Carillon News

Brian Swager is carillon editor of THE DIAPASON.

Aimé Lombaert, a well-known Flemish carillonneur, passed away on October 30, 2008, at age 63. He had just retired from his positions as municipal carillonneur in the Belgian cities of
Bruges, Deinze, Poperinge, Damme, and Geraardsbergen. Lombaert was born in Oudenaarde, Belgium, and studied at the Royal Music Conservatory in Ghent, the Lemmens Institute, and the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen. He received his diploma from the Royal Carillon School in 1978, became assistant carillonneur to Eugeen Uten in Bruges in 1980, succeeding him as municipal carillonneur in 1984. In Deinze, he played one of the few “major-third” carillons.

As a result of the economic downturn, Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, announced the cancellation of its International Carillon Festival in 2009 as well as the elimination of the positions of the assistant carillonneur/librarian and the administrative assistant.

David Monaghan, Curator of Canada’s House of Commons, announced the appointment of Andrea McCrady to the position of Dominion Carillonneur on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. McCrady’s former carillon position at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane, Washington is open.

Trinity College, a liberal arts school with approximately 2,200 students in Hartford, Connecticut, is seeking a college carillonneur. The original 30-bell carillon built by the John Taylor Bellfoundry was enlarged to 49 bells in 1978. It hangs in the tower of the Trinity College Chapel.

Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, holds its 2009 Carillon Festival September 5, 10 am–4 pm. The guest carillonneur is Adrian Patrick Gebruers from Cobh, Ireland. He will conduct a seminar on Irish carillon music and perform a recital at the festival. In addition, the ISU Celtic Dance Society will present a program on Celtic dances. Hosting the festival is associate professor of music and university carillonneur Tin-shi Tam. In conjunction with the carillon festival, a carillon composition competition is being held to encourage the writing of original carillon compositions by young composers, under age 35. Prizes include a cash award of $500 and the premiere performance of the winning composition at the festival.

The Begijnhof Church, Sint-Jan-de-Doper (St. John the Baptist), in Leuven (Louvain), Belgium, is expanding its 16-bell chime into a carillon. The historic series of 16 Gillett & Johnston bells, which were once part of the carillon of the Leuven University Library, have been played in recent years by an automatic chiming mechanism. The Royal Eijsbouts firm of Asten, the Netherlands, is casting 29 new bells in the profile and tuning of the Gillett & Johnston bells. The instrument will be played by means of a baton keyboard in the new world standard. The Begijnhof is now part of the university and belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage. The carillon will be played for the first time during the Open Monument Day on September 13.

Carillonneur Piet van den Broek passed away on October 26, 2008, at age 92. Van den Broek was director of the Royal Belgian Carillon School and municipal carillonneur in Mechelen, Belgium, from 1965 until his retirement in 1981. Born in Chaam, the Netherlands, he left at age 18 for Mechelen to study at the Lemmens Institute. Upon his graduation in 1938 he became adjunct organist at St. Rombouts Cathedral. He began carillon studies with Staf Nees in 1941 and received his final diploma from the carillon school four years later.

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; <brian@
allegrofuoco.com>. For information on the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America: GCNA, 37 Noel Dr., Williamsville, NY 14221; <www.gcna.org&gt;.

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;.

Brian Swager is carillon editor of THE DIAPASON.

The Petit and Fritsen Bellfoundry delivered a new mobile carillon to the city of Belgorod, Russia. With 51 bells, the carillon has a compass from B-flat to D. Every year in Prokhorovka, approximately 40 kilometers from Belgorod, a significant combat operation between Germany and Russia is commemorated.  A large number of tanks were destroyed in this “world’s greatest tank battle,” which also resulted in many casualties. The battle was a principal turning point in World War II. The carillon is intended to be used in an annual remembrance of the battle. The original plan was to install the carillon in the tower, but they opted for a mobile carillon so that it could be used for a wider variety of events.

Ottawa Dominion Carillonneur Andrea McCrady hosted the 2012 Percival Price Symposium at the Peace Tower carillon. The annual symposium celebrates the legacy of performance, teaching, and campanology of Percival Price, Canada’s first Dominion Carillonneur from 1927 to 1939. Guest artist for the September 2012 symposium was George Gregory.

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; or e-mail [email protected]. For information on the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America: www.gcna.org.

Brian Swager is carillon editor of THE DIAPASON.

Nunc Dimittis
From former classmate Frank Steijns, I received word that his father, Mathieu Steijns, passed away at age 75 on February 21. Mathieu Steijns was carillonneur of Maastricht, The Netherlands, from 1952 until 1997, when he was succeeded by his son Frank. Mathieu was also municipal carillonneur of Heerlen, 1969–1995. His earliest music studies were with Benoit J. Franssen, first in the boy choir at the St. Servaas Church and later as a private student. He studied piano, organ, and choral conducting at the Maastricht Conservatory. Besides his carillon posts, he was primarily known as director of the Maastricht Men’s Chorus, the chorus “Crescendo” of Amby, the Parnassus Men’s Chorus in Roermond, and the Gronsveld Oratorio Society.
As a carillonneur, he was known for building bridges, both musically and politically, between the Flemish and Dutch carillon cultures, which, in the 1950s, were diametrically opposed in many regards. He had studied with Staf Nees and Jef van Hoof at the Belgian carillon school, where he received, 50 years ago in 1958, the final diploma with distinction.
For his cultural contributions Mathieu Steijns was recognized by the Order of Orange-Nassau with a Gold Medal of Honor and with the “Trichter” medal from the city of Maastricht.

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;.

Brian Swager is carillon editor of THE DIAPASON.

Call for papers
The 16th congress of the World Carillon Federation will be held July 13–17, 2008, in Groningen, the Netherlands. Proposals for lectures during the upcoming congress are now invited. Subjects for lectures must be related to the carillon. The maximum allotted speaking time is 30 minutes. The proposal should consist of an outline describing the thesis and conclusion of the lecture, not to exceed one half page. The complete text of the lecture must be available two months before the congress begins. The theme of the congress is “theme with variations.” The program committee will make a selection from all entries received. Applicants will be informed about this choice before March 1, 2008. Proposals are due before January 31, 2008, and should be sent to: Adolph Rots, Rijksweg 87, 9918 PD Garrelsweer, the Netherlands; +31 (596) 57 18 23; <[email protected]>.

Live carillon webcasts from Iowa State
Iowa State University carillon concerts are now being broadcast live on the Internet. Audiences can listen to and view the recitals online. Daily 20-minute recitals are performed Monday through Friday at 11:50 am (Central Time), when class is in session. Special concerts are scheduled throughout the semester. Tin-shi Tam is the university carillonneur. Recital programs, schedule, and the webcast link are available at <http://www.music.iastate.edu/carillon&gt;.

Kaliningrad: a third carillon for Russia
In 2001, St. Petersburg’s first carillon, with 51 bells, was installed in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. The occasion was the 300th anniversary of the city, and the initiative was supported by 355 sponsors from various countries. This revived the carillon tradition that was imported into Russia by Czar Peter the Great in the 18th century after he had become so enchanted by the carillons of the Low Countries.
In 2005, St. Petersburg was blessed with a second carillon, which was hung in the Cavalry Tower in the Peterhof. The first bell bears the name of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the second bell was a gift from the Minister of Culture of the Flemish Community in Belgium.
In the meantime, a third city has become a candidate for a carillon, namely Kaliningrad, formerly known as Königsberg. Kaliningrad is not only an important seaport, but is also the birthplace of the famous philosopher Immanuel Kant. The administration of the carillon project will be handled by the Immanuel Kant Foundation, with the support of the Kaliningrad Ministry of Culture and the Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” of Mechelen, International Institute for the Carillon Art and Cultural Ambassador of Flanders (Belgium).
Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave that borders on the European Community. The city profiles itself as a bridge between Eastern and Western Europe, where cultural exchange and economic affairs are of great importance for promoting good relations between East and West. It is only natural that the carillon art—a quintessential form of social art—can play a role in this.
The carillon will be placed inside the beautifully restored cathedral, a rare arrangement beneath Gothic vaults. It will be a four-octave instrument with 51 bells. The intention is to create a real concert instrument that is capable of being played along with the extant organs and even with orchestra—a real first!
Sponsors are being sought to support this project. In recognition of their participation, sponsors may choose a bell, whose inscription will immortalize in bronze their name, their company/business name, or their friends or beloved. Sponsors will be sent photographs of their bell and will be invited to witness a bellfounding as well as the festive inauguration of the carillon in Kaliningrad in 2008.
Further information on the bells, their size, weight, and prices, is available from Jo Haazen, Director; Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn”; Frederik de Merodestraat 63; 2800 Mechelen; Belgium; <[email protected]>.

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;.

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; .