kilos to its total luggage weight. This means some extra precautions and exertions for just a few bars of music, but the effect is astounding!

Use of the bells

In addition to featuring them in concerts programmed for the 2024–2025 season, the OSM will host various activities for music lovers of all ages to become acquainted with these new instruments:

Commissioning a special work featuring the bells;
In concert programs of various formats;
Concerts with an educational component;
Mediation activities (percussion workshops) with elementary and high school students;
Exhibition of the bells in the foyers of the Maison symphonique at concert times.