When the Carillon Rang in Grenoble

It was just noon when I was returning home from my Friday morning French lesson. Church bells were ringing from all directions in this ville that holds a cathedral,  two basilicas, and more ancient churches than you can count. But this morning, there was something different. I had done my usual "count the tolls" and had long since gone past twelve.  

I stopped abruptly near Place Grenette so I could hone in on where the continuous pealing was coming from, which caused the femme (woman) behind me to do the two-step to avoid running into me.  Then, like a bloodhound on a scent, I headed into the maze of cobblestoned alleys of Grenoble that always reminds me of negotiating a rabbit warren. 

The ringing seemed to be coming from the Jardin de ville, so I followed the sound and made my way through Place de Gordes and past the groups of giggling teenage schoolgirls checking their cellphones as they headed to lunch with their friends. Once the Jardin de ville came into sight, I saw a crowd of Ecole élémentaire Jardin de ville school children gathered in front of a large camion (truck). Above their little heads, the source of the music appeared--a collection of cloches (bells) of various sizes arranged on the truck bed.  

At the rear of the truck, seated at what looked like an organ keyboard, was an animated man with flying fingers and dancing feet, mesmerizing the young audience with his magic. M. Stefano Colletti, a master carillonneur, was perched at the back commanding the carillon ambulant Nord Pas-de-Calais--53 bells suspended on a flatbed.   

My timing was less than perfect; I only caught the tail end of this noonday concert. I hope you enjoy the piece of video I shot with my constant companion, mon appareil photographique--my camera. 

Soon this carillon caravan was closed up and its master was off to déjeuner (lunch). As I made for home and my own lunch, a line from It's a Wonderful Life came to my mind. Zuzu Bailey tells her father, George, "Teacher says, every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." On Friday, there was a newly winged heavenly host, and considering the size of those bells, they're sporting enough feathers to guard the world.