Toulouse. Every weekend, this carillon near the Jardin des Plantes plays nursery rhymes
Through Lucie Fraisse
Published on
Frère Jacques, In the Moonlight, Dodo Dodo… If you are used to walking on the side of the Garden of plants of Toulouse Saturday or Sunday late afternoon, you may have heard these popular tunes ring out.
We hear it ringing from the children’s games
For 16 years, the carillon of Saint-Exupère churchneighboring the Royal Garden and the Jardin des Plantes rings at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, playing nursery rhymes loved by children and their families which enjoys the games of the two public parks.
“It’s our most frequent audience! ” smiles Bertrand Ollé Guiraud, bell ringer in Toulouse. “Bells have always been a popular musical instrument and the tunes that are played on weekends are unifying”.
Pretty and melodies from Ukraine
In 6 to 7 minute increments, the Fourteen bells of Saint-Exupère strike out the notes of these popular melodies, 16 hoursthen to 17 hours.
Cadet Rousselle, At the clear fountain, With my girlfriend… As the carillon is equipped with a central control unit, all the nursery rhymes are programmed in advance – the bell ringer does not play live! – and regularly renewed. And more modern tunes are also played.
A video excerpt:
» Since 2019 and the fire of Notre Dame of ParisBells are ringing Pretty of the Notre-Dame de Paris musical, explains Bertrand Ollé-Guiraud. We’ll play this tune until the cathedral is completely repaired: Quasimodo surrendered to cry every weekend until his Beauty gets a makeover?
Ukrainian melodies have also been added to Saint-Exupère’s bell program since the start of the conflict with Russia.
The Marseillaise for Euro football
Of course, the bells of Saint-Exupère also plays sacred tunes, especially during many religious festivals that dot the calendar. But secular music, and even real symbols of the Republic are also sounded. Thereby The Marseillaise is played every July 14, May 8 and November 11.
“We even played it during Euro 2016 which took place in France, in particular to celebrate victory in the semi-finals, explains Bertrand Ollé-Guiraud. “The priest at the time was soccer fan ! »
Star Wars and ACDC
Some local residents also remember hearing the soundtrack of star wars played by the carillon of Saint-Exupère. It has even happened to the bells of this pretty Toulouse church to ring an adaptation of a title of AC/DC from their album Back in black : The Bells of Hell we The Bells of Hell in French !
An outing to discover the bells of Toulouse
On Sunday January 29, 2022, Bertrand Ollé-Guiraud, bell ringer from Toulouse and the association of Toulouse bell ringers are organizing a walk between the concert and the conference departing from the Saint-Nicolas church, in Toulouse, at 3 p.m. Free. We will hear in particular AC/DC, the soundtrack of Star Wars and that of Harry Potter.
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