Sacred Spaces, Sacred Sounds

The Choir |  The Carillon |  The Organ

An Enduring Gift

In 1910, John D. Rockefeller made a gift of $10 million to the University of Chicago. It would be, he said, his final gift to the University, and it was made with one stipulation: that $1.5 million be used to build a chapel for the University, a chapel that would be the central and dominant feature of the University group.

University Chapel was dedicated in 1928 and was renamed for Rockefeller upon his death a few years later. True to his wishes, it remains a central architectural feature of the campus. Its majestic limestone exterior rises dramatically along the Midway Plaisance; its breathtaking Gothic interior inspires awe and reverence.

Today the chapel serves the University and its community through educational, social, and interfaith activities. The chapel is a focus for the essential life of campus, a place where significant life passages are marked: weddings, memorials, convocations. Furthermore, it sustains a long and distinguished tradition in performance of the organ, carillon, orchestral, and sacred choral repertoire. No other single institution in Chicago, sacred or secular, provides the same range and quality of cultural programming.

A Resource for the City

The chapel draws from many communities in the city and suburbs an audience for its diverse and vital program of sacred music, from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary compositions, from the serious repertoire of the renowned Rockefeller Chapel Choir to visiting artists in gospel and ethnic music. The chapel has also served as home to innovative theater: Murder in the Cathedral and The Mystery Cycle are two recent examples.

Embraced within the chapel are two magnificent musical instruments that are integral to both the Chapel's architecture and to its spiritual and musical heritage. Each are world-class exemplars of their kind. Great artists have been drawn to campus from around the world to perform on these instruments; they are heard at every University ceremony and are woven into the memories of thousands of University alumni and their families.

The Rockefeller Chapel Choir Initially a fully professional choir, the Chapel Choir retains its high standards of performance, during worship services, or in concert. For the Choir's musical schedule this quarter, please click here

The E.M. Skinner Organ

Built into the Chapel in 1928, this regal organ is one of two remaining masterworks of the American organ-builder E.M. Skinner which are considered the finest examples of 20th century romantic organs built in America. In this model, Skinner fully invested his genius for realizing a full orchestral sound, with a complete collection of voices and many soft ethereal effects that are no longer found in the organs of today. Many of the large pipe scales, which are necessary to achieve a full sound in a building the size of the Chapel, are no longer built. The Chapel organ includes four manuals and 126 stops on two separate consoles. Its bay of pipes locted in the Chapel chancel is a work of art in itself and is an integral element of the interior architecture of Rockefeller.

The Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon

Seventy-two bells comprise the carillon, which was dedicated on Thanksgiving day 1932 to the memory of John D. Rockefeller Jr.'s mother. Housed in the tower of the chapel, it is the second-largest carillon in the world, containing an 18 1/2-ton bell, the Great Bourdon Bell. The smallest bell weighs 10 1/2 pounds. The mechanical action of the Rockefeller Carillon is largely unchanged from the earliest, late 15th century carillons, and provides rhythmic and dynamic nuance unmatched by electronically controlled carillon instruments. The instrument is considered the masterpiece of the English foundry of Gillett and Johnston, who are known for the rich sonorities of their large bells.

Carillons require major reconditioning every fifty years--the Rockefeller Carillon is somewhat overdue for this work. Because the carillon is meant to be heard in the open air, the tower faces contain many openings which allow the sound to travel freely from the bells to the listeners. Unfortunately, this necessity exposes the instrument to the dramatic changes in Chicago's weather, which takes a heavy toll on the delicate apparatus that connects the bells to the performer. A mere fraction of the work needed to be done is the replacement or reconditioning of all 72 clappers and headpieces, new mounting for 58 bells, and a new linkage system. The costs of such an undertaking exceeds $250,000.

The Rockefeller Carillon is a magnificent instrument that is integral to the Chapel's and the University's heritage. It is heard at every University ceremony and is woven into the memories of thousands of alumni and their families. The proposed renovation would ensure the life of the carillon for many years to come, but if left unrepaired, the carillon may soon fall silent.

Preserving a Musical Heritage

In 1987-1988 Rockefeller Chapel underwent extensive renovation. One of the main objectives of that restoration was to enhance the interior acoustical environment for musical performance. The result has been an even more inspiring ceremonial and performance venue.

We are now ready to begin another phase of renovation: the restoration of the organ and carillon to preserve their vitality as performance-grade instruments and to preserve the integrity of their musical heritage. These instruments have been lovingly cared for and maintained over the years, but it is not unusual for instruments of their size and vintage to need reconditioning every few decades.

Under the plans, the E.M. Skinner organ will be restored to its original design by removing parts of the keyboard and pipes that have been added over the years and replacing them with authentic parts. As much material as possible that is original to the instrument will be reclaimed and reused in its restoration. In cases where the original material has been destroyed, compatible parts from Skinner organs of the same vintage will have been located and purchased. Where needed, and as a last resort, faithful replicas will be built. Thanks to gifts from many individuals and, as a thank you to outgoing president Don Randel from his many admirers including trustees, deans and officers of the University and other friends, $1.6 million has been raised towards this goal. The pipes will be removed by the Schantz Organ Company in the summer of 2006 to begin the restoration process.

Carillons require reconditioning every fifty years; the Rockefeller Carillon is somewhat overdue. The carillon will be cleaned and renovated by expert craftspersons who will remove corrosion from bells and mechanical parts; they will replace the clappers, many of which have become flattened over the years. The console will be repositioned for maximum playing touch, and the mechanical action connecting the bells to the console will be adjusted, repaired, or replaced with parts approved by the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.

A Focus on Music Performance

These important projects - the restoration of the Skinner Organ and the Rockefeller Carillon - herald a new chapter of music performance at Rockefeller Chapel. They are part of a long-term vision for music at the chapel. Once these magnificent instruments are restored, plans call for the addition of a smaller Baroque instrument to the chapel. This second instrument will solidify the chapel's position as a center for organ performance in the midwest, and will attract musicians from around the world for recitals, master classes, and international competitions.

Gifts to Treasure

The organ and carillon are gifts, gifts which belong in a true sense to all those who have heard and been moved by the music made on them. The projects described in this page help assure that Rockefeller Chapel's musical treasures will be drawn upon by future generations of performers and listeners. Gifts to support these projects not only help preserve irreplaceable instruments in a rich musical tradition, but they enrich the lives of all who are touched by that tradition. For more information, contact:

Lorraine Brochu
Assistant to the Dean for External Affairs
Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
5850 South Woodlawn Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60637
(773) 702-7059
lcbrochu@uchicago.edu