A carillon is a pitched percussion instrument housed in a bell tower and played with a keyboard. Consisting of at least 23 cast bronze bells in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order, carillons are usually owned by churches, universities, or municipalities. The bells are struck with clappers connected to a keyboard of wooden batons played with the hands and pedals played with the feet. They are among the world's heaviest instruments, usually between 4.5 and 15 metric tons (5.0 and 16.5 short tons). The tuned carillon was invented in the Netherlands in 1644, cast by Jacob van Eyck and the Hemony brothers. Today, most are found in and around Belgium, the Netherlands, and northern France, though nearly 200 are in North America. Almost all existing carillons were built in the 20th century. In 2014, UNESCO recognized the carillon cultures of the Netherlands and Belgium as part of their intangible cultural heritage.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carillon
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1703:
The great storm of 1703, one of the most severe storms to strike southern Great Britain, destroyed the first Eddystone Lighthouse off Plymouth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_storm_of_1703
1945:
A consortium of twenty-two U.S. charities founded CARE with the purpose of delivering food aid to Europe in the aftermath of World War II. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Care_International
2001:
The Hubble Space Telescope detected sodium in the atmosphere of the extrasolar planet HD 209458 b (artist's impression pictured), the first planetary atmosphere outside our solar system to be measured. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_209458_b
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
potluck: 1. (dated) A meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of whatever food is available. 2. (by extension) Whatever is available in a particular situation. 3. (originally Canada, US) A shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought (sometimes without prior arrangement); a potlatch; also, a dish of food brought to such a meal. 4. (obsolete) The last draft or portion of an alcoholic beverage in a pot or other drinking vessel. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/potluck
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Have you ever been experienced? Not necessarily stoned, but beautiful. --Jimi Hendrix https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jimi_Hendrix