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 Performances by George Matthew Jr., College Carillonneur
12:30 to 1:30 pm, unless otherwise announced. Mr. Matthew’s final piece of the day is often a surprise and not noted in the following schedule.
Friday, April 11
Six Preludes for Organ – Ernest Bloch
Mini Shabbat:
- Tz Vuhugi Hava – Yemenite
- Sama V’Israel Adonai – Yemenite
- Ramah Evarai – Syrian/Sephardic
- Yehidoh Hitna’ari – Syrian/Sephardic
- Lecha Dodi, Veshomeru, Osheh Shalom – Traditional
National anthems of our students: Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, Ivory Coast, Slovenia, Sweden
Saturday, April 12 – Erev Pesach
Psalm 118 – Mathieu Daniel Polak
B’Tseis Yisrael – Hans Blumenthal
Zevach Pesach – Mathieu Daniel Polak
Psalm 118 – Samuel Naumbourg
Psalm 118 – Jacques Fromenthal Halevy
Dayenu – Traditional
Le Shana Haba’ah – Traditional
Elihu Hanavi - Traditional
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Traditional Spirituals
Sunday, April 13 – Palm Sunday
Ave Maria – Ukrainian Melody
Liturgy of the Palms – Plainsong
Traditional Palm Sunday Hymns
Geistliche Gesänge – Anton Bruckner
Traditional Polish Hymns
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Traditional Spirituals
Monday, April 14
Medley of Rotterdam Folksongs – Traditional
Emergenza – Addie de Jong
National Anthems of our Students – Thailand, Tibet, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Republic, Ukraine, Uruguay
Tuesday, April 15 – All Bach
Lute Suite II
Ach, mus ich Sunder machen?
Pastorale
National Anthems of our Students - Irish Republic, Macedonia, USA, UK, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Wednesday, April 16 – All Bach
Trauer Ode
Agnus Dei and Benedictus from the B minor Mass
Ich ruf zu dir, Herr
National Anthems of Our Students - Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Netherlands, Poland
Thursday, April 17 – Carillon Silent.
Friday, April 18 – Carillon Silent.
Saturday, April 19 – Carillon Silent.
Sunday, April 20 – Easter!
Easter Morning Carillon – Phillip B. Baker
The Hallelujah Chorus – G. F. Handel
Traditional Easter Hymns
Polish Easter Hymns
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Traditional Spirituals
Monday, April 21
Sonatina voor Beiaard – Willem Creman
Romance Capricioso – Romke de Waard
National Anthems of Our Students - Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania
Tuesday, April 22
Paraphrase on a French folksong – Addie de Jong
(Maestoso, Fugato, Tango, Toccata)
Minuet from Symphony #104 – F. J. Haydn
National anthems of our students: Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus
Wednesday, April 23
Sonata VI – W. A. Mozart
Sonata for violin and piano – Johannes Brahms
Children’s pieces for veena – K. S. Subramanian
National Anthems of Our Students - Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Somalia
Thursday, April 24
Prelude on “Old 104th” – Ronald Barnes
Choral Partita on Vater Unser – John Knox
Elegy – John Knox
Choral Prelude on “Saint Anne” – John Knox
National anthems of our students: Belgium (two melodies), Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Barundi, Cambodia, Canada
Friday, April 25 – My 90th Birthday concert at 5 pm
Sleepers Wake! - J. S. Bach
Fantasia for Carillon - Alinda B. Couper
Yismechu - Joyful Jewish Sabbath Song
Music for Flute Clocks - F. J. Haydn
Traditional Music
Ukrainian National Anthem
Ukrainian Dance
Mexican Medley
Medley of Irish Songs
Prelude IX Matthias - Van den Gheyn
Saturday, April 26 – Guest concert, we hope
Sunday, April 27 – All Bach
Prelude in C
Pedalexcertium
Prelude and Fugue in E flat
Sicilienne
Sonatine
Adagio from Organ Sonata
Trauer Ode
Pastorale
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Traditional Spirituals
Monday, April 28
Hallelujah! – Hilton Rufty
Folk Melodies:
Weeping Willow Rag – Scott Joplin
Moonlight in Vermont – Blackburn/Suensdorf
California, Here I Come! – Al Jolson
Give me your tired, your poor – Irving Berlin
Spirituals, concluding with “Down By the Riverside”
National anthems of our students - France, Georgia, Germany,
Greece, Hong Kong, India, Iran
Tuesday, April 29
Oblivion – Astor Piazola
S’il vous plait – Astor Piazola
Suite for Carillon – J. Ibert
Petite Sonata – Laure Choisy
Capricioso – Wilhelm Ritter
National Anthems of Our Students - Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania
Wednesday, April 30
Orchestral Suite – G. P. Telemann
Fantasia in g minor – Paul Siefert
Viennese Sonata I – W. A. Mozart
Three Polish Polkas – Traditional
National Anthems of Our Students – Chile, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Ecuador, Faroe Islands, Finland