Show Girl Does V Work ark of 53 1 w Operates Big Ton IO-Ton Ton 10 Bells I hh t I a ae e r J W Wr r 3 r h MRS RUTH CONNISTON hp 11 VIRGINIA IA SWAIN SW roe XEA NEA Service TEW NEW YORK Feb Ruth nuth 13 Muzzy Coniston Is ts holding I down the tho job of not one man man- man but 53 She Is the only woman carillon player In America and temporarIly temporarily temporarily ily the mistress of or one of ot the finest sets of or church chimes in the world the thc bells given to the Park Avenue A Baptist church by John D Rockefeller Jr In memory of his hi mother IS WEIGHT REDUCER And she he controls control 53 bells each one of ot which would require a 0 man bell ringer under the tha old system of playing chimes chime such yS as as ob- ob obtains ob obtains In England oven even toda today Her slender feminine hands op- op operate op 01 operate erate crate a keyboard of ot levers leyen con con- connected connected con connected with bells belle rangIng In weight from Irom twenty pounds pound pounds to ten tons ton The largest pelt bell has a clapper weighing three hundred pounds but It t knows know Its master or or mistress rather When Mrs strikes th the tho lowest lo lev- lev lever lev lever er or the huge hue clapper leaps to obe obedience This job of ot carillon playing has always been considered too ard- ard arduous ard arduous for tor a 0 woman Mrs Sir Irs Conn Connis- Connis Conniston ton is ton admits admit that it Is gruelling and work and an excellent weight reducer She Shu loses lose several pounds a 11 mont month h consistently on a fatten fallen fattening Ing diet did NOT roil OR ALL ALL LL- LL OBESE ODESE But Bul she does doea not recommend l carillon playing to every c woman who who wants wanti to get ci t thin Tenure golf rolling ceras- ceras c and a star star- starvation diet are arc less lei wearing on oj the nerves an nerves and nerves and l the hands she says sas For despite her rubber ruber gloves their heavy vy padding Mrs keeps her hands hund In a constant state slate tit of or abrasion by the impact et upon the bell boll levers lever And what a II job It is tor for splinters They rhey cling to her little fingers as filings cling dine to a magnet But the job has bas its compensations compensations compensations High up above Park ave ave- avenue avenue ave avenue nue In her little watch tower alone Ruth Conniston n has the I th thrilling pleasure of or sending her herI I music out through space to all the dwellers of or north Manhattan tUI as a voice of or peace and serenity an and l faith in the thi of bleak materialism GOES GOIS OVER OEn RADIO i Automobile 8 almost block the streets streets below at the th hour hour when the the chimes chime are expected to pia play And throughout the th ell city and the country for tor that matter million of of listeners listener hear her music on the the radio radio broadcast at seven se o'clock eaph Sunday evening by This This carillon playing offers otter Il a wide chance for tor satisfaction or orthe the got e-got And anybody who has mustered It has baa an excellent right to ih Ih t I tt satisfaction For the en carillon rill on rou- rou musician is strictly on his own when he lie takes up the tb art There are practically no precedents and no music written for tor the Instrument Instrument instrument ment IMPROVISES TIER HER 0 OWN Mrs Irs Conniston Is obliged to Im- Im improvise I proviso her own accompaniment to c cry cry ry h hymn mn she bo plays And there are art specific problems of composition For one on thing the bells cap caU be started but they cannot be stopped Having ng struck ono one note nole the player must not strike others that will make malte a discord with It until the first notes note's vibrations have died away Then too loo there Is I the question of overtones A bell noto note Is not nota nota nota a pure puro tone It Is compounded of many vibrations above and below the main tone and these vibrations vibration tion will interfere with harmony of later chords unless the th player Is very ery skillful The Tho best music for tor the carat carillon on onIs Is ric rich in arpeggios and broken chords with a strong simple melody Here Her too the tho ment is different from others The fhe melody is carried In the th deep leep rich notes note of ot the tho bass ba while the smaller mailer bells higher hl her in the th scale ripple out the accompaniment USES HANDS IL AM U I FELT FEET r E-r ErThe The Th musician uses both hands handson handson handson on the tir upper keyboard and both feet on the to lover lo er much as In II a pipe organ orsan But Dut th the strenuous movement from side to side to reach the notes note notes Is combined wIth the strain of at striking them with the exact amount of force torce tore needed to get tho the right effect effect I 1 feel every every tone clear up to tomy tomy tomy my shoulders Mrs IX- IX plains x plains The vibration In my arms is the only check I have on the volume of or the tir notes I am sending out for tor I hear my own music musio very cry Imperfectly because or of the position of the th bells In the present tower the th bells are scattered on several levels above e and below the th little chain cham chamber ber bee where the player sits When Mrs Mra Ira strikes II a high note the an small all bell high above her head may be he scarcely audible through the tho walls Valls of ot the chamber BELLS ALMOST DEAFEN FEX But Dut when eh shi strikes the ten- ten ton bell belt at tho bottom of or the scale the tho Impact from its It monstrous monstrous mon- mon trous bulk just outside her ller win win- window window window dow almost deafens her ber The Tho levers do not control the bells electrically but with a II mech mech- mechanism mechanism mechanism of ot successive rods so that Ruth Huth s 's hand band striking the lowest lever actually moves the clapper of or the th ton ten-ton bell An organist by vocation Mrs received her bachelor ot of arts degree de ree at Yale Tale University and Sl studied under Louis Vierne blind organist of cf Notre Dime Dame In Paris Pariss In addition to her strenuous ous work on the th carillon she- she is also organist at the Christian Church next door and must plan the musical program of or both churches to permit her to run from one on to the th other between numbers I IS S Se that perhaps one cne on should should say she holds th the tha job of ot not 53 52 men but but Sat a |