Recitals
The Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon is played Monday to Friday, 12 noon and 5 pm, and Sundays at 12:15 pm. Thanks to a generous gift, the carillonneur may now be viewed in performance from the comfort of the main level of the Chapel, via a monitor in the sanctuary, with the bells sounding through the Chapel’s audio system as well as outside.
Visitors wishing to climb the 271 steps to the top of the tower are invited to meet the carillonneur half an hour before each recital time. The views from the top are spectacular, and the experience of seeing and hearing the bells played from high in the tower is unforgettable. A donation of $3 is requested from visitors (free to those with University ID).
Special note: Carillon tours are only given during the academic quarters.
Our musicians are university carillonneur Wylie Crawford, assistant carillonneur Jim Fackenthal, area carillonneurs who have earned Carillonneur certification by the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, and students who are learning to play the instrument.
For ten Sunday evenings in the summer, carillonneurs from around North America and the world perform free recitals. Audiences frequently bring picnics to enjoy their concerts from the lawns surrounding the chapel. To see the summer schedule, click here.
Visitors to the carillon tower, welcome at all performances, should meet at the Front Desk one-half hour before the scheduled performance time. (To sample the view from the top, click here).
The instrument is also played for special occasions, such as convocations, concerts, theatre events, and weddings.