Chapel 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 Schedule
All programs will be at 12:30 to 1:30 pm unless otherwise announced.
George Matthew Jr., college carillonneu
Sunday, November 1 – No carillon in observance of Dia de los Muertos
Monday, November 2
Chaconne – Johanne Valenten Mede
Fantasia in ¾ - Paul Siefert
Etude – Addie de Jong
Contre point I – Jean Langlais
Starlight – Joey Brink
Flemish March – Frank Stijns
National Anthems of our Students – Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh and Bhutan
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Tuesday, November 3 – No carillon in observance of Election Day
Wednesday, November 4
Offertoire sur les Grands Jeux – Francois Couperin
Suite IV – Henk Badings
The Harmony of Zion – John Knox
Three Polish Polkas – Traditional
National Anthems of our Students: Bosnia, Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada and Chile.
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Thursday, November 5
Etude for Carillon – George Matthew Jr.
Jacob’s Ladder – George Matthew Jr.
Dance of Anguish – George Matthew Jr.
Belfry Sketches – Liling Huang
Passacaglia – Abraham M. Plum
National Anthems of our Students: China, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Friday, November 6
Six Maori Songs – Traditional
Rippling Waters – Herman Dreher
Mini Shabbat:
- Tzur ya El (Syrian/Jewish, popular in Brooklyn, NYC)
- Lecha Dodi – Hazan Abraham Beer
- Ten Songs from the Calcutta Synagogue
National Anthems of our Students: France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Hong Kong
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Saturday, November 7
Spirals – Kathryn Mischell
Carillon Fantasia in G Major – Alinda B. Couper
Carillon Fantasia in G minor – Alinda B. Couper
Prior to Landing – Chin Chin Chen
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Sunday, November 8
In recognition of the Hindu holiday Diwali, raga improvisations by Karikudi Subramanian and his student George Matthew.
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Monday, November 9
Pentekeninigen – Jenke Kaldenberg
Variations on “The Snow White Birdie” – J. van Eetvelde
Trois Poems pour Carillon – Emilian Alard
Poèm de L’air, Poèm de L’eau, Poèms des Pierres
Prelude for a Sunny Day – Chris du Bois
National Anthems of our Students – Hungary, India, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Tuesday, November 10
Prelude # 5 – Matthias van den Gheyn
Twee intermezzi – Jurriaan Andriessen
Suite for Carillon in Four Movements – Jean W. Miller
Variations on the English Folksong, “The Cobbler” – Koen Cosart
Passepied – Willem Pijper
National Anthems of our Students – Lebanon, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldovia, Mongolia, Morocco
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Wednesday, November 11
Contemplating a Japanese Garden – Ira-Paul Schwartz
Las Mañanitas – Mexican folk song
Toccata for Carillon – George Matthew Jr.
Ashti (Persian: “Peace”) – Jung Sun Kang
S’il vous plait – Astor Piazzola
Sunday Morning Mood – Chris du Bois
National Anthems of our Students – Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Thursday, November 12
Dance Espanola V – Enrique Granados
Guaraldi’s Waltz – Joey Brink
In Memoriam Claude Graber – George Matthew Jr.
“And They Shall Beat Their Swords into Plowshares” – Andrew S. Allen
Toen Hertog Jan – Adriagian Kousemaker
“Under Mother’s Parasol” – Kees van Eersel
National Anthems of our Students: Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Friday, November 13
Toccata in g minor – João de Sousa Carvalho
In Memoriam Bertus van Lier – Johann Franco
Passacaglia and Fugue in d minor – W. Lawrence Curry
Mini Shabbat:
- Preludes # 1, 2, 3 and 6 – Ernest Bloch
- Six Settings of Adon Olam
- Spanish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Two Jerusalem and Traditional
National Anthems of our Students: Poland, Portugal, Georgia, Korea, Romania, Russia
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Saturday, November 14
Fantasia #1 – Leen’t Hart
Fantasia – Addie de Jong
Fantasia #2 – Leen’t Hart
Flower Clouds – Traditional Korean
Elite Syncopations – Scott Joplin
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Sunday, November 15
Passacaglia and Fugue in c minor – J. S. Bach
Sonatine from Flute Sonata – J. S. Bach
Siciliane from Violin Sonata – J. S. Bach
Partita III (Part I) – J. S. Bach
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Monday, November 16 – Student Program
Tuesday, November 17
Six Folksongs from Rotterdam – Traditional
Emergenza – Addie de Jong
National Anthems of our Students – Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Somalia, South Africa
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Wednesday, November 18
When the Peace Bells Ring – Clarence Lyndon
Three Short Preludes for Carillon – Jean Miller
Three Short Preludes for Carillon – Theodore Rusterholz
Prelude I – Heitor Villa Lobos
The Tower by the Sea – Gerard Boedijne
Jazz Divertimento – Eugene Uten
National Anthems of our Students: South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Syria
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Thursday, November 19
Prelude VII – Matthias van den Gheyn
Violin Suite – Liesbeth Janssens
Variations on a Dutch Folksong – Edmund de Vos
Sonnerie Mariale – Edmund de Vos
Lietuva – Edmund de Vos
Fantasia on a Swiss Folksong – Gijsbert Kok
National Anthems of our Students: Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Friday, November 20
Bach selections, Alma Mater and Thanksgiving selections
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Hispanic Folksongs
Saturday, November 21 – Wednesday, November 25
Informal Playing
Thursday, November 26
Thanksgiving Melodies
Friday, November 27 – Sunday, November 29
Informal Playing
Monday, November 30
Welcome Back with a Touch of Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah!