>The government spent over $10 million to do up the country’s bell tower that plays for fallen soldiers, but is now getting rid of the only person who plays it.
>The country’s sole carillonist, Timothy Hurd, has been playing the bells – 74 of them, totalling 70 tonnes, spanning six octaves – for about 40 years in a bell tower that is now the centrepiece of Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington.
>Hurd used to play them three times a week.
>But once the tower reopened after seismic-strengthening early next year, that would be cut right back.
>”Our intention is to have the carillon played every Anzac Day,” the Ministry of Culture and Heritage said.
>When RNZ queried this, it added, “Our intent is for the bells to play on Anzac Day, and perhaps at other ceremonies.”
….
The tower was due to reopen by next Anzac day.
>At the same time, the carollinist’s job was being disestablished.
>”The decision has been made to disestablish the carillonist (deferred until the end of April 2026),” said an internal ministry report in July.
>The ministry, its funding cut in Budget 2025, could not afford such a specialist role, secretary Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae wrote.
>He had opted to cut about two dozen jobs to save money and to focus on core policy work, not public-facing tasks. Some historians’ jobs were going, too.
>The deferral until April 2026 allowed time for Hurd to finish refurbishing the metres-high instrument.
…
“How they gonna play it if they’re firing the person who plays it?” asked Dan.
>”Play a recording of it from the past and just have the bells there for show?”
>The ministry’s internal report said it might hire a contractor to play it. Its website said the carillon would be “fully usable” once restored.
>”We are still working through the details of how that will happen, as part of our change process,” it told RNZ.
>However, Clarke said he did not know of any carillon-playing contractors.
RTSBasebuilder on
WAGRAMWAGRAM on
I mean that’s probably something that can be taught, I just don’t think a contractor will save that much money.
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>The government spent over $10 million to do up the country’s bell tower that plays for fallen soldiers, but is now getting rid of the only person who plays it.
>The country’s sole carillonist, Timothy Hurd, has been playing the bells – 74 of them, totalling 70 tonnes, spanning six octaves – for about 40 years in a bell tower that is now the centrepiece of Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington.
>Hurd used to play them three times a week.
>But once the tower reopened after seismic-strengthening early next year, that would be cut right back.
>”Our intention is to have the carillon played every Anzac Day,” the Ministry of Culture and Heritage said.
>When RNZ queried this, it added, “Our intent is for the bells to play on Anzac Day, and perhaps at other ceremonies.”
….
The tower was due to reopen by next Anzac day.
>At the same time, the carollinist’s job was being disestablished.
>”The decision has been made to disestablish the carillonist (deferred until the end of April 2026),” said an internal ministry report in July.
>The ministry, its funding cut in Budget 2025, could not afford such a specialist role, secretary Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae wrote.
>He had opted to cut about two dozen jobs to save money and to focus on core policy work, not public-facing tasks. Some historians’ jobs were going, too.
>The deferral until April 2026 allowed time for Hurd to finish refurbishing the metres-high instrument.
…
“How they gonna play it if they’re firing the person who plays it?” asked Dan.
>”Play a recording of it from the past and just have the bells there for show?”
>The ministry’s internal report said it might hire a contractor to play it. Its website said the carillon would be “fully usable” once restored.
>”We are still working through the details of how that will happen, as part of our change process,” it told RNZ.
>However, Clarke said he did not know of any carillon-playing contractors.
I mean that’s probably something that can be taught, I just don’t think a contractor will save that much money.