Towering Carillon-Opera in the Park

Posted on by Prior...

This Sunday, Paula has a Towering theme (here) and last night I grabbed some photos of the towering Carillon in Richmond, VA.

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Richmond, VA is noted for its Civil War Memorabilia, but there are other memorials to be found as well. For example, The War Memorial Carillon at Byrd park is 240 feet high and honors World War I servicemen and servicewomen.
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The Carillon was built in the 1920’s, renovated in the 1970’s, and it plays music with fifty-three bells for fifty-three notes (more info below).
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The doors on The Carillon are frequently used for photo shoots.

 

 

~~~~ We were at The Carillon last night because right beside this memorial is an outdoor theatre called The Dogwood Dell and last night was Opera in the Park.  Our favorite piece was “Marriage of Figaro” as featured in the Shawshank Redemption movie (HERE on youtube). 

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updated collage – opera couple – RVA 2016

In the next two photos, I was walking around for a few (to get a few photos) and I saw a “frame” through the beautiful trees and had to link it to the weekly photo challenge again (here).

I was wondering if you like A or B better?  I was going with A, but then the extra trees in B’s frame kept calling to me.  Which do you like better?

opera framed-a
Framed – A
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Framed – B

~~~well that is about it… except for this little humor someecard:

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A Brief History of The War Memorial Carillon (from Richmondgov.com)

“Between 1924 and 1928, the Virginia General Assembly acted to create a World War Memorial Commission and build a lasting memorial to the heroic efforts of Virginia’s World War I servicemen and servicewomen.

The City donated the building site in Byrd Park. The War Memorial Carillon is 240 feet high and The Carillon instrument was built by John Taylor Bell Founders of England.

The Carillon Tower originally carried sixty-six bells, but played fifty-three notes – the top thirteen notes had duplicate bells in an unsuccessful effort to produce a louder sound. When the carillon was renovated in the early 1970’s, the thirty-four bells which played the highest twenty-one notes were recast into twenty-one new bells with thicker profiles than the originals, producing a better sound.

Now there are fifty-three bells for fifty-three notes.

Carillon concerts are usually played on veteran-related holidays (Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, Flag Day and Labor Day) and a spring series of concerts have been funded in the past by the Civic Associations.”

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Happy Sunday

yp-es

37 thoughts on “Towering Carillon-Opera in the Park”

  1. Pingback: Frame (3) | What's (in) the picture?
  2. Pingback: Black & White Sunday: Towering | Lost in Translation

  4. I think I’ve seen that tower. I don’t recall hearing the music (I like carillon music) but we visited Richmond many times in the 60s. Thank for a shot of memory 🙂

    I think I like A better, but it’s close.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. well hanks for the vote on the pics
      and how very cool that u were in Richmond in the 60s – I bet it looks exactly the same (joke with slight bit of Sarcasm) 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  6. The Dogwood Dell! What a great name, Yvette 🙂 I presume the evening was dry. A couple of our big music festivals take place this weekend and it hammered down last night. Wellie time 😦 Can I go with ‘A’ please? Just because! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Jo – you presumed correct!
      dry
      dry
      dry
      ha!
      the best part – with having teens with us – was talking about movies that featured opera – like shawshank redemption and “saving private Ryan”
      and sorry about your rain – we had ours last month – super dry and hot this month

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      1. Hiya darlin 🙂 I’ve left some comments to you on Scampston Walled garden but I have no way of knowing if you’ll ever see them. Basically I’ve apologised that our blogs seem to be incompatible. I have to approve comments from you before they appear on the post. My only thought is to unfollow/follow again but I have no idea if that will help. Sorry to be a source of frustration. Sending hugs 🙂 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Frame | stenoodie

    1. that is ok on the images – they are soooooo similar – just a couple trees so not too interesting – but thanks for dropping by and hope your week is off to a good start

      Liked by 1 person

    1. I wonder if you were at Belle Isle – and gpad you found good Mexican! when we first moved here in 2003 we had the hardest time dining out because they still allowed smoking inside – really! we finally found some patio places – like Mom’s Siam would let us eat on patio in November – super nice – but finally they changed it.
      thanks for dropping by

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    1. thanks – and yes, the weather was dry and not too hot, even though I misunderstood Jo and when she asked if the evening was dry – I thought she meant stuffy and ostentatious – lol – because it was a bit of that too…. that just goes with opera crowds – ha!
      and now I need to see Shawshank Redemption – maybe next week – 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. thanks for your vote and I know they are very similar – but I added in the color version of B to show the slight difference on the stage and extra trees….
      have a nice day and wish i had some of those fresh peppers right now… 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  17. I like the B Frame. I think you’re right about those extra trees. They give a nice lacy border. Good depth 🙂

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