Jesse Ratcliffe, carillon

Glasscock Memorial Carillon, First Baptist Church, Corpus Christi, Texas

After a nineteen-year hiatus, the Glasscock Memorial Carillon of First Baptist Church, Corpus Christi, Texas, is ringing again. The carillon is one of the southernmost in the United States and one of two in Corpus Christi. The original 51-bell carillon cast by Eijsbouts of the Netherlands was installed in 1976. Funds for the carillon were donated by congregant Lucille Glasscock in memory of her husband, Charles “Gus” Glasscock, in the 1970s. This original gift resulted in the handsome, accessible tower and instrument.

The church and campanile are situated on Corpus Christi Bay, and while it is an attractive setting, it did contribute to the instrument’s damage. In 2002, one of the bells had fallen out of the open tower due to the corrosion of the steel frame by the prevailing winds carrying salt water. The bell frame was determined to be unstable, and the remainder of the bells were removed until a new, corrosion-resistant apparatus could be erected. The bells were stored on site, but unfortunately, three were stolen. They were found before their destined smelting, though they were too damaged to use. Eijsbouts cast new bells to replace them.

The directors of the Corpus Christi Bell Tower Foundation, an organization founded in 2015, and the organist/carillonneur of First Baptist Church, Loyd Lott, worked to raise additional funds to rebuild the tower and reinstall the bells. In 2021, Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, built and installed the new tower with the original bells, including corrosion-resistant stainless steel for all metal parts, a new transmission system, and a new keyboard. Karel Keldermans of Illinois served as the consultant.

Loyd Lott performed the inaugural recital at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 3, 2021. The formal rededication concert was performed by Keldermans on November 7. The carillon is performed on by Lott on some Sundays and for special events throughout the year.

—Kimberly Schafer, Carillonist and campanologist, Chicago, Illinois

Church website: firstcorpus.org