Carillon News

Brian Swager is a contributing editor of THE DIAPASON.

Chesman appointed

Jeremy Chesman has been appointed University Carillonneur and Instructor of Music at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. He will develop and direct a carillon program and teach music theory. Additionally, he will serve as staff accompanist.

The carillon, installed in August, is a 48-bell instrument cast by the Royal Eijsbouts Foundry in Asten, The Netherlands. The bourdon, a C3, weighs 4850 pounds. The instrument is chromatic for four octaves, excluding the lowest C-sharp.

Mr. Chesman holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Michigan, in organ and carillon, respectively. He is currently studying at the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, Belgium, on a fellowship from the Belgian American Educational Foundation. His primary carillon teachers include Margo Halsted, Todd Fair, and Eddy Mariën.

Carillon study at the Lemmens Institute, Leuven, Belgium

The Lemmens Institute opened in Mechelen, Belgium, in 1879, founded by Flemish organist and composer Jaak Nikolaas Lemmens (1823–1881). Lemmens is remembered by organists for his revolutionary pedal technique which, through his students Guilmant and Widor, had a significant impact on French romantic organ music. His method book, Ecole d'orgue basée sur le plain-chant romain, emphasized the importance of pedal technique as well as manual technique and was adopted by the Paris Conservatory among others.  Lemmens founded the Institute as a school of church music, basing the curriculum on the study of Gregorian chant and the organ.

The Lemmens Institute moved to the famous university town of Leuven (Louvain) and has developed into a broader school of music offering training in all musical disciplines: all instruments, voice, theory, music education, music therapy, jazz, and theater. Carillon study is also possible at the Institute, and because of its status as a department of the "Hogeschool voor Wetenschap en Kunst" it offers a Master's Degree in Carillon.

Each student's curriculum is designed individually and includes a broad range of related disciplines. The aim of the course of study at the Institute is the total development of the musician as opposed to focusing solely on an instrument. Carillon students can also study another instrument such as organ.

The carillon curriculum consists of:

* Bachelor's Degree (3 years): courses in harmony, music theory, history, analysis, carillon playing, etc.

* Master's Degree (2 years): improvisation, arranging, campanology, etc.

Post-graduate courses are available.

The carillon department has a lively exchange program with the Netherlands Carillon School in Amersfoort.

Partners of the Lemmens Institute in the Erasmus Program for carillon are the Academy of the Arts, Utrecht, The Netherlands, and the Academy of Music, Gdansk, Poland. This program offers the student the opportunity of specialized study in any of the three academies. For example, a student could spend a term studying baroque performance practice on carillon with Bernard Winsemius in Amersfoort or learning about arranging music for carillon and brass ensembles from Carl Van Eyndhoven.

General information:

Lemmensinstituut

Herestraat 53

3000 Leuven

Belgium

Tel :+32 / 16 23 39 67

Fax: +32 / 16 22 24 77

www.lemmens.be

Information about carillon studies:

Carl Van Eyndhoven

Tel: +32 476 337 330

e-mail: [email protected]

Carillon composition competition

2002 is the 400th anniversary of the formation of the Dutch East India Trading Company, or VOC (from the Dutch, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie).  Chartered on 20 March 1602, the VOC monopolized trade with the East Indies.  It was a coalition of a number of small, independent trading companies, all operating out of The Netherlands. During its 200-year history, the VOC became the largest company of its kind, trading spices like nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and pepper, and other consumer products like tea, silk, and Chinese porcelain. Its factories and trade centers were world famous: Desjima in Japan, Mokha in Yemen, Surat in Persia, and Batavia, the company's headquarters on Java. The new company was given extensive powers by the government of The Netherlands, including the rights to enter into treaties, to maintain military forces, and to produce coinage, as well as powers of government and justice. By the second half of the seventeenth century, the VOC had established Cape Town, South Africa, as an important place for replenishing its ships with essentials such as water, fresh fruit and vegetables.

To celebrate this momentous event many activities are planned in the six Dutch cities that make up the former VOC: Amsterdam, Middelburg, Rotterdam, Delft, Hoorn, and Enkhuizen. In addition to a week of carillon recitals given by the carillonneurs of these cities, the organization The Carillon Of Hoorn has organized a carillon composition competition.

Songs from that era were selected by a musicologist, and they will form the basis for each composition. Included are songs such as "Sailor's Farewell," "A Veritable and Pitiful Tale," and "A Vagabond Song." A complete set of these works will be sent on request.

The prize winner will receive 4000 Dutch guilders. The composition will be the required piece for the performance competition to be held in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands, on 22 July 2002. Along with the winning composition, five or six of the best remaining works will be published and may also be played during the carillon week.

Competition rules and information

1. The keyboards of both Hoorn and Enkhuizen are: G, B-flat, C, D, chromatic to D5 (52 notes).

2. A composer may submit multiple works but only one will be awarded a prize.

3. The work should be based on one of the VOC songs without necessarily following them note-for-note.

4. A list of songs is available from: Frits Reynaert, Zuiderhavendijk 40, 1601 JC Enkhuizen, The Netherlands; phone: 0228 317816;

<[email protected]>

5. Duration of the piece should be between six and nine minutes.

6. Form and style is left to the composer.

7. The composition should be playable on meantone instruments.

8. The jury consists of Peter Bremer, chairman Wim Franken, Geert Bierling, Carl van Eijndhoven, and Mathieu Dijker. Frits Reynaert is the non-voting secretary.

9. The jury will judge for originality, musicality and suitability for carillon.

10. The jury has the right to award no prize as well as splitting the prize.

11. To ensure impartiality, no identifying marks may be placed on the score.

12. The identity of the winner will only be made known at the end of the competition.

13. Composers should send in six good clean readable copies (no originals please). Deadline is 1 April 2002 to Frits Reynaert. In a separate letter the composer should give their name and address, the title of the piece, and a short curriculum vitae.

14. The winner agrees to all of the rules of the competition which include publication of the winning piece.

15. The winner will be notified on 1 May.

Send items for "Carillon News" to Dr. Brian Swager, c/o The Diapason, 380 E. Northwest Hwy., Suite 200, Des Plaines, IL 60016-2282. For information on the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, write to: GCNA, 37 Noel Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221.

News from abroad

* The future of Ghent's historic bell Klokke Roeland, which was cast in 1660 and cracked in 1914, is uncertain. Roeland is not included in the initial sketches by Spanish architect Jordi Farrando who was commissioned by the city to redesign the area between the belfry and the St. Niklaaskerk where the legendary bell now rests. Under consideration is the possibility of repairing the crack and hanging the bell in a free-standing frame fitted with a manual tolling mechanism.

* A forgotten carillon is situated on the roof of the main entrance to the House of Parliament in Brussels. It was inaugurated in the summer of 1993 with Sonneries voor Albert when Albert II was crowned King. The carillon was immediately put out of commission because it was regarded as an annoyance.

* On the Saturday before Pentecost, the 1.8-ton "Christus" bell in Frankfurt's St. Paul's Church fell five meters and was smashed by the "Citizens" bell which was swinging. Cast in 1848 by Mappers and Barthels, Christus had been designated a registered national monument.

* The new 58-bell Eijsbouts carillon in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, was inaugurated on 18 June 1997. Wim Franken wrote the fifth in his series of Torenmuziek. Entitled Echo, it is scored for two carillonneurs (quatre mains) and 16 trumpets and trombones divided between two galleries.

* In celebration of the 350-year anniversary of the Peace of Munster (1648), Dutch carillonneurs are playing music from the period of the Eighty Years War throughout 1998.

* Klokkenvordering 1942-1943, an 800-page book in two volumes published by the Dutch Rijksdienst voor de Monumentenzorg, documents the plunder of bells by the German Occupation. It is available for f195 plus shipping from RDMZ; Postbus 1001; 3700 BA Zeist; The Netherlands.

* The Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry celebrated its 125th anniversary on 30 August 1997.

* The editor of the Dutch carillon guild publication Klok en Klepel (September, 1997) presents several clippings of interest that were originally published during the 17th and 18th centuries in the Amsterdamse Courant and the Haerlemse Courant. While many of the clippings refer to klokkenist (bell player) vacancies, one tells about the earthquake of 1692 in Amsterdam when "the Old Church and South Church towers shook so forcefully that the bells tolled."

* A jury recently selected the winners of the Belgian carillon school's International Composition Competition. In the category of original works for carillon, the third prize was awarded to Geert D'hollander for his Movimenti. First and second prizes were not awarded. In the "arrangements" category, Marina Nevskaya of Moscow took the first prize for her Bells Were Ringing.

Send items for "Carillon News" to Dr. Brian Swager, c/o The Diapason, 380 E. Northwest Hwy., Suite 200, Des Plaines, IL 60016-2282. For information on the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, write to: GCNA, 37 Noel Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221.

Brian Swager is carillon editor of THE DIAPASON.

Robert Byrnes,
carillonneur of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, died May 28,
2004. Byrnes graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1972, earned a
master's degree in music from UNI in 1974, and taught at UNI since 1972
in the School of Music. He was also an administrative assistant and director of
the UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club. He was especially known among
carillonneurs for his compositions such as On the San Antonio River and
Reflection.

The Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” in
Mechelen, Belgium, held a carillon composition competition. Sixteen entries
were received from composers in Belgium, America, and Russia. The winner was Geert
D'hollander. His composition, We
Ring, We Chime, We Toll, became the obligatory work for the Fifth International
Queen Fabiola Carillon Competition, which was held in Mechelen, Belgium, in
September 2003. Twelve carillonneurs from six countries participated. Winners,
from first to fifth place, were: Twan Bearda (The Netherlands), Ana Lucia Elias
(Portugal), Liesbeth Janssens (Belgium), Charles Dairay (France), and Henk
Veldman (The Netherlands).

A list of carillons all over the world and a list of CD
recordings of carillons are available on the website of the World Carillon
Federation:

<www.carillon.org/&gt;.

The 2006 World Congress will be held in Gdansk, Poland. The
first carillon in Gdansk dates from the 16th century, and it was the first city
outside the Low Countries to have a carillon. Both of Gdansk's historic
carillons were lost during the war. Currently the city has two carillons. The
larger one is an instrument of 49 bells hanging in the tower of St.
Catherina's Church. The Gdansk Town Hall has a three-octave, 37-bell
carillon dating from 2000.

A new 49-bell carillon was installed in
theHelligåndskirken in Copenhagen, Denmark. It has four fully chromatic
octaves from “C” and has a total weight of 14 tons. The new
carillon was christened by Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen with a special mass. The
church's organist and carillonneur, Hans Ole Thers, began the dedicatory
recital with Salute to the C-Sharp Key as a tribute to the lowest semitone,
which is absent on most other carillons. Ulla Laage
style='font-weight:normal'> also played a recital as part of the festivities.

Send items for “Carillon News” to Dr. Brian
Swager, c/o The Diapason, 380 E. Northwest Hwy., Suite 200, Des Plaines, IL
60016-2282; e-mail:

<[email protected]>. For information on the Guild
of Carillonneurs in North America, write to: GCNA, 37 Noel Dr., Williamsville,
NY 14221.

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.

Brian Swager is a contributing editor to The Diapason.

Bok Carillon Festival 2004

Historic Bok Sanctuary announces its 19th International
Carillon Festival to be held 28 February through 7 March 2004. The festival will
feature guest carillonneurs Geert D'hollander (Belgium), Bernard Winsemius (The
Netherlands), John Courter (Berea, Kentucky), David Hunsberger (Berkeley,
California), as well as resident carillonneurs Milford Myhre and William De
Turk.

This will be Milford Myhre's final official festival
appearance, as he will be retiring at the end of June 2004. This festival will
also be a part of the 75th anniversary celebration of Historic Bok Sanctuary.
Events will include daily recitals at 3 pm, a moonlight recital by D'hollander
at 8 pm on Thursday 4 March, carillon and art exhibits, and non-carillon
concerts as well.

Information is available from Bill De Turk; Historic Bok
Sanctuary; 1151 Tower Blvd.; Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412; 863/676-1154. E-mail:
<[email protected]>

<www.boksanctuary.org&gt;.

GCNA Composition Competition

The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America has announced
its biennial Carillon Composition Competition. The competition is open to
composers of any age or nationality. Compositions must be of four to ten
minutes' duration and playable on a four-octave carillon (47 bells, C, D, E,
chromatic to c4). Compositions which have already been performed or published,
or which were written prior to August 1, 2001, are ineligible. First
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  prize is $800 (US) and second prize is
$400. (The judges reserve the right not to award either prize.) Prize-winning
pieces are premiered at a congress of the GCNA and published by that
organization. Deadline for submissions is 15 January 2004.

The competition is organized by the Johan Franco Composition
Fund Committee, which is also active in commissioning new music for carillon.
For information: John Gouwens, attn: Composition Competition, The Culver
Academies, 1300 Academy Rd., #133, Culver, IN 46511-1291;

<[email protected]>

<www.gcna.org/compcomp.html&gt;.

News from Iowa State University

1. Spring Carillon and Organ Festival 1997

Iowa State University hosted the Spring Carillon and Organ
Festival 1997 and the Carillon Composition Competition during the weekend of April 25-27. The Festival also celebrated the tenth anniversary of the installation and dedication of the Brombaugh organ of the Music Department. Guest artists were Brian Swager, former University Carillonneur at Indiana University, Bloomington, and David Dahl, organist from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington. The Festival began with two recitals by the guest artists. Brian Swager performed carillon music from Belgium and America that included Johan Franco's Ames Nocturne, a work commissioned by The Stanton Memorial Carillon Foundation in 1984. David Dahl performed organ works by two women composers: Fanny Mendelssohn and Ethel Smyth, and Michel Corrette's Magnificat du 3e et 4e ton with Donald Simonson as cantor. A workshop on "Organ Works by Three 19th-century Women Composers: Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn and Ethel Smyth" was conducted by David Dahl on Saturday morning, and Brian Swager held a carillon seminar in the afternoon on "Music for the Carillon: A Distinguished Repertoire Emerges." The Festival continued with a Family Concert featuring ISU student carillonneurs, ISU Wind Ensemble, ISU Dance Tour Company, and ISU Oratorio Choir. Echo by Amy Michelle Black was premiered by Michael Tammaro at the carillon and the Oratorio Choir under the baton of Robert Molinson. The Festival concluded on Sunday with carillon music from The Netherlands performed by Tin-shi Tam, Iowa State University Carillonneur.

A  Carillon
Composition Competition was held to encourage young composers to write original
carillon music. Judges were Brian Swager, Jeffrey Prater, and
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  Tin-shi Tam. Contestants were from all
parts of the country and overseas. The winning composition was By de dei
lâns (The Proceedings of the Day) by Klaas R. R. de Haan of Amsterdam,
The Netherlands. It was premiered by 
Tin-shi Tam during the Festival. The next Spring Carillon Festival
and  Carillon Composition
Competition  will be held from
April 24-26, 1998. Guest carillonneur will be Albert Gerken, University
Carillonneur  at University of
Kansas, Lawrence.

II. Junior High Keyboard Camp

The Fifth Annual Keyboard Explorations junior high school
summer music camp was hosted by the Iowa State University Music Department from
July 7-12, 1997. Participants had the opportunity to learn about various kinds
of keyboard instruments and had hands-on experiences in playing them. Seven
participants studied carillon under ISU Carillonneur, Tin-shi Tam. Two carillon
concerts were performed by students towards the end of the week.

III. 1998 Carillon Composition Competition

Iowa State University has announced the Carillon Composition
Competition '98. The purpose of the competition is to encourage the writing of
original carillon compositions by composers under age 35. The submitted work
shall be an original composition for four-octave carillon (tenor C to C4), with
a two-octave pedal board (tenor C to C2). The composition may be a solo, duet
for one carillon, or a work for carillon with one or more other instruments or
chorus. The submitted composition must be postmarked no later than March 31,
1998. For more information contact the University Carillonneur at Iowa State
University; Music Department; 149 Music Hall; Ames, IA 50011; phone:
515/294-2911, e-mail: tstam@iastate. edu or web-site: www.music.iastate.edu

Bell information requested

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Belgian
Carillon School, a festschrift will be published. Marc Van Bets is preparing a
paper on Mechelen bellfounders for this book. He requests reports on all
Mechelen bells that currently are, or ever have been, in
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  North America. Such bells would have
been brought by Capuchin monks who came to North America as missionaries. All
bells are included in the scope of the paper: carillon, church, tolling,
ornamental, etc. All information is welcome, such as the function of the bell,
measurements, pitch, anecdotes, photos. Please contact Marc Van Bets; Ridder
Dessainlaan 27; 2800 Mechelen; Belgium. Phone: (0112)32.15.42.38.52. Fax:
(011)32.15.43.17.07. Email: [email protected]

1998 Queen Fabiola Competition

Since its founding in 1922 the Royal Carillon School
"Jef Denyn" in Mechelen, Belgium, has fostered a greater blossoming
of the carillon art. Toward this end, the school established the Queen Fabiola
International Carillon Competition in 1987. This competition has grown rapidly,
becoming the most important of its kind and providing a strong stimulus for the
recognition of the carillon art as a high-quality artistic expression.

The winners of the first three competitions were: Geert
D'hollander of Belgium in 1987; Boudewijn Zwart of The Netherlands, in 1990;
and Gideon Bodden of The Netherlands, in 1993.

The fourth Queen Fabiola Competition will take place August
5-9, 1998. Carillonneurs from around the world are invited to take part. There
is no age limit. After an elimination round, a maximum of six competitors will
be selected for the finals. Judging will be done by an international jury.

The candidates are required to present nine pieces of a high
virtuosic level: three baroque, three romantic, and three contemporary pieces.
The romantic and contemporary selections must be original carillon compositions
and not transcriptions. One of the baroque pieces must be a carillon prelude
written by Matthias van den Gheyn. In addition, there will be an obligatory
piece.

The school's 1997 international composition competition
brought 21 entries from seven countries: Belgium, The Netherlands, Australia,
The USA, Spain, Russia, and Sweden. Performance of the winning composition will
be required for participants in the Queen Fabiola Competition. Winners of the
composition competition will be announced once registration for the Fabiola
Competition is closed.

During the competition, the participants perform on the new
carillon in the St. Rombouts tower. This instrument was founded by Koninklijke
Eijsbouts in 1981. It is tuned in equal temperament and consists of 49 bells;
the bourdon sounds F and weighs eight tons.

The first-prize winner will receive 100,000 BF, a bronze
bell, a certificate, and a concert tour in Belgium  in 1999. Five additional prizes with cash awards will be
given. The SABAM prize of 25,000 BF will be awarded for the best interpretation
of a contemporary Flemish carillon composition, and an additional 25,000 BF
will reward the best improvisation. Participants should send their completed
applications to the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn"
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  before April 30, 1998. After their
repertoire has been approved, the full list of regulations and practical
information will be sent to each competitor. The obligatory piece will be sent
to the participants two months before the beginning of the competition.
Participants are granted a per diem of 1000 BF for as long as they take part in
the competition.

For information and applications, contact
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  the Royal Carillon School "Jef
Denyn"; Frederik de Merodestraat 63; 2800 Mechelen; Belgium. Phone:
32.15.20.47.92. Fax: 32.15.20.31.76.

McLellan appointed at MSU

Ray McLellan has been appointed University Carillonneur at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. His responsibilities include playing weekly recitals, teaching carillon and organ, coordinating and
producing the MSU Summer Carillon Recital Series. Ray studied carillon with
Margo Hal-sted at the University of Michigan and with Todd Fair at the
Netherlands Carillon School. He earned the Bachelor of
style="mso-spacerun: yes">  Arts degree at Florida Southern College
in Lakeland and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at the
University of Michigan. He also studied on full scholarship at the
Pädagogische Hochschule in Freiburg, Germany. Besides the position at MSU,
Dr. McLellan continues in his church and temple positions.