Summer carillon recitals begin June 20

The UW–Madison Memorial Carillon, a fixture on campus since the mid-1930s, will be heard in a series of Sunday afternoon and Thursday evening recitals this summer.

The Sunday series takes place at 3 p.m. from June 20-Aug. 1, and the Thursday recitals occur at 7:30 p.m. from July 8-29. All recitals are free and last about one hour. Visitors are invited to climb the tower to observe the carillonneur in performance.

The Memorial Carillon originally comprised 25 bells, cast by the English foundry Gillett and Johnston and dedicated with five recitals during commencement weekend, June 20-22, 1936, by Ira Schroeder, a professor from Iowa State College (now university). Further additions and replacements of some bells took place in 1937 (from England), 1963 (from the Paccard Foundry of France) and 1973 (from the Royal Eijsbouts Foundry of the Netherlands). Schroeder performed the rededication events in September 1963 and May 1973.

With the 1973 expansion, the number of bells reached 56, its current configuration. They cover a span of four and one-half octaves, and weigh from 15 to 6,823 pounds. They are played from a keyboard of wooden batons and pedals high in the tower. An electrical clock mechanism connected to the 37 largest bells, added in 1973, enables the carillon to sound the time on the hour.

Performers for the Sunday recitals include:

• June 20 and 27, July 4 and 25, and Aug. 1: Lyle Anderson, university carillonneur. The program on July 4 features music in celebration of Independence Day.
• July 11: Jim Brown, from Naperville, Ill.
• July 18: Gerald Martindale, Metropolitan United Church, Toronto

  Performers for the Thursday recitals will be:

• July 8: Joseph Daniel, University of Michigan
• July 15 and 29: Anderson
• July 22: Ellen Dickinson, Yale University

The UW Memorial Carillon Tower is located on Observatory Drive, between Ingraham Hall and the Social Science Building. For general information about carillons, visit the Web site of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. For more information, contact Anderson at (608) 219-5291.