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| STEENBERG VINEYARD |
One does not,
today, often hear the sound of bells
being rung perhaps because nearby residents objected. But going back in time bell ringing was definitely heard on
local Tokai and Constantia farms. Farm /
slave bells dating back to the 19th century still exist on
Steenberg, Groot Constantia, Constantia Uitsig and Alphen. Today they are quiet
but in the past people on these farms – be they owners or workers – were
gathered together for whatever purpose by the sound of the bell being
rung. In general if there was any danger
to the farm or its neighbours, the bell would have been used to summons every
person living or working there. In this way damage to the neighbourhood might
have been avoided or at least lessened.
It has been
suggested that some farm bells in South Africa were possibly items
recovered from shipwrecks but this has not been confirmed. A particular architectural style developed to
house the bells. At first they were
probably hung in a simple fashion but later they were enclosed in their own
tower and situated near the farmhouse.
The pillars were sometimes plain or decorated with a design of some
kind.
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| CITY HALL
©
Weekend Argus 20.1983 |
Another kind
of bell is to be found in the former City Hall building, Cape Town. This is a set of bells upon which
melodies can be played, a carillon. This municipal carillon is situated in the tower
and contains 37 bells. The idea for the
introduction into the local musical life goes back to 1919. The then mayor suggested that the women of Cape Town raise money to
commission the carillon as a memorial to the sailors and soldiers who fought
and died during the First World War of 1914-1918. In time the order was given for the
manufacture of the bells by an English firm, Taylor and Son of Loughborough. The inauguration took place during a visit by
the Prince of Wales. The Prince aboard
HMS Repulse arrived in Table Bay on 30 April
1925. He was met by various officials
and other dignitaries and was driven to a reception on the Grand Parade – an
area which faces the City Hall. It has
been reported that the occasion was unique as Cape Town “is the only city in the Empire to
welcome the prince by a ringing of a carillon.” A carilloneur, Anton Breers, was specially
brought from Antwerp, Belgium to introduce the bells to
the public. The first melody heard was
“O God our help in ages past”. A varied
programme followed which “revealed the
power and the sweetness of the city bells.”
The carillon
is not heard as often as citizens would like but each time it is heard is a
special moment.
See Website : http://factsfound.isat.co.za
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