The Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon

Listen to the Carillon |  Photographs

The Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Carillon, given to the University of Chicago by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in memory of his mother, was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, 1932. It is the largest single installation of a carillon ever achieved, and remains the second largest carillon in the world. Cast in Croydon, England, this carillon is considered to be the masterpiece of the foundry of Gillett & Johnston.

The Carillon Defined

A carillon is a musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bells, precisely tuned for harmonious effect and played from a console permitting control of expression through variations of touch. The bells are arranged in chromatic progression, including the sharps and flats, so that music in any key can be played.

In contrast with other kinds of bells, carillon bells are not swung but are fixed to a metal frame. While the bells themselves do not move, the clappers strike the inside lip of the bells to produce a sound. The clappers are connected by means of wires and a tracker system to a playing console that controls both rhythm and dynamics. Thus the carillon is capable of producing a considerable range of sound patterns.

The Rockefeller Carillon, with its 18 1/2-ton bourdon, or bass bell, is the second largest carillon in the world. It consists of 72 bells with a compass of six octaves, starting on the C# two octaves below middle C. The total weight of the bronze in the instrument is over 100 tons, including about 78 tons of copper and 22 tons of tin.

The art of carillon playing originated nearly 500 years ago in the area of Europe that now comprises the Netherlands, Belgium, and northern France. It is there that the greatest concentration of carillons can still be found, with close to 400 instruments in use.

Although the first carillon in North America was installed at Notre Dame University in 1856, most instruments on this side of the Atlantic were not built until the late 1920s and early 1930s.

The Chicago carillon is 'only' the second-largest carillon, but it is nevertheless the single largest carillon installation ever achieved. A larger instrument is in the tower of The Riverside Church in New York City. Donated by John D. Rockefeller, it also bears the name of Laura Spelman Rockefeller. It, too, was cast in large part by the Gillett and Johnston firm, a year before the completion of the Chicago instrument, and contains two bells more - one larger bourdon and one smaller bell - than its counterpart. However, the New York instrument reached its current senior status as a result of several growth spurts, incorporating the bells of two separate foundries.

Playing the Carillon

Many people imagine that the carillon is an electronically controlled or automatic device, perhaps because of the clockwork and chiming mechanism attached to most instruments. In fact, the carillon is powered entirely by the force of the performer's hands and feet.

The playing console consists of a double row of oak keys, or 'batons,' plus a pedal board. The carillonneur (car'il lon nur") plays the instrument by depressing these batons with loosely clenched fists. The batons are in standard keyboard arrangement, with the lower row corresponding to the white keys and the upper row to the black. The pedals, which are linked to the batons, are used to control the heavier bass bells.

Other Ways of Ringing the Bells

There are two alternate ways of ringing the bells: pealing and chiming. Five of the larger bells are mounted on wheels and can be swung in a random peal. This is accomplished by means of a set of electric motors that are controlled from the base of the bell tower. Since the clappers on these five bells must swing freely, a special outside clapper has been provided for regular carillon playing. These bells are swung each Sunday, just prior to the University Ecumenical Service. To hear a sound sample of the peal, visit this page!

Throughout the day from 8:00 in the morning until 10:45 in the evening, the same bells are rung to signal the hour. A computer system drives an electro-pneumatic system which then plays a melody on as many as nine bells. This system is silenced during carillon recitals and other chapel events.

Why the Bells Sound Mournful

Because of their shapes, bells generate certain harmonics that are not present in other instruments, including the perfect fifth and the minor third above the strike tone. This last harmonic causes carillon bells to sound out of tune to the unaccustomed ear. Yet the same harmonics, in the hands of a skilled composer or arranger, give the carillon its distinctive, rich sound. To hear sound samples of the Rockefeller Carillon, click here!

The Best Listening Location

Because of the placement of the openings in the tower, the four primary compass points are the best locations to hear the carillon. The picturesque cloister of Ida Noyes Hall, southeast of the Chapel, is a favored spot because it minimizes traffic noise. The grassy area at the corner of 58th Street and Woodlawn Avenue, just north of the Chapel, is also an excellent listening area.

How to Become a Carillonneur

Although there are roughly 180 carillons in North America, there are no carillon schools on this continent, and few full-time paid positions exist for carillonneurs. Most performers have learned from active carillonneurs or are self-taught. Experience on some other keyboard instrument is generally considered prerequisite for carillon study. The major organization in North America that promotes the carillon is the The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.

Carillon lessons can be arranged by contacting Wylie Crawford, University Carillonneur.

Performance Schedule

During the University academic session, from about October 1st to June 15th, the carillon is played daily, except Saturday:

Sunday 12:00 noon
Monday-Friday Noon and 6:00 p.m.

For ten Sunday evenings throughout the summer, carillonneurs from around North America and the world perform free hour-long 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 northeast door to the Chapel (the Chapel Office) one-half hour before the scheduled performance time. On Sundays, visitors can meet at the front of the Chapel, by the pulpit, directly following the Ecumenical Service. (To sample the view from the top, click here).

The instrument is also played for special occasions, such as convocations, musical events, and weddings. Tours of the bell tower for groups of six or more may be arranged by inquiring at the chapel office.

Restoration Needs

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 that 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 $750,000.

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. If you would like to find out more about the campaign to raise funds for carillon restoration, or if you would like to contribute to this fund, please 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

More Information

Wylie Crawford, University Carillonneur
wylie@crawford.net

James Fackenthal, Assistant Carillonneur
fackentl@midway.uchicago.edu