Carillon
About Our Carillon
A carillon is set up like a keyboard, with black and white keys and foot pedals that can help produce different kinds of sound. Each key is connected by wire to a bell clapper so different bells are rung depending on which key is struck. It is a 75-step climb up to Middlebury’s bell tower, atop Middlebury Chapel. The Middlebury Carillon is considered a traditional carillon of 48 bells. The pitch of Middlebury’s heaviest bell is E in the middle octave. It is a 2,300-pound bell; roughly the same weight as the Liberty Bell. In 1915, the instrument was begun with eleven bells by the Meneely bellfoundry in Watervliet, New York. Nine bells remain from that work. In 1986, the instrument was enlarged to its present size with bells made by Paccard-Fonderie des Cloches in Annecy, France. The enhanced carillon was presented as a gift from then Chairman of the Board of Trustees Allen Dragone ‘50 (and his wife Jane) in 1986. 27 bells remain from that work. In 2001, 12 bells were recast or replaced in 2001 by Meeks & Watson of Georgetown, Ohio.
In 1918, the family of former governor John Mead gave Mead Chapel a chime of 11 bells made by the Meneely Company of West Troy, New York (a chime is defined as six to 22 bells. A carillon comprises 23 or more bells.) A note about the chapel name. The Meneely family of that time was the 8th or 9th generation descendants of Paul Revere (a bell cast by Paul Revere is in the tower of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Middlebury). In 1985, through the kindness of donor Allen Dragone, then President of the Board of Trustees of the College, the chime was expanded to a full carillon of 48 bells by the firm Paccard et Fils of Annecy le-Vieux of France. Middlebury’s carillon is one of 183 carillons in the United States (71 of them in colleges or universities) and about 750 in the world.
George Matthew, Jr., has been the College Carillonneur since 1985, and teaches Middlebury College students the art of this unique musical form.
Daily Carillon Performances, 12:30 pm
All performances by Middlebury College Carillonneur George Matthew, Jr., unless otherwise noted. They are best enjoyed on the lawns surrounding the chapel.
Please note: With care for the entire college carillon audience, we are refraining from playing anything that could be provocative or harmful without proper context or explanation.
Tuesday, April 16
- Scherzo F. J. Haydn
- Scherzo E. B. Manning
- Scherzo Franz Schubert
- The Clarinet L. Muck
- Scherzo J. Maasen
- Olé Guapa! A. Malando
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Wednesday, April 17
- Selections from “Romantiek II” Leen’t Hart’s transcriptions of operatic melodies
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Thursday, April 18
- Selections from “Airs à Danser” Frank Law’s transcriptions of operatic melodies by
- Lully, Lalande, Destouches and Desmarets
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Friday, April 19
- Four Capreccetten by Jacob Wilhem Lustig (1706-1796)
- Medley of Sephardic Melodies
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Saturday, April 20 - Program of American Women Composers’ Carillon Music
- Reflections from the Tower Emma Lou Diemer, 1990
- Prior to Landing Chin Chin Chen, 2001
- Spirals Kathryn Mischell, 2000
- Carillon Piece Halle Shephard ’22 Midd
- Toccata: Jubilate Deo Sister Joyce Evans, 1986
- Red Peppers Rag Imogene Giles, 1915
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Sunday, April 21
- Lute Suite III, BWV 296 J. S. Bach
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Monday, April 22 – Earth Day
- Desert Wind Margo Halsted
- The Sacredness of Trees Ellen Lindquist ‘93
- The Memory of Trees Enya
- Tree Sketches Michelle Black
- The Tower by the Sea Gerard Boedijn
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Tuesday, April 23
- Fantasias 11 and 12 Georg Philipp Telemann
- Variations on Folksongs from Rotterdam Leen’t Hart
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Wednesday, April 24
- Fantasias 5, 6,7 and 8 Georg Philipp Telemann
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Thursday, April 25 — Program of my own works for my89th birthday!)
- Fantasia on a theme of Marcel Pappanaud,1978
- Variations on a Spanish Folksong “Segaba ya aquelle tarde”, 1980
- In Memoriam: Claude Graber, campanologist, 1998
- Fantasia on the Easter hymn “O Filii et Filiae”, 1977
- “Thirteen Sixteenths” Slightly jazzy with a touch of Klezmer, Rosh Hashanah, 1999
- Toccata for carillon, 1986
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Friday, April 26
- Fantasias 9 and 10 Georg Philipp Telemann
- Medley of Sephardic Melodies
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Saturday, April 27
No carillon performance
Sunday, April 28
- Lute Suite II, BWV 995 J. S. Bach
- Sheep May Safely Graze J. S. Bach
- “My heart ever faithful” from cantata #70 J. S. Bach
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Monday, April 29
- Caland Suite Gerard Boedijn
- Variations on a Kortrijk folksong H. Servais
- Romantic Suite (three movements) Willem Franken
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals
Tuesday, April 30
- Triptiek Alex van Amerongen
- Concertina 1 Eugene Uten
- Concertina 2 Eugene Uten
- Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
- Traditional Mexican Folksongs
- Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
- Medley of Spirituals