In 1923 Edward Elgar composed “Carillon Chimes” for solo carillon. (Due to physical limitations, the carillon rarely performs as an ensemble instrument.) The occasion was the dedication in July of 1923 of the Carillon Tower in Queen’s Park, Loughborough, as a memorial to local soldiers who had died in the First World War. The original manuscript was eventually donated to the Charnwood Borough Council (the Leicestershire borough that now includes Loughborough) in the Fifties; and, in true Raiders of the Lost Ark style, it was subsequently forgotten and, for all intents and purposes, lost.
Today the London Telegraph reported that this manuscript has avoided the fate of the Ark of the Covenant. It was discovered by Leicestershire officials while cleaning out a secured storage area (meaning that it was in the company of other valuables that may also have been forgotten). Councilor Paul Harley declared the manuscript “a vitally important piece of Charnwood’s history which has been tucked safely away for too long;” so hopefully it will now find a place where people will not lose track of it!
Comments