Carillon News

Profile: McDonogh School

The McDonogh School is an independent, endowed, non-denominational, college preparatory school for boys and girls. The spacious 775-acre country campus with colonial and contemporary brick buildings lies to the northwest of Baltimore, Maryland. Established in 1873, John McDonogh had provided for this school for promising boys who would not otherwise have been able to obtain an education. Paying students were admitted for the first time in 1922, and in 1975 the school became coeducational.

The McDonogh Carillon was given by Mr. H. Beale Rollins (class of 1915) and his wife in 1978. The 48 bells were cast by the Petit and Fritsen Bellfoundry of Aarle-Rixtel, The Netherlands. The bourdon weighs 3,300 pounds, sounds D, and is connected to C on the keyboard. The carillon hangs in the tower of the Tagart Memorial Chapel. A chime of ten bells, crafted at Baltimore's McShane Bellfoundry for the new chapel in 1898, was in use until 1978.

William S. Lyon-Vaiden has been the McDonogh Carillonneur since the instrument's installation. A special series of summer recitals on Friday evenings at 7:00 during July and August features guest recitalists from the U.S. and abroad.

Profile: Holland, Pennsylvania

Trinity United Church of Christ in Holland, Pennsylvania--near Philadelphia--is home to a unique carillon installation. The first 25 bells for the Schneider Memorial Carillon were a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schneider. Cast in 1929 by the Meneely Bell Foundry in Watervliet, New York, the original two-octave instrument was dedicated by Melvin Corbett in 1930. It was one of few American-made carillons. A third octave was realized in 1954/55 with the addition of twelve Petit & Fritsen bells. In September 1968, the carillon was removed from the tower at Broad and Venango Streets in Philadelphia and taken to the Verdin Company in Cincinnati for storage and renewal of some of the mechanism. Upon completion of the new church building, it was installed at its present location in 1970. On the occasion of the nation's Bicentennial, twelve more Petit & Fritsen bells completed the fourth octave. The 3000-pound bourdon sounds E-flat and is keyed to C, hence the instrument transposes up a minor third. In contrast with most tower installations, the playing cabin of the Schneider carillon is on ground level, and the bells hang from an open steel frame that sits atop the cabin.

Lisa Lonie, carillonneur of Trinity Church, plays for regular church services. A special series of summer recitals on Thursday evenings at 7:30 during July and August features Lonie, other Philadelphia-area carillonneurs, and guest recitalists from the U.S. and abroad.

Profile: Roeselare, Belgium

Each of the 13 stories of St. Michael's Church in Roeselare, Belgium, has a story to tell. Rebuilt following a fire that leveled the city in 1488, the Sint-Michielskerk lost its 300-foot spire to a storm in 1735, and the current campanile was erected in the middle of the 18th century. Four swinging bells hang in the attic from a large frame that supports their total weight of seven tons. A mechanical tower clock from the city hall is preserved in the tower of St. Michael's. Tourists can read a series of didactic texts on the walls that chronicle the history of several centuries of bell ringing traditions in this old Flemish city. In fact, the Roeselare bell ringers guild claims that theirs is the only place in Flanders where the tradition of tolling bells manually is preserved.

During the 19th century, the Roeselare carillon was composed of a hodgepodge of 38 bells that were played by a pneumatic system from an ivory type keyboard devised by the Ghent organbuilder Lovaert. The bells were played by the church organist until the system fell into an unplayable state of disrepair. In 1893 a new carillon was cast by Severinus van Aerschodt of Louvain and connected to a Mechelen/Denyn-standard console fabricated by Desiré Somers. In 1917, during the first World War, these bells were plundered by the Germans. Marcel Michiels of Doornik cast 35 bells (bourdon of 1,332 pounds) for Roeselare  in 1921. The bells were recast in Doornik in 1939 and returned to the tower. The bourdon had grown to 1,378 pounds. Twelve Eijsbouts bells were added in 1988, and in 1992 the old bells were returned, a new bass bell was added, and a new playing console was installed. The lightweight instrument now comprises 49 bells from a 1,962-pound bourdon which sounds F and is keyed to B-flat; hence the instrument transposes up a fifth. Koen Cosaert is municipal carillonneur of Roeselare, Izegem, and Harelbeke, an organist in Kortrijk, and an instructor at the Royal Belgian Carillon School in Mechelen. The carillon is played every Tuesday morning and every other Saturday at noon. A special series of evening recitals is organized each year from June through September. Guided tours of the tower are available from June through September; phone (051)207-843 for group reservations.

An American in Peer

When a carillon committee was formed in 1989 in the city of
Peer, Belgium, there were three tolling bells in the tower of the St. Trudo
Church. At that time there were no carillons in the whole province of North
Limburg that were playable manually. The 14th-century brick tower of Peer had a
huge bellchamber capable of accommodating a heavy carillon. Financial resources
were limited such that a choice was made for a medium weight carillon of 51
bells with a bourdon sounding D.

In 1992 the new Petit & Fritsen instrument was
dedicated. After the festivities the carillon committee began its quest to
expand the instrument as soon as possible to a heavy carillon. The project was
completed in 1999 exceeding all expectations. The 17th-century bell frame was
restored, the bell chamber got a new oak floor, and the electrical components
were updated.

The carillon was completely dismantled and reinstalled, and
a deluxe new playing cabin was built. Thirteen new bells were cast. Most
significantly, an American standard playing console was chosen over the current
European standard. The instrument now boasts 64 bells covering five octaves
with a bourdon sounding B-flat. The keyboard compass is B-flat, C, then
chromatic through D. Erik Vandevoort is the carillonneur of Peer.

Profile: Wiesbaden, Germany

The Evangelical Lutheran Market Church in Wiesbaden, Germany, was built in 1853-1862 as the "Cathedral of Hessen-Nassau." In neo-gothic style and with a three-nave basilica form, the church was built of brick with red sandstone steeples, with Schinkel's Werder church in Berlin as a model. The architect was Carl Boos. The center steeple is 300 feet high, while the side narthex steeples are 190 feet and the sanctuary steeples are 240 feet.

The Grand Organ was built in 1863 by E.F. Walcker. It was rebuilt and enlarged in 1929, 1938, 1970, and 1982 by Walcker, Sauer, Oberlinger. The Choir organ was built in 1970 by Oberlinger. Both organs can be played from one four-manual console, thereby controlling the total of 125 ranks.

The carillon in the center steeple of the Marktkirche of Wiesbaden was built by the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry in Asten, The Netherlands, in 1986. Four of the five swinging bells cast by the Rincker bellfoundry in 1962 were integrated into the new carillon which consists primarily of 45 new Eijsbouts bells. The bourdon sounds C and weighs nearly 4800 pounds; the lightest bell is 28 pounds. The Wiesbaden carillon is one of only about 30 such instruments in Germany.

Hans Uwe Hielscher is organist and carillonneur of the church, and Thomas Frank is assistant carillonneur. The carillon is played every Saturday at noon, during the weekly market. Visits to see the keyboard room and the bells may be arranged through either carillonneur at (0611) 30.34.30.

Profile: Carillon Beach

Carillon Beach is a gated community in Panama City Beach, a coastal city in Florida's panhandle. The focal point and namesake of the community is a carillon that hangs in a 50-foot tower that stands just one block from the Gulf of Mexico. The carillon, installed in 1993, is the fourth in the state of Florida, following those at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, the University of Florida in Gainesville, and the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Clearwater. Carillon Beach is still being developed and will have over 300 homes.

The 35 bells were cast by the Petit & Fritsen Bellfoundry in Aarle-Rixtel, The Netherlands. The tower and carillon were designed by Richard M. Watson of Meeks, Watson & Company of Georgetown, Ohio, following sketches prepared by Carillon Beach architect Lloyd Vogt. The clappers, bell fittings, action, electric control equipment and tower steel were fabricated by the Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. Petit & Fritsen made the electric strikers, and Meeks, Watson & Co. bouilt the manual playing console. All bells are playable from the manual playing console with batons for hands and feet. Fourteen of the bells can be programmed by an automatic playing system which also sounds the Westminster quarters and the hour strike.

With a bourdon sounding middle C and weighing only 583 pounds, the instrument transposes up an octave which results in a light, clear sound suited to the relatively low placement of the bells in a smaller, open tower. The three-octave range is chromatic with the exception of the two lowest semitones (C# and D#). The carillon is owned by the Carillon Beach Institute. Beverly Buchanan was appointed Resident Carillonneur on August 1, 1996.  She plays one or two concerts weekly and on some holidays. Tours are given following concerts and by appointment. Visitors are welcome to call 904/234-5600 to ascertain concert times and arrange for a tour.

Brian Swager is a contributing editor of THE DIAPASON.

Preludia voor Beiaard/Preludes for Carillon; Matthias Van den Gheyn. Gilbert Huybens and Luc Rombouts, eds., part 2 of Monumenta Flandriae Musica, Eugeen Schreurs, ed. Peer: Alamire Foundation, 1997.  ISBN 90-6853-120-4. Available for 1990 BF plus postage from: Alamire Muziekuitgeverij; Postbus 45; 3990 Peer, Belgium; ph: 32.11.63.21.64; fax: 32.11.63.49.11; e-mail: <[email protected]>; web site:<http://www.innet.be/musica/alamire&gt;.

This publication is a milestone in the carillon literature. The preludes themselves are the most significant 18th-century contributions to the carillon repertory. Ever since knight Xavier van Elewyck rediscovered the carillon preludes of Matthias Van den Gheyn in the 19th century, carillonneurs have based their playing editions on a manuscript made by Van Elewyck's copyist--a hastily made manuscript riddled with mistakes and unclear notation. With the discovery and publication of an autograph manuscript, previously unknown mistakes come to light, and many of the riddles can be solved.

The boxed set includes two volumes, the first of which is a facsimile of the autograph manuscript acquired by the Louvain University Archive on 19 April 1995. The manuscript includes the eleven preludes--with the exception of the final page of the Cuckoo Prelude--as well as six carillon arrangements of existing music: an allegro in D, an untitled piece in D, and aria in G, a six-section "Cantate," a menuet in C, and an andante in D. The second volume consists of editorial commentary and a new performance edition of the eleven preludes based on the autograph. All essays are in Dutch with clear English translations by Todd Fair.

Codicologist Chris Coppens and paleographer Marc Nelissen confirm that both the text and the music notation in the manuscript are in the hand of Matthias Van den Gheyn. The editors provide a short history of the performance of the preludes, and they examine the relation between the other manuscript copies of the preludes that exist or are known to have existed. They also give some consideration to the question "for which carillon were the preludes composed?"

The editors give a cursory explanation of their rationale for choices made in the performing edition. This leaves considerable room for discussion. For example, they state simply that "incorrect note values have been corrected."  Without further justification they have changed, not corrected, note values such as the dotted rhythms in the early measures of Prelude Six. In the same prelude, they invent a quirky rhythmic pattern--for which there is no basis in the manuscript--in order to avoid one of Van den Gheyn's shifts from triple to duple divisions of the beat. As in the past, carillonneurs concerned with performance practice and performances directed at authenticity will need to scrutinize the manuscript, realizing that the performing editions--including this most recent one--are subjective interpretations. Fortunately we now have an autograph manuscript.

The publication is "Dedicated to Xavier van Elewyck and Ronald Barnes, with respect for the roles played by each in studying the work of Matthias Van den Gheyn." As an invaluable reference for historically informed performance and study, it belongs in the library of every serious carillonneur and campanologist.  Carpe Librum!

News from abroad

* Wallonian carillonneur Edmond de Vos writes in Bulletin Campanaire about the carillon and the history of Chimay, Belgium. The 26 bells are playable automatically, via the mechanical drum connected to the clock, or manually via a machine à carillonner--a piano-type keyboard with large keys. The carillon was restored in 1997 by the Clock-o-Matic firm, and because of its rarity and historical interest the mechanical piano-type keyboard was kept in service.

* Carmen Bernad V. E. Hijos announced that a 72-bell carillon was installed in the Basilica of San Pascual van Villarreal, 50 km north of Valencia. The total weight of the bells, cast in France, is 12,000 kg. The inauguration was to have taken place on 17 May 1998.

* Rosemarie Seuntiëns writes in Klok en Klepel about the history of the St.  Petrus-banden Tower in Venray, The Netherlands, and its 50-bell carillon. A new type of tumblers was adapted for the instrument's traction system.  Rather than the traditional roller bars or directed cranks, the new tumblers involve a thin steel cable that turns over a round wheel whose axis is placed off-center. The system seems to be effective for short, relatively direct connections; the action is supple, and dynamic possibilities are optimal.

* The Petit & Fritsen Bellfoundry was commissioned to cast a 36-bell carillon for the Presbyterian Church in La Porte, Indiana.

* Petit & Fritsen was commissioned to cast an 84-bell carillon (E, F-sharp, G-sharp, chromatic to F) with a bourdon of approximately 8500 kilograms and a total weight of 42,300 kilograms. The donors have not yet disclosed the specific location in America where this "Millennium Carillon" will be located.

* A 51-bell Eijsbouts carillon was installed in Hamburg and dedicated on 24 July 1993. The instrument has a completely chromatic range from C to d.  It has a unique setting amidst the ruins of the St. Nicholas' Church. Hamburger Richard Brinkmann is the carillonneur.

* Currently, one of the heaviest bells in the world can be found in Cologne, Germany. However, a Cologne television station reported last May that the American city of Newport (the particular state was not mentioned) has commissioned a 30 metric ton (approximately 33 US tons) bell from the Paccard Bellfoundry in time for millennium celebrations. The bell will be 3.6 meters high (11 feet) and cost over $360,000.  It will be housed in a tower over 450 meters high.

Brian Swager is a contributing editor of THE DIAPASON.

Bok Tower Festival

The 17th International Carillon Festival at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, February 23-March 3, 2002, will feature guest carillonneurs Koen Van Assche (Belgium), Sjoerd Tamminga (The Netherlands), J. Samuel Hammond (Duke University, Durham NC), Helen Hawley (Lawrence, KS), and Bok Tower carillonneurs Milford Myhre and William De Turk. Events will include daily recitals at 3 pm, a moonlight recital at 8 pm on Monday, February 25, carillon and art exhibits, and non-carillon concerts. For further information, contact Bill De Turk: 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412; phone: 863/676-1154; fax: 863/676-6770; E-mail: <[email protected]>;

web page: <boktowergardens.org>.

Ireland World Congress

The next congress of the World Carillon Federation will take place in Cobh and at the National University of Ireland in Cork from Sunday 28 July through Thursday 1 August, 2002. Hosted by the British Carillon Society, this is the first world congress to be held in Ireland or Britain. The theme of the congress is "The Carillon and the Music of the People."

Cobh (pronounced "Cove") has a population of 10,000. Cobh is a picturesque and historic harbor town on Ireland's south coast and a major tourist destination. Cork Airport and Ringaskiddy Ferry Port are a 30-minute drive from Cobh, and both have regular international service.

The magnificent fully chromatic four-octave 49-bell carillon of St. Colman's Cathedral (bourdon 8000 pounds) is a Taylor instrument dating from 1916 which was completely restored, modernized and enlarged by the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry of Asten, The Netherlands, in 1998. It is a transposing instrument, in A, and is now the largest carillon in Ireland and Britain in terms of the number of bells.  The playing console is of North-American standard dimensions. There is also a state-of-the-art practice console.

Some 15 miles upriver is Cork (population 200,000), where the university's renowned music department has recently been relocated to a fine period building overlooking the city. Its facilities include a carillon practice console, identical to the one in Cobh.

The President of Ireland, Her Excellency Mary McAleese, has been invited to formally open the Congress; Most Rev. Dr. John Magee, Bishop of Cloyne, and Professor G.T. Wrixon, President of the University College Cork, are the congress patrons. The Eijsbouts traveling carillon will be available for the duration of the congress. An interesting and enjoyable program is being planned by the organizers, including morning, lunch time, afternoon and evening carillon recitals (30 minutes) every day. There will be an academic day at University College Cork, a day featuring young and upcoming carillonneurs, a congress banquet, Irish traditional music and dancing, sight-seeing tour of East Cork, a Cobh harbor boat trip, and a fireworks display.

Congress participants will be based in Cobh, which offers a range of accommodation--hotels, guest houses and self-catering apartments for four to six occupants.  Registration forms will be available on the Cobh Carillon Website: http://homepage.eircom.net/~adriangebruers. Specific questions can be sent to: [email protected].

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 a contributing editor of THE DIAPASON.

Cobh bells return home

Adrian Patrick Gebruers, carillonneur of St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh, Ireland, sends the following news. Adrian Gebruers and St. Colman's Cathedral will be hosts for the congress of the World Carillon Federation in 2002.

Early in the morning of Wednesday April 15, 1998, the ship "Mathilda" sailed past St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh,  Ireland, en route from Rotterdam to the Port of Cork.  On board was the precious cargo of the bells of the cathedral carillon returning from the Royal Eijsbouts Foundry in Asten, The Netherlands, where they had been since the previous October as part of the complete restoration and modernization of this famous carillon. The following Sunday afternoon, all forty-nine bells were lined up at the base of the cathedral tower to be viewed by the general public. In all, several thousand people came to admire and photograph the bells which have always been so much a part of the life of the community. An exhibition of material illustrating the history of the Cobh Carillon past and present aroused great interest. At 6 pm, Bishop John Magee of Cloyne, who had specially returned from the Vatican where he was on official business, performed the solemn blessing of the bells. The two new bass bells were named for the Irish martyrs St. Oliver Plunkett and Blessed Dominic Collins, and the five treble bells added in 1958 but not named at the time were christened Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice, the great Irish educationalist. In his homily, the Bishop referred to the significance and importance of bells in religious worship and in the daily life of the community. He also thanked all those who had made the carillon restoration possible, including Royal Eijsbouts. The choir was under the direction of Adrian Patrick Gebruers, organist, choirmaster, and carillonneur of St. Colman's Cathedral. Readings were done by members of the Cobh Carillon Committee, including David H. Cox, professor of music at University College Cork, and Dr. Elizabeth Gebruers, wife of the carillonneur. The responsorial psalm "I Will Sing Forever of Your Love O Lord" was sung by Adrian Gebruers in a setting composed by his late father, Staf Gebruers, the first carillonneur of St. Colman's. The intercessions included prayers for those deceased carillonneurs who had played the Cobh Carillon and for Jef Rottiers, teacher in Mechelen of the present carillonneur. As the Bishop blessed and incensed the bells, the cathedral choir sang the church's great hymn of thanksgiving, the first line of which is inscribed on the bourdon of the carillon: "Te Deum Laudamus" ("We praise Thee, O God").

The formal rededication of the restored and modernised 49-bell carillon of St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh took place on Pentecost Sunday, May 31, 1998. The day began with a live link-up on the regional radio station of key figures involved in the restoration, including Bishop John Magee and the Cathedral Carillonneur. This was followed at noon by a special Mass in the Cathedral, concelebrated by the Bishop and members of the Diocesan Chapter. The first Carillonneur of St. Colman's, the late Staf Gebruers, and his wife Maureen were commemorated in the Bidding Prayers. In addition, the Cathedral Choir sang compositions by Staf Gebruers during the Mass. The two new bass bells, named St. Oliver Plunkett and Blessed Dominic Collins, were formally rung for the first time during the Elevation. At the conclusion of the Mass, the Bishop and other dignitaries walked in solemn procession to the tower entrance where a commemorative sculpture was unveiled. The Bishop then formally declared the carillon rededicated and the Carillonneur played the hymn, "The Bells of the Angelus," which was the last piece heard on the bells the previous October just before the restoration work began. This was followed by the "Te Deum" Prelude by Charpentier. The short recital concluded with the first performance of The Sacred Metal by David Harold Cox, Professor of Music at University College Cork. This work was commissioned for the occasion by the Cobh Carillon Committee, with funds provided by the Arts Council, and especially highlights the two new bass bell notes of C-sharp and D-sharp. There followed a formal reception in the Bishop's House. In attendance were local and visiting dignitaries, including Ministers of State and TD's (Members of Parliament). In a speech, Bishop Magree spoke emotionally of his joy in finally having the carillon restored. A letter of congratulations from Mr. Loek Boogert, President of the World Carillon Federation, was also read out. There was an hour-long recital at 4:30 during which guests and journalists were given an opportunity to view the new carillon installation. They were shown the computer-operated automatic and practice-console systems, the galvanized steel framework and mechanism and the playing cabin now located within the belfry. All expressed their approval of the quality of the workmanship and congratulations were extended to P. J. Hegarty & Sons, the main contractors, and Royal Eijsbouts, the bellfounders, for a job well done.

Dutch Carillon Museum

The National Carilllon Museum in Asten, The Netherlands, publishes the quarterly Berichten uit Het Nationaal Beiaarrdmuseum. Here follows some information from recent issues.

* Many bells were removed from towers during World War II to be melted for their metal. A number were saved from destruction and were the subject of research. One resulting dissertation was Acoustical Measurements on Church Bells and Carillons by E.W. van Heuven (Delft, 1949). Less well-known is the research done by E. Thienhaus of Hamburg which includes detailed drawings of hundreds of German bells. Simon Lighthart of Bemmel has taken on the project to do statistical research on this collection of information in the Dutch National Carillon Museum.

* A recent donation to the museum is an African mask which was traditionally used in an adolescent's initiation rite to manhood. A bell is found on the back of the mask with which the Great Spirit announced its coming. The mask has its origins in the Baga tribe in Guinea. The museum also acquired an African mask used by the Dan tribe of the Ivory Coast in their ritual dances. A beard of bells forms a half circle which is completed with jingle bells around the forehead hairline. Further, the museum acquired items worn by shamans from Nepal: two leather belts are decorated with bells, a tail, and tiger teeth.

* Museum curator André Lehr tells the fascinating story of "A squabble between Nijmegen and Liege--or--how Jean-Baptiste Levache of Liege cast a false-sounding carillon for  Nijmegen in 1735." It could also be entitled "The merry pranks of an unscrupulous bellfounder."

* The traditional western European bell profile has scarcely changed since the Middle Ages. The cost of experimentation has been drastically reduced thanks to the advent of special computer programs. A recent design demonstrates that it would be possible to produce a bell with the same pitch and timbre as, yet 20% lighter than, a bell with a traditional profile.

* The Dutch National Service for the Preservation of Monuments publishes a brochure concerning the nuisance of pigeons in towers.

* Bert Augustus discusses the Eijsbouts firm's restoration of the tolling bells for the cathedral of Seville. He describes the Spanish tradition of tolling bells in which the bells are swung in complete revolutions causing characteristic rhythmic patterns, a characteristic timbre due to the dampening of the bell by the clapper, and lots of damage to the bells. For a web page on the bells of Seville, see "Campanas de las Catedrales de España" at <http://www.cult.gva.es/scripts/gcv/campacat.idc?cpoblacio=sevilla&gt;.

* André Lehre muses over what possessed the 16th-century inhabitants of the Low Countries to enthusiastically acquire incredibly false-sounding carillons for virtually every city. He says that a pilgrimage to Monnickendam is in order to hear the Speeltoren carillon that was cast in 1596 by Peter III van den Ghein, since it is the only place that one can witness the original sound of a complete 16th-century carillon. He notes that the imperfections of early carillon bells were masked to a certain extent in several ways. Old playing consoles and photographs indicate that there was sometimes the possibility of reducing the keyfall in which case the bells were struck with less force producing a sound that favored the fundamental pitch and reduced the strength of the overtones. The use of wrought iron clappers gave a milder sound. Furthermore, performance practice differed: virtuosic playing was the exception. Also, dissonance was minimized in a musical texture in which normally only two notes were struck simultaneously.

* The National Carillon Museum's Internet address is <www.carillon-museum.nl&gt;. The e-mail address is <[email protected]>.

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.