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.
Middlebury College Carillon Series
Each year, musicians from around the world come to Middlebury to perform in the Middlebury Chapel’s bell tower, soaring high above the College campus. The melodic sounds of the carillon bells are a staple of summer life on the Middlebury College campus. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy from any of the lawns surrounding the chapel! Free and open to the public.
Sponsored by: Mahaney Arts Center and the Department of Music
Contact Organizer:
Andres, Molly
mandres@middlebury.edu
802-443-3485
Friday, August 9, 6:00 pm
Sergei Gratchev, Instructor, Belgian Carillon School and Middlebury School of Russian
Please click here to see the full program.
Friday, August 16, 3:00 pm
George Matthew Jr., Carillonneur, Middlebury College and Norwich University
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(Please note special start time for this concert, offered as a prelude to Language Schools Commencement)
Friday, August 23, 6:00 pm
George Matthew Jr., Carillonneur, Middlebury College and Norwich University
Please click here to see the full program.
Friday, August 30, 6:00 pm
Amy Heebner ‘93, City Carillonneur, Albany, NY
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Saturday, September 7, 5:00 pm
George Matthew Jr., Carillonneur, Middlebury College and Norwich University
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Saturday, September 14, 5:00 pm
George Matthew Jr., Carillonneur, Middlebury College and Norwich University
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Saturday, September 21, 5:00 pm
John Whiteside, Carillonneur, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Cohasset, MA
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Saturday, September 28, 5:00 pm
Dr. Andrea McCrady, Dominion Carillonneur, Canada
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Saturday, October 5, 5:00 pm
Carla Staffaroni, MA ’20, Assistant Carillonneur, Riverside Church, NYC
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Saturday, October 12 - No program; Yom Kippur
Saturday, October 19, 5:00 pm
Jessica Ip, Assistant Carillonneur, University of Chicago
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Saturday, October 26, 5:00 pm
George Matthew Jr., Carillonneur, Middlebury College and Norwich University
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Daily Carillon Performances by George Matthew Jr., College Carillonneur
12:30 to 1:30 pm, unless otherwise announced
Tuesday, October 1
Suite for Carillon Joanna Wagenaar
Utrechts Jolijt Johann Wagenaar
Carillon Jan Wagenaar
Allegro Rondo for Carillon Jan Wagenaar
Kalamationes Chris Bos
Intermezzo Staf Gebruers
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Wednesday, October 2 – No Noon Program
6:30 Prelude to Erev Rosh Hashanah
Thursday, October 3 – No carillon in observance of Rosh Hashanah
Friday, October 4 – No carillon in observance of Rosh Hashanah
Saturday, October 5 – No Noon Program
Guest Recital at 5 PM by Andrea McCrady
Sunday, October 6
Partita for Violin Solo BWV 1004 J. S. Bach
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Monday, October 7
Commemorate Nan Nos Laros
The Angels’ Greeting Edwin Nielson
Nochtrai (Nocturne) Aloys Fleishmann
Toccata Aloys Fleishmann
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Tuesday, October 8
Works of Emilien Allard
Poém pour Ann Arbor
Commentaire Folklorique
Imagerie #1
Berceuse (folklore Japonaise)
Profil Canadiene #1
Andante
Arabesque
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Wednesday, October 9
Oblivion Astor Piazzolla
S’il vous plait Astor Piazzolla
Suite for Carillon J. Ibert
Suite for Carillon Laure Choisey
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Thursday, October 10
Pavane Don Luys Milan
Cecelia Jeff Denijn
Rondo Amandon di Gruijtters
Etude Napolean Costa
Venezualan Waltz Francis Kleynjans
Sarabande Francis Poulenc
Sephardic Selections Traditional
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Friday, October 11 - No Noon Program
6:30 Prelude to Kol Nidre Service
Saturday, October 12 – No carillon in observance of Yom Kippur
Sunday, October 13
Prelude, Fugue and Allegro BWV 998 J. S. Bach
Partita for Unaccompanied Violin BWV 1030 J. S. Bach
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Monday, October 14 – Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Music of the Calumet (H. W. Loomis)
Medley of Penobscot, Passamaquoddy and Maliseet melodies
Three Native American flute songs (R. Carlos Nakai)
Three Kinyaa’aanii songs (Connor Chee)
Three Navajo Preludes (Connor Chee)
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Tuesday, October 15: Canada’s First Peoples
Inuit Chant, Inuit Lullaby
Indian Songs: Temraka Maylih, My Bark Canoe, Wolf Song, White Man Let Me Go
Poèm pour Canada (Emilien Allard):
Poèm de l’air, Poèm de l’eau, Poèm des pieres
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Wednesday, October 16
Fantasia on a Polish Hymn Kaspar Förster
Fugue in G Major Johann Pachelbel
Three Pavanes: G Major, G Major, a minor Lors Milan
Sonata III D. Cimarosa
Toccata in C Major José Antonio Carlos Sexais
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Thursday, October 17
Caller Herren Traditional
Passacaglia Edmund de Vos
Prelude: the Norfolk Chime Johann Franco
Prelude: the Fisk Chime Johann Franco
Prelude and Toccata: The Luray Chime Johann Franco
Mideastern Folk Song Medley Lucy Duchene
(Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey, Syria)
Walking on Clouds Geert D’hollander
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Friday, October 18
Prelude Paul Ben Chaim
Homage à Schoenberg Menachim Avidom
Fantasy & Fughetta Robert Starrer
Medley of Sephardic Melodies Traditional
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Saturday, October 19 – No Noonday Program
Guest Recital 5 PM by Jessica Ip
Sunday, October 20
Passacaglia & Fugue in c minor BWV 582 J. S. Bach
Pastorale BWV 590 J. S. Bach
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Monday, October 21
Gigue Archangelo Correlli
Minuet Jan Baustetter
Morgenstemming Edward Grieg
Capriccio Eugene Uten
Suite Archaice Clement
Capriccio Catalan Isaac Albeniz
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Tuesday, October 22
Gavotte G. P. Telemann
Ayre Jeremiah Clarke
Sarabande G. Tartini
Theme & Variations Gustav Nees
Prelude & Fughetta Marcel Siebers
Gamelon and Jahla Alan Hovhanness
Bell Song Percy Grainger
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Wednesday, October 23
Etude for Carillon #2 Noel Reynders
Canzona Hellen van de Wiele
Rondetto Karl Berghuis
Study Jenke Kaldenberg
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Thursday, October 24
La Campanella Nicolo Paganini
Le Carillonneur de Bruge Joēguy
Grav Friedman Bach
Minuet Francis Kraft
Prelude in G Jef Denijn
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Friday, October 25
Six Preludes for Organ Ernest Bloch
Medley of Sephardic Melodies Traditional
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Saturday, October 26 – No Noon Program
5 PM Concert by George Matthew Jr., College Carillonneur
Sunday, October 27
Sonata in e minor BWV 1023 J. S. Bach
Sonata in G Major BWV 1021 J. S. Bach
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Monday, October 28
Melody d’Amour H. Engelman
Reine de Musette J. Peyronnin
Dans l’donbe Jean Steurs
Toulousaine J. Jorgenson
Bourasaive M. Péguri
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Tuesday, October 29
Partita Johann Heinrich Schmelzer
Mozart Fantasia Muzio Clementi
Hommage a Handel Georg Köppl
Glockenspiel II Karl Dietrich
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs
Wednesday, October 30
Suite Medievale Jean Langlais
Pays de Chaleroi Edmund de Vos
Viv Djean Djean (Nivelle) Edmund de Vos
Traditional Ukrainian Melodies
Traditional Afghanistan Melodies
Traditional Mexican Folksongs