The RPG Consortium
Review of the Master of the Bells, Frank DellaPenna
Written by Rebecca Donovan-Tifft
Imagine yourself decked in medieval garb; the finest lords and ladies as well as the lowliest of the peasants surround you at the huge marketplace. Weaving between booths, you are suddenly surprised to see a throng of people gathering in the square. Whispers rush across the crowd as they wait in hushed anticipation. Curious you move forward.
You find yourself standing before a massive array of bells: 35 to be exact, ranging in size from huge to a relative version of small. Arranged neatly in lines on a black support structure, you can see the wires that attach the bell clappers to a strange looking keyboard with rows of wooden handles instead of keys. Rows of large wooden foot pedals rest between the seat and the floor.
Before you can think to ask the tavern wench next to you what this wondrous contraption is, a man walks out from behind a large black wall of speakers. The whispers fall silent. He is dressed all in black: black leather shoes, breeches, a long-sleeved tunic, and a full head mask. A winged mask of gold is the only splash of color to be seen, save for the man's eyes that gaze out over the crowd. With a flourish he puts on black gloves and sits at the keyboard.
Suddenly sound fills the square as the speakers begin to play the back up music. The first bell sounds, a clear note that seems to send a reverberating wave through the crowd. More people stop and gather close to experience the sound more than listen to it. The man plays the pedals with a great deal of flair, his closed fist striking the keys with perfectly placed dramatic pauses. People sway to the beat of the song, until it is over: they clap.
Heads begin to nod in time with the beginning of the next song, a familiar Christmas favorite. The bells in this song ring louder, harder than before. The tavern wench next to you is in tears. More people join the gathering throng. The "Carol of the bells" is so moving that even devout pagan souls are touched. As the last peal of bells sound the entire crowd cheers, lords and ladies alike whoop and whistle.
The final song of this performance begins and whispers fly through the crowd as the melody is recognized (admittedly it was recognized as being from The Exorcist rather than from Carmina Burana). Feet begin to tap, a young girl in the front of the crowd begins to dance. Another young girl closes her eyes, reveling in the feel of the music. Too quickly, the song, and the performance is over. The man stands and whisks off his hood to the cacophony of applause, cheers, and whistles. You have just experienced Cast In Bronze.
The 'spirit' behind Cast In Bronze is Frank DellaPenna, a soft-spoken man not quite yet in his middle age. After his performances, Frank sells his records, speaks to fans, and attempts to avoid interviews by stating: "I'm not that interesting." Once convinced, however, a very interesting story unfolds.
Beginning with piano lessons at age 7, Frank has been classically trained for most of his life. Having outgrown several teachers, he was recommended to Mr. Law, the carillonneur for the 58-bell instrument in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Noting that necessary spark in his student, Mr. Law encouraged Frank to study the carillon. An obsession was born.
A few years later our spirit took his advancement recital in the states and then enrolled in the French Carillon School. Two years later, in 1976, the first American to enroll in the French school graduated as a "Master-Carillonneur." To this day he remains the only American to earn this degree from the French Carillon School.
As years went on, our spirit utilized his classical training to perform solo concerts on different instruments all over Europe, Canada, and the United States. The carillon, however, continued to haunt his thoughts. It was frustrating to know that so few people knew the history, or even the existence of, the carillon. For 500 years the carillon had graced towns (in church towers or universities, mostly) in western Europe, yet even there the instrument was only marginally known.
Our spirit envisioned the carillon as part of a musical ensemble, playing music not just for churches and feast days, but playing music for everyone. The carillon, however, is massive in size and had always been located in high towers, making any such ensemble impossible. What our spirit needed was a special carillon, one that he could transport. At the time, however, no such instrument existed, nor were the funds for such an endeavor available. Later, when presented with the opportunity to play on a traveling carillon, our spirit knew that his instincts were right. The people loved the music and he began to think of new ways to incorporate the bells with a more contemporary style.
Twenty-five years later a strange gentleman interrupted our spirit by wandering into the tower at Valley Forge, even though the door should have been locked. This gentleman had an interest in music and a hobby of collecting instruments. After a pleasant visit and an impromptu performance, the gentleman left saying, "People should see you do that."
Two weeks later the gentleman was presented with the opportunity to purchase a traveling carillon. This instrument was built in the mid 1970's, consisted of 35 bells and weighed 4 tons. It was the very same carillon that had inspired our spirit twenty-five years before! After confirming that the instrument was, indeed, desired, the carillon was purchased.
Now came the long process of creating the ensemble, writing the music, and bringing it to the masses. To this end, Frank felt that the music should "win the approval and capture the imagination of the listener." It should "be easily understood and felt. I didn't think too much about the compositions," he says. "I just wrote what I thought sounded good for this combination of instruments. Somehow I got lucky and people seemed to respond positively to what was being played."
Cast In Bronze could be called "world music," though our spirit believes that 'another world music' might fit even better. The style is not planned; instead it is spontaneous, alive, and more intense because of it. When asked about his dramatic performance, Frank responds that the carillon player (carillonneur) has been hidden, along with the instrument, for the last 500 years. He wanted to keep the concept, to maintain historic integrity, while taking the bells out of the tower.
As with any career, there were ups and downs for Cast In Bronze, but it is the listeners that keep the bells ringing. "500 years and most people still don't know the carillon exists, so my work has only just begun. That is one reason I do it. The other reason is because I love what the music does for my listeners. I often find listeners in tears at the end of a performance, something that I have never been able to understand. But for some reason they feel a certain power and emotional energy in the music and performance. I continue for the listener."
"The listeners are always responsive," Frank continues. "They are warm and remarkably friendly to me always. I receive wonderful letters and emails from fans all the time, mostly telling me never to stop performing and writing music. Remarkably, they always seem to come when I am frustrated and wondering why I continue. The hardest part about what I do is trying to educate and convince people to allow me to perform for their event, festival, or concert series. Since most people don't know the carillon exists as a musical instrument, it is a difficult thing to convince someone to let a masked performer come to their venue with a four ton instrument that they never heard of before."
Though the instrument was all but forgotten, it should not be classified as an instrument more or less difficult to play than any other. It is physically demanding to play, however, due to its sheer size and the different sets of muscles needed to perform. Some times, though, the hard work pays off. Cast In Bronze has played mass for Pope John Paul II, which included a special part was written for the carillon in the piece called "Processional for a Pontiff." An invitation was given to perform for the Presidential Inauguration, but was declined. Cast In Bronze has also played on the "Today" show and at Disney's Epcot in an unprecedented fourteen month engagement. "The Disney engagement was a gift. It gave me a really unique opportunity to present the music of Cast in Bronze live with live musicians to millions of visitors. Disney was very kind to me and I believe the guests enjoyed the music."
Recording the music of Cast In Bronze always presents a challenge. "Most musicians," Frank explains, "can go into a studio that is quiet and comfortable. The carillon naturally won't fit into most studios and I am not sure it would sound good recorded indoors anyway. The carillon is an outdoor instrument and needs to breathe in a natural setting to sound good. So whenever you make an outdoor recording you have to worry about ambient noise. (airplanes, cars, animal sounds etc.) The other interesting thing to know about the carillon when recording is that unlike many other instruments the carillon has to be recorded from the beginning of the song to the end. If you are playing a song that is 8 minutes long and happen to make a mistake 7 minutes into the song, you cannot punch in at the 7-minute mark like many other musicians. You have to start from the beginning again because of the way the resonance of the bells follows you."
There are currently two recordings available for purchase at live shows and via the web site (www.castinbronze.com). Carol of the Bells is a compilation of Christmas music and features Frank's signature song, "Carol of the Bells." Genesis contains eleven compositions ranging from classically French-inspired to a pair of intense African rhythms. The next recording, Voyage, is due out in early summer, and will feature "O Fortuna," from Carmina Burana, and original version of "Ode to Joy," "Johnny Comes Marching Home," as well as several completely original songs.
Cast In Bronze will perform at the Live Oak Renaissance Fair until the end of April, then at the Georgia Renaissance Fair until Memorial Day. Summer concerts will be held in and around Cast In Bronze's home base of Pennsylvania. In the fall, the carillon will be at the Texas Renaissance Festival. Lastly, Frank is negotiating a return to Disney's Epcot for the holiday season.
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