Carillon News

1995 GCNA Congress

The 53rd Congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America was held at Princeton University, June 21-25, 1995. Robin Austin, Carillonneur of Princeton University, served as host. There were 114 registered participants representing Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, and the USA. The Congress served as a commemoration of Professor Arthur Lynds Bigelow (1910-1967), Princeton's first carillonneur and one of America's first campanologists. Bigelow hosted GCNA Congresses at Princeton in 1946 and 1966.

Guild President Larry Weinstein opened the Congress with a recital on the Princeton University Carillon. His program featured Ronald Barnes' Capriccio 3, commissioned by the University for the rededication of the renovated instrument in 1993. Other congress recitalists included Janet Dundore, Carillonneur at St. Thomas' Church, Whitemarsh, PA; Richard Watson, campanologist and designer of the refitted Princeton carillon; Jeff Davis, Assistant Carillonneur at the University of California, Berkeley; Tin-shi Tam, Carillonneur at Iowa State University; and Luc Rombouts, Carillonneur at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium and City Carillonneur of Tienen, Belgium.

An excursion on Friday enabled participants to visit two other area carillons. Robert Byrnes, Carillonneur at the University of Northern Iowa, was heard in recital at Grace Church in Plainfield, New Jersey. Arie Abbenes, instructor at The Netherlands Carillon School and City Carillonneur of Utrecht, Eindhoven, Asten, and Oirschot, performed at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown, New Jersey. Richard Morgan, Organist and Choirmaster of St. Peter's Church, demonstrated the 1930 E.M. Skinner organ there as well as playing a recital on the organ in the Princeton University Chapel.

John Agraz presented a case study on carillon maintenance and construction, stemming from his experiences with the Berkeley carillon. Karel Keldermans and Richard Watson made presentations on the North American Standard for carillon keyboard construction. Milford Myhre and Sally Slade Warner led a workshop on arranging music for carillon—participants had sent in arrangements and transcriptions in advance for commentary at the Congress. Jo Haazen gave a talk on the Belgian Carillon School, of which she is director. Arie Abbenes and Jacques Maassen presented the Dutch Carillon School's video production on carillon playing technique. Luc Rombouts reported on the recent discovery (April, 1995) of a  manuscript of the carillon works of Matthias van den Gheyn which includes six unknown works.

Princeton University Archivist Ben Primer organized an exhibit on Arthur Bigelow and the "Class of 1892 Bells" from materials in the Bigelow Papers at Firestone Library. Chimemasters Bob Feldman and Donald Beer organized activities at Trinity Church for those who play chime. The church has a 12-bell Meneely/Paccard chime.

Officers for 1995-96 include Larry Weinstein, President; Gloria Werblow, Vice-President; Phillip Burgess, Treasurer; Janet Tebbel, Corresponding Secretary; and David Hunsberger, Recording Secretary. Jane Tebbel, Jeff Davis, and Andrea McCrady were elected as members at-large of the board.

A certificate of extraordinary service was awarded to Margo Halsted upon completion of her 15-year editorship of Carillon News, the newsletter of the GCNA. Her successor in that position in Brian Swager. Honorary membership  status was conferred on Albert Bertram, Walter Pittis, Gary Walker, and Ronald Barnes. Lori Lamma, a student of Ronald Barnes, played an advancement recital and was voted into carillonneur membership.

The Royal Eijsbous Bellfoundry sponsored an elegant banquet. John Taylor Bellfounders sponsored a luncheon at St. Peter's in Morristown. And the Verdin Company sponsored the annual pizza party. As a post-congress event, Janet Dundore and Janet Tebbel organized a tour of Philadelphia-area carillons. Sally Slade Warner extended an invitation to the 1996 Congress which she will host in Cohasset, Massachusetts, June 25-28.

GCNA composition competition

The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America is sponsoring a composition competition for new music for carillon. The piece must be written for an instrument of up to 48 bells with a compass of C, D, D#, thence chromatic through c3. First and second prizes will be $800 and $400, respectively. The deadline for entries is January 15, 1966. Winning compositions will be performed at a congress of the GCNA and will be published by that organization. A 90-minute video tape demonstrating aspects of playing and composing for the carillon, geared toward composers, is available for $15 postpaid. For competition rules and to obtain the video tape, contact John Gouwens; Att. Composition Competition; CMA #133; 1300 Academy Road; Culver, IN 46511-1291.

Send Carillon News to Dr. Brian Swager, Indiana University, School of Music, Bloomington, IN 47405.

Slater to Retire

James "Bud" Slater will retire from his position
as Carillonneur of the Metropolitan United Church in Toronto, Ontario. With his
final Sunday on the job on March 28, Slater will mark the conclusion of his
35th year as carillonneur of the church. His association with the instrument
actually commenced in late 1954, and his first official recital was played
before the Sunday evening service May 22, 1955 under the watchful eye of his
tutor, Stanley James. Slater was appointed Assistant Carillonneur in 1959. During his tenure at Metropolitan, he had temporary appointments at other Ontario carillon locations, i.e., in Toronto at Exhibition Place and the University of Toronto, as well as Niagara Falls. He appeared frequently as guest carillonneur at the towers in Simcoe, Hamilton, and Ottawa, as well as Montréal, Que., and Victoria, B.C.

Slater became a student member of the Guild of Carillonneurs
in North America in 1955 and qualified as a carillonneur member in 1957 upon
passing an exam at the Guild's congress in Cleveland, Ohio. From 1969 to 1971
Slater served as GCNA president and subsequently, he and his wife, Cecilia,
hosted the Guild's Toronto Congress in 1972. James Slater is the father of
Gordon Slater who since 1977 has served as Dominion Carillonneur at the Peace
Tower Carillon in the Houses of Parliament in Ottawa.

On the eve of his 70th birthday in January, 1997, Bud cites
stairclimbing, cranky knees and reluctant elbows as his reasons for retirement.

1997 GCNA Congress

The Department of Music and Dance and Professor of Music
Albert Gerken have announced that the 1997 Congress of the Guild of
Carillonneurs in North America will be held at the University of Kansas, June
4-7. Major presenters will include Bill De Turk, George Gregory, Mark Holmberg,
Associate Professor of Music Theory at KU, Karel Keldermans, Roy Hamlin
Johnson, Brian Swager, and Edward Williams, Associate Dean of the Graduate
School of Penn State.

With ca. 28,000 students, the University of Kansas is in
Lawrence, a community of ca. 70,000. Directly off Interstate 70, Lawrence is
located about 250 miles from the geographical center of the U.S.A. The
picturesque campus of the University of Kansas is situated atop Mount Oread
overlooking the Kaw River valley to the north and the Wakarusa valley to the
south. Not flat as most foreigners picture Kansas, there will be some climbing
to do to get to various places. The Campanile is central to the campus
overlooking the football stadium and Kansas river valley. It was provided by
alumni and friends of the University as a memorial to the 276 KU students and
faculty who died in World War II.

Unquestionably the most prominent and central feature of the
campus, the 120-foot tall World War II memorial tower houses a 41/2-octave
carillon, cast in 1950 by the John Taylor Foundry. Transposing down a half
step, the 53 bells range in weight from 13,490 lbs. to 12 lbs. The instrument,
which was dedicated in May, 1951, with Anton Brees playing the dedicatory
recitals, was rededicated on April 26, 1996, following a complete renovation by
the I.T. Verdin Company with new consoles supplied by Meeks, Watson &
Company. The new radial action is void of any counter weights and assisted only
by coil springs. The sound is full and resonant but light in the top register,
typical of Taylor bells of that vintage.

Major funding for the renovation was provided by Honorary
members of The GCNA, and Keith and Joan Bunnel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Both were born and raised in Holmboldt, Kansas, not far from Lawrence, and
Keith Bunnel attended the University of Kansas, graduating in 1946. He was
president of his class and served on the World War II committee that selected
the Campanile and carillon as the memorial project to honor those who were
killed in battle.

The importance of the University of Kansas carillon has been
significant in that it has been at the center of a new genre of carillon
composition since the 1950s. Indeed, until the mid 1950s, very little music of
any significance had been written for the carillon. It was the likes of Ronald
Barnes, the first carillonneur at the University of Kansas, Roy Hamlin Johnson,
formerly of the KU piano faculty, John Pozdro, Professor Emeritus of
Composition and Music Theory at the University, and Gary White, one of Pozdro's
former graduate students in composition, who were the central figures
responsible for creating this wealth of marvelous and exciting new music. Their
works brought about recognition for the carillon as an instrument worthy of
recital status.

Because of the significance of their tremendous contribution
to the art form, many of their works will be featured in recitals during the
congress. It will be a meaningful experience to hear many of these works that
were written for this instrument or carillons of similar timbre. Two new
carillon compositions by Roy Hamlin Johnson and John Pozdro, commissioned by
the KU Department of Music and Dance and The GCNA respectively, will be
premiered at the congress.

Tours of the Reuter Organ Company will be made available to
participants and the beautiful new Wolff concert organ in the recently
completed Bales Recital Hall will be demonstrated and played. This is a
one-of-a-kind instrument you must see and hear.

Registration information is available from congress host
Albert Gerken, Department of Music and Dance, Murphy Hall, The University of
Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045.

"Overtones"

Beginning last October, new bells rang out up and down the
Avenue of the Arts (Broad Street) in Philadelphia. Thirty-nine Eijsbouts bells
were installed, each on top of a light post, weighing from 40 to 300 pounds.
The creator, Robert Coburn, a sound artist and composer from California,
describes the "worlds longest horizontal carillon" as a half-mile
long piano with the capability of playing pre-programmed or live music on an
electronic ivory keyboard which will be located in the basement of the Academy
of Music.

In observance of the 68th anniversary of The Rochester
Carillon, two special performances were given. Dean Robinson's program on
September 16 included favorite songs of the Mayo brothers. David Johnson of St.
Paul, MN, was the guest recitalist on September 17. The Rochester Carillon was
dedicated on September 17, 1928, and is located in the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minnesota.

David McCain sends word of a new 49-bell carillon at the
First Baptist Church on the Square in LaGrange, Georgia, replete with
"ninety-two electrical connections from the bells to the keyboard and
computer."

In response to a request from Unesco for a program
commemorating the tenth anniversary of the accident at Chernobyl, carillonneurs
Charles Semovich and Pieter Blonk gave a recital at the Albany City Hall in
Albany, New York, on April 26, 1996. Works performed included Lagrima by
Francisco Tárrega, Bells of Hell by Theophil Rusterholz, and Larence
Curry's Prelude on "Dies Irae." Both Charles and Pieter were shown
playing the Albany carillon on the Channel 13 news broadcast.

The fourth annual Keyboard Explorations junior high school
summer music camp was hosted by the Iowa State University Music Department from
June 17-22, 1996. Participants had the opportunity to learn about various kinds
of keyboard instruments and had hands-on experiences in playing them. Eight
participants studied carillon under ISU University Carillonneur Tin-shi Tam.
Two carillon concerts were performed by students towards the end of the week.

After over a decade of silence, inactivity, and exposure to
the elements, the 23-bell carillon located on the property of Schulmerich Carillons, Inc. in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, rang again in a recital given by Lisa Lonie (Trinity Church, Holland, PA) on September 21. Approximately 250 listeners attended the recital which marked the end of a five-day sales and service conference. The carillon, cast in 1928 by Gillett and Johnston, was moved to its present location in 1952 from Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1979, Frank Law, carillonneur at Valley Forge, began a nightly summer recital series in Sellersville which continued for six years.

Competition winners

The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America has awarded
Second Prize to two composers in its 1996 Carillon Composition Competition. (No
First Prize was awarded.) The winning compositions were Nocturne
style='font-style:normal'> by Ennis Fruhauf, of Santa Barbara, California (USA)
and Prelude con Fughetta by
Marcel Siebers, of Cuyk, The Netherlands. Both compositions were given their
première performance by Todd Fair, of Amsterdam (Netherlands), at the
congress of the GCNA on June 4, 1996 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church,
Cohasset, Massachusetts. Both composers received a cash prize, and both pieces
will be published by the guild in the near future. Another competition is
planned for January of 1998.

Premières

A new carillon composition, Winter Song
style='font-style:normal'>, by Roy Hamlin Johnson, was given its
première performance by John Gouwens on June 26, 1996 on the carillon of
the Town Hall in Norwood, Massachusetts, at the congress of the Guild of
Carillonneurs in North America. The new piece was commissioned by the Johan
Franco Composition Committee of the GCNA and is published by the guild. Many of
Dr. Johnson's earlier compositions are staples of the repertory of
carillonneurs throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
This is the sixth carillon composition to the commissioned by the GCNA.

Brian Swager is carillon editor for THE DIAPASON.

A carillonneur is featured in a 2006 murder mystery, Swing by Rupert Holmes (Random House, ISBN: 140006158X). It takes place in 1940 at the height of the big band era. The setting is San Francisco and the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island. Musical clues are provided in an accompanying CD of jazzy numbers.

Richard Watson announces a new website for Meeks, Watson & Company. The bell founding and carillon building firm, based in Georgetown, Ohio, installs both stationary and swinging bells, peals, chimes, and carillons. They also renovate, tune, and recast older instruments; <http://www.mwbells.com/&gt;.

Jill Johnston has written a biography of her father, Cyril F. Johnston, one of the foremost English bellfounders in the first half of the 20th century. She has intertwined her birth circumstances and motivations for writing the book, which inevitably led to her investigations of the bells that her father cast. England’s Child: The Carillon and the Casting of Big Bells is published by Cadmus Editions.

An Eijsbouts mobile carillon has arrived in the USA at Chime Master Systems in Lancaster, Ohio. This carillon comprises four octaves/48 bells. Information and schedule can be found at <mobilemillennium.com>. There is one other mobile carillon in America, a 35-bell instrument built by Petit & Fritsen, played by Frank DellaPenna and his Cast in Bronze. Information and schedule can be found at <castinbronze.com>.

Christoph Paccard Bellfoundries of Charleston, South Carolina has announced that they have become the exclusive representative in the United States for the Paccard Bellfoundry of Annecy, France. Stan Christoph is the president of the new firm. Paccard was formerly represented by the van Bergen Company.

Three record bells have been cast in the last decade. The largest tolling bell in the world was cast in 2006 by the Royal Eijsbouts firm of Asten, the Netherlands. Commissioned by Kiyozaku Shoji for the Tokinosumika park in Gotemba, Japan, the bell weighs 36,250 kg (79,918 lbs), has a diameter of 3.82 meters (12.5 feet), and is 3.72 meters (12.2 feet) high. It sounds a G-sharp. The previous record for a tolling bell was set in 1998 by the Peace Bell cast by the Paccard Bellfoundry of Annecy, France, for the Millennium Monument in Newport, Kentucky. It weighs 33,285 kg (73,381 lbs), has a diameter of 3.7 meters (12.1 feet), and sounds an A. Both bells were too large to be cast in the bellfoundries, so both firms used the facilities of foundries that make ship propellers. Eijsbouts used Wärtsilä in Drunen, the Netherlands, and Paccard used Fonderies de l’Atlantique in Nantes, France. The lowest sounding carillon bell in Europe was cast by Royal Eijsbouts for the carillon of Ghent, Belgium, in May 2008. The Matilde bell was named for Matilde of Portugal, who was Countess of Flanders from 1157 to 1218. The bell sounds E, leaning toward E-flat, just as the entire carillon is closer to A-flat than to A. It weighs a bit more than the 10-ton bourdon of the carillon of Dordrecht, the Netherlands.

Nunc Dimittis
The carillon world was saddened by the passing of two lovely carillonneurs recently. Marilyn Clark was carillonneur of the Church of Our Lady of Good Voyage in Gloucester, Massachusetts. I have many fond memories of Marilyn from visits to play in Gloucester, her visit to Bloomington, Indiana, and carillon congresses. Marilyn was a role model for me, especially in her ability to be so generous with warmth and loving kindness. Sue Magassy of Canberra, Australia, was the first foreign carillonneur to pass the playing examination in order to become a carillonneur member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. A gregarious character and zealous supporter of the carillon art, she traveled all over the world to attend carillon events.

Send items for “Carillon News” to Dr. Brian Swager, c/o The Diapason, 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, IL 60005-5025; <[email protected]>. For information on the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America: GCNA, 37 Noel Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221; <www.gcna.org&gt;.

February Florida Festival

The 14th International Carillon Festival at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, will occur February 20-28, featuring carillonneurs Geert D'hollander, Todd Fair, Ulla Laage, Carlo van Ulft, Milford Myhre and William De Turk. Events include daily 3 pm carillon recitals, a moonlight recital  on February 27, lectures and exhibits in the new Education & Visitor Center, and several non-carillon concerts. For more information, contact Bill De Turk, Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412; phone: 941/676-1154; fax: 941/676-6770; E-mail: <[email protected]>.

Berkeley Congress Report

The 56th Congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America was held at the University of California at Berkeley, 17-20 June 1998 with 126 persons in attendance. University Carillonneur Geert D'hollander was the host. Held in conjunction with the Fifth Berkeley International Carillon Festival, the 1998 meeting focused on the life and work of Emilien Allard and honored the memory of Ronald Barnes. Madeleine Allard was present as an honored guest. Also honored were Evelyn Chambers and other members of the Class of 1928, patrons of the Berkeley Carillon and its International Carillon Festival.

Recitalists for the Congress were Lisa Lonie of Philadelphia; George Gregory of San Antonio, Texas; Claude Aubin of Montréal, Québec, Canada; Gideon Bodden of The Netherlands; Andrea McCrady of Spokane, Washington; and the carillonneurs of Berkeley: Geert D'hollander, John Agraz, Jeff Davis, David Hunsberger, and Liesbeth Janssens. The Berkeley Brass Quintet conducted by David Milnes joined Geert D'hollander and Liesbeth Janssens in a special program of music arranged for bells and brass by Ms.  Janssens. D'hollander gave the premiere performances of the winning pieces in the 1998 Johan Franco Composition Competition. The first prize was awarded to Mr. D'hollander himself for his Modal Nocturne. Ennis Fruhauf's Passacaglia was awarded second prize.

John Agraz gave a workshop on basic carillon maintenance. Masterclasses were taught by John Gouwens on interpretation and by Geert D'hollander on effective ways to learn new music. Two presentations on the music of Emilien Allard were given: Milford Myhre played historic recordings from Bok Tower, and Liesbeth Janssen shared her findings based on theoretical analyses of some of Allard's pieces.

Following successful examination recitals, ten members were accorded Carillonneur status by vote of the Guild: Steven Ball of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Linda Dzuris of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Chuck Barland of Lawrence, Kansas; Andy Greene of Berkeley, California; Andrew Capule of Berkeley, California; Liesbeth Janssens of Berkeley, California; Helena Chen of Berkeley, California; Sabin Levi of Provo, Utah; Geert D'hollander of Berkeley, California;  and Lynne Tidwell  of Lawrence, Kansas.

Dr. Joseph F. Marsh, Jr., former president of Concord College, and Alicia Porter Washam and Rufus "Buddy" Porter of Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas, were recommended and approved for Honorary Membership. Janet Dundore was awarded the Extraordinary Service Award for her many contributions to the Guild and to the profession, most particularly her original, audience-friendly approach to recitals. Emilien Allard, Evelyn Chambers, the Class of 1928, Janet Dundore, and Karel and Linda Keldermans received Berkeley Medals. A memorial fund in the name of Ronald Barnes was established to provide scholarships for North Americans to study the North American Carillon Art in North America.

The next congress of the GCNA will be held at Iowa State University, Ames, 16-19 June 1999. Tin-shi Tan will be our host. In the year 2000, the CGNA congress will be held in the city of Frederick, Maryland as well as at the Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. John Widmann and Jim Smith will be our hosts. Also in 2000 will be a congress of the World Carillon Federation in Springfield, Illinois, hosted by Karel Keldermans.

News from Iowa State

Iowa State University Carillonneur Tin-shi Tam sends the following news.

Spring carillon festival 1998

Iowa State University (ISU) hosted the Spring Carillon Festival 1998 and the Carillon Composition Competition during the weekend of April 24-26. Guest carillonneur was Albert Gerken, Carillonneur at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. He performed a recital featuring carillon music by Gary C. White, Professor Emeritus of Composition at ISU. He also conducted a seminar on "The importance of musical considerations in building or renovating a carillon." The Festival also included a Family concert featuring ISU student carillonneurs, the Ames Children's Preparatory Choir, ISU Dance and ISU/Ames Flute Ensemble. Tin-shi Tam, ISU University Carillonneur, presented a faculty recital during the Festival that included Emilien Allard's Sonata (1968).

In conjunction with the Festival, a Carillon Composition Competition was held to encourage the writing of original carillon compositions by young composers. Contestants from all parts of the country and overseas submitted entries. No award was given this year.

In 1999, Iowa State University will celebrate  the centennial anniversary of the Stanton Memorial Carillon. ISU will host the 57th Congress of The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America from June 16-19. Additional celebrations have also been planned.

Summer keyboard camp

The Sixth Annual Keyboard Exploration was hosted by Iowa State University Music Department from June 22 through 27. The summer music camp was for keyboard students who were entering grades 7-12. Participants experienced first-hand the thrill of playing various kinds of keyboard instruments including organ, harpsichord, piano and carillon. Nine students studied carillon under ISU University Carillonneur, Tin-shi Tam. Two carillon concerts were performed by students towards the end of the week.

News from Springfield

Karel Keldermans, carillonneur for the Springfield, Illinois, park district, sends the following news.

Midwest regional conference

The second Midwest Regional Conference of the GCNA was held in Springfield, Illinois, on Saturday, May 30, 1998. Participants from Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois, and Denmark were hosted by Karel Keldermans.

John Courter of Berea College began the presentations with a description of his personal compositional style and indicated the importance of Gregorian chant in his music. He played a recording of two of his carillon fantasies, and a lively discussion ensued. Albert Gerken of the University of Kansas at Lawrence then took the podium to make the first of his two presentations for the conference. Bert gave an excellent analysis relative to the usefulness of C-sharp and D-sharp in the bass of the carillon. To this end, he gave an insightful explanation as to why Pieter Hemony several centuries ago had in fact been incorrect in asserting that C-sharp and D-sharp were "useless." With cogent examples from the  De Gruytters Carillon Book and various Van den Gheyn Preludes--music appropriate to the period under discussion--Bert then demonstrated musically why a carillon indeed needs to be fully chromatic.

Informal discussions continued as a catered lunch was served in the parlor, courtesy of the Springfield Park District. Following the lunch break, Ann-Kirstine Christiansen, a Danish carillonneur and administrator at the Scandinavian Carillon School in Løgumkloster, Denmark, gave her presentation on the formation of the School and explained how courses are set up, the number of students attending, and the number graduated. After Ann-Kirstine's presentation, the group transferred to the Rees Carillon where Bert Gerken took the second afternoon session--that of music notation. Bert has developed a unique system of handling and pedaling on his scores, and the group was very interested in his techniques as he demonstrated them at the keyboard of the Rees Carillon. The conference adjourned in the late afternoon with some of the attendees remaining in Springfield for the International Carillon Festival.

Annual Springfield festival

The 37th International Carillon Festival in Springfield, Illinois, was held at the Rees Memorial Carillon in Washington Park from May 31 through June 7, 1998. The eight days of the Festival were filled with carillon-related activities, culminating each evening in two or three recitals by guest carillonneurs.  This year's recitalists were Albert Gerken, Kansas; Ann-Kirstine Christiansen, Denmark; Ray McLellan, Michigan; Bob van Wely, The Netherlands; Gert Oldenbeuving, The Netherlands; Koen Cosaert, Belgium; Sue Jones, Illinois; and host Karel Keldermans.

The first evening of recitals featured Albert Gerken and Karel Keldermans performing original compositions and arrangements by Ronald Barnes (1927-1997). This evening of special tribute to North America's premier composer for the instrument was especially meaningful to festival audiences who had come to know Ron Barnes as a frequent participant and visitor to the Festival. During the rest of the week, Barnes' works were prominently featured in recitals by other guest carillonneurs. Huge crowds gathered Saturday evening for the traditional gala fireworks to the accompaniment of carillon music.

Prospectus: French Carillon School

The French Carillon School was established in 1971 in Tourcoing and has been associated with the Conservatoire National de Région de Douai since September, 1997. During the academic year, instruction is given at all levels: beginners, amateurs, professional, advanced, and virtuosity. Lessons are given regularly on Wednesday and Saturday mornings and are available on other days by appointment. Intensive sessions are available for those traveling from afar. Applied lessons are given alternately on practice consoles, the mobile carillon, and the belfry carillon. There is a mid-year exam, and a final exam with an international jury is held in mid-June to determine the award to be presented according to the guidelines of the National Music Conservatories: * Mentions: at the initial, preparatory, and elementary levels * Medals and Practice Diploma: at the middle level * Carillonneur Diploma: upon completion of program of study * Gold, Vermeil, Silver, and Bronze Medals: advanced level * Prizes and Certificates of Merit: superior level. (The Master Carillonneur Diploma is awarded as the Premier Prix at this level.) Since its inception, the French Carillon School has awarded twenty carillonneur diplomas (nine to foreigners) and ten Master Carillonneur Diplomas (three to foreigners). A class of virtuosity, a class for the preparation for international competitions, and a special course for the preparation for the State Diploma and Certificate of Aptitude for carillon instruction were recently established. There is an annual registration fee but no tuition. For information and registration, contact: Ecole Française de Carillon; 39, rue de l'Université; 59500 Douai; France. Phone/Fax: 33.3.27.93.58.33. Lessons are available in Tourcoing-contact Bruno Membrey; rue Paul Doumer; 59200 Tourcoing. Beginners can study in Dijon-contact M. Alain Chobert; 2 rue de Tillot; 21000 Dijon.

Richard Watson casts bells for Mercersburg

A small, rural town in south central Pennsylvania is home to a fine carillon. In that virtually all carillons in North America--including the one in Mercersburg--were produced abroad, it is significant that the carillon bells recently added to this instrument were cast and tuned by an American. Mercersburg Academy Director of Music, Organist, and Carillonneur James W. Smith sends the following news.

The first recital on Mercersburg's 43-bell carillon took place on October 12, 1926, with the famed Belgian carillonneur, Anton Brees, at the keyboard. The bells hung in the chapel spire virtually unchanged for seventy years. Richard Strauss renovated the playing mechanism in 1981. During the Academy's alumni weekend, October 11-13, 1996, a new era for the Swoope Carillon began. Six new bells, cast by the Meeks-Watson Company of Georgetown, Ohio, and a new American standard console were dedicated.

The funds for these additions came from the endowment established by the school's long-time carillonneur Bryan Barker. Mr. Barker gave his entire estate to the Academy for the maintenance of the carillon.

Several items of sentimental value were incorporated into the casting of each of the new bells. On the day Jim Smith was in Ohio for a casting, bell number forty-eight was being formed. When the bell was in the molten state, a badge which celebrated Black Awareness Day, from the early years of our headmaster's tenure, was put into the kiln. His senate pin was put into the kiln for bell number forty-six, representing his years at Mercersburg as a student.

When he taught here he smoked a pipe. The brass tamper he used during those years was placed into the molten metal of bell number forty-seven. In addition to these items, Bryan Barker's Columbia Scholastic Press lapel pin was melted into bell number forty-three, the largest of the new bells. Mr. Barker was advisor to The Mercersburg News for many years and was proud of his relationship with the Columbia Scholastic Press during that time. Eric Harris, a Chemistry teacher for many years at the Academy in whose memory the six new bells have been dedicated, is represented by a very special token sent to us by his widow, Rosamund Harris. During the Second World War, Mr. Harris was a group commander and wore the sterling silver wings of the Royal Air Force. Those wings were placed into bell number forty-five in his memory. Melted into the smallest bell, number forty-nine, was a Rotary Club pin belonging to the current music director.

The results of this project have been judged a great success. Several members of the GCNA were present during alumni weekend to help dedicate the new bells. These performers praised the quality of the work done by Meeks-Watson and judged the carillon to be a concert carillon of high quality. It has to be said that one of the reasons for the success of this project is that Richard Watson, a partner of the Meeks-Watson firm, has been a world-class carillonneur himself for over thirty-five years. As an expert player of the instrument, he is intimately involved with the repertoire and the need for a performer to have a sensitive and responsive instrument. He incorporated his artistic strengths into the design and function of the instrument.

Two essential changes were made to the mechanical action of the instrument. The new console is very quiet and sensitive, which allows for the ultimate in musical expression and dynamic control. For the bells to actually ring better, however, it was necessary to make some changes to the existing playing mechanism. Seventeen of the small bells were being struck by an external hammer rather than a traditional internal clapper. Changing the strike method provided an opportunity to realign several bells, bringing them closer to the console. As a result, several connecting wires were shortened. These changes reduced friction and weight, and with the new, internal clappers the overall sound and resonance of the upper bells were greatly improved. Another change was to bring the bells into concert pitch. Before this change the bells transposed down a whole step. Shifting the bells to concert pitch added a valued B-flat and E-flat to the keyboard.

The dedication of the new bells was a special occasion for everyone who attended the Academy's Alumni Weekend events for 1996. The new bells first sounded during a bonfire on Friday evening. The next day the largest bell, the 31/2-ton bourdon, tolled for a memorial service held for all Academy alumni and faculty who died during the previous year. That afternoon a full marathon of recitals took place, played by the many  carillonneurs visiting here for the weekend. That day ended with a memorial recital at 7 pm for Anton Brees, the school's first carillonneur, who had played the first recital exactly seventy years ago at the same hour on October 12, 1926. That recital was played by the Academy's resident carillonneur and Music Director, James W. Smith. The recital was devoted exclusively to carillon arrangements by Bryan Barker, a student of Anton Brees in England and the carillonneur at Mercersburg for 51 years. Before coming to Mercersburg, Barker spent eighteen weeks at the University of Sydney training players for its new War Memorial Carillon. The chapel spire at Mercersburg was named Barker Tower in his honor in 1979.

The next morning there was a dedication for the six new bells during a chapel service. The Mercersburg Chorale sang an original anthem which included the carillon as part of the ensemble, and Mr. Barker's own arrangement of the Academy Hymn, "Jesus, I Live To Thee," was played. The highlight of the dedication service was the recital performance by Edward M. Nassor, carillonneur of Washington Cathedral and director of the Netherlands Carillon at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. As his first selection he performed his own composition which had been commissioned by the Academy for this occasion. The composition, Mercersburg Suite  (Fanfare-Toccata with Variations on the Academy  Hymn and The Mercersburg Alma Mater), was dedicated to Walter H. Burgin  '54, Academy Headmaster from 1972 to 1997.

The weekend ended triumphantly with a recital at three o'clock performed by Lisa Lonie, carillonneur at Trinity Church, Holland, Pennsylvania, who was the first performer in this year's Robert M. and Dorothy Betz Kurtz recital series. These recitals continue each Sunday afternoon during the school year when the Academy is actually in session.

The new bells, the new console, and the reconstructed mechanism have all combined to create a wonderful and musically responsive instrument. Carillons can be as expressive as any other musical instrument when played well. But even the finest players are limited by the ability of the instrument to respond with equal sensitivity. The Swoope Carillon at Mercersburg has now taken its rightful place among the nation's truly great musical instruments. Thanks to Bryan Barker's legacy, these bells have taken on a new life.

Brian Swager is carillon editor of The Diapason.

Iowa State University Carillon Festival

The Iowa State University Carillon Festival, sponsored by The Stanton Memorial Carillon Foundation, will be held on April 14. Guest artists include Don Cook, University Carillonneur at Brigham Young University, and Jeffrey Prater, Professor of Music at Iowa State University. The festival will include carillon concerts, master class, and seminar.
In conjunction with the festival, a carillon composition competition is held to encourage the writing of original carillon compositions by young composers. Prizes include one cash award of $500 and the premiere performance of the winning composition at the carillon festival. For information: 515/294-2911; ; .

2007 GCNA Congress at University of the South, Sewanee

The 65th annual congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America will be held at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, June 17–22. The centerpiece for the congress will be the 56-bell Leonidas Polk carillon in Shapard Tower of All Saints’ Chapel. Featured performers will be Janet Tebble, Eddy Mariën, Sam Hammond, Todd Fair, Bill DeTurk, and Jeff Davis. Koen Cosaert will present an illustrated talk on “Piano versus Carillon: professional musicians versus amateur carillonneurs, people in search of a better carillon.” Bill DeTurk will talk about Arthur Bigelow, the man who designed and installed the Sewanee carillon in 1958–59, and there will be a panel discussion on performance and copyright issues.
Workshops include classes on Finale, a comparison of Finale and Sibelius, arranging music for carillon, interpretation of carillon music, and improvisation. Excursions include change ringing in Breslin Tower, two Casavant organs, the Meeks-Watson 23-bell carillon at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Ooltewah, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Jack Daniel’s Distillery.
The theme of the congress will be “The Music of Appalachia from Shape Note Singing to the Grand Ole Opry with Stops along the Way at White Spirituals and Folk Music.” Register for the congress online at or contact congress host John Bordley at 931/598-1801 or .

Belgium gives bells to Virginia Union University

His Excellency Dominique Struye de Swielande, Belgian Ambassador to the United States, announced recently that the Belgian Government will give a four-bell peal to Virginia Union University for installation in the Belgian Friendship Building. The ambassador indicated that the gift was prompted by the commitment of “Bells for Peace, Inc.” to the restoration of the Belgian Friendship building that has graced the Virginia Union University campus for over 60 years. According to Ambassador Struye, “Bells have been a significant and joyful element in Belgium’s cultural life for centuries. It seems therefore very appropriate that it will be through bells that we renew the special link that exists between Virginia Union and Belgium, and a happy coincidence that the bells we have chosen, the ACD and E notes, are called joyous random ringing.” The Government of Belgium will purchase the bells from the Verdin Company of Cincinnati for $69,000. The bells are to be installed and functioning by the end of 2007. Other bells are being solicited to form a full carillon. The Belgian building’s 161-foot Vann Memorial Tower has been without bells for more than 60 years. Millions visited the Belgian Pavilion, an exhibition hall, at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. At the close of the Fair and after World War II had begun, the structure could not readily be returned to occupied Belgium, so Belgium awarded the pavilion complex to VUU because of its educational mission and location. The building’s carillon of 35 bells, however, was purchased by the Belgian American Educational Foundation for presentation to former President Herbert Hoover for his new library at Stanford University. The gift to Hoover was in appreciation for his humanitarian relief efforts to Belgium after WWII. Neither university had a record of their common history until March, 2004, when the connection came to light.
Dianne Watkins, who has been active in the field of education, both as a classroom teacher and administrator, received a fellowship in 2003 to Stanford University’s Executive Leadership Program in Urban Education, representing Richmond Public Schools. She heard the carillon on the Stanford campus, not at that time knowing its connection to Virginia Union University. With her brother, Alan Nelson, she unveiled the connection between the two institutions in March 2004.
Watkins then founded “Bells for Peace, Inc.,” a non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to restore and endow the Belgian Friendship Building and educational programs for humankind’s peaceful endeavors in memory of John Malcus Ellison, Sr., first African American president of VUU and VUU graduate, and his wife, Elizabeth Balfour Ellison. It was through the actions of the Ellisons, and compassionate donors, that $500,000 was given to transport and reconstruct the Belgian building in Richmond in the 1940s. Supporters provided the moral and financial support that helped the university to become a highly respected and admired institution. Virginia Union University is a historic African American institution that opened in Richmond in 1865 out of Lumpkin’s Jail, a former slave holding pen.
For contributions or further information, go to or contact Dianne Watkins at 804/359-3009.

Send items for “Carillon News” to Dr. Brian Swager, c/o The Diapason, 3030 W. Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, IL 60005-5025; . For information on the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America: GCNA, 37 Noel Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221; .