So I can spend a ton of time writing a front-page article for the next semiannual GCNA News and a Wikipedia article about the Royal Carillon School, but I can't do a whit of decent writing for school, fellowships, etc. Go figure. Well, it's a reaction against the nonstop work I've been doing, but didn't I already get my share of canal cycling yesterday (in America! Yes!), thereby restoring my sanity? Suggestions and corrections and directions on how to be even more PC are requested:
The 2006 Congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America took place from June 20 to 23 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. It began with a pre-congress trip during which participants were warmly received at the carillons of Simsbury United Methodist Church and Trinity College. Trinity’s Resident Carillonneur Daniel Kehoe gave a recital highlighting the sonorities of Yale’s sister carillon.
Activity then moved to the verdant collegiate Gothic grounds of Branford College at Yale, the heart of the congress’ events as it had been before in 1969. Branford’s complex of vaulted passageways and turrets rises into the splendor of Harkness Tower, from which bells by John Taylor Bell Founders have sounded over New Haven since 1921, first as a ten-bell chime. When expansion to a fifty-four-bell carillon was begun in 1964, enterprising students established the Yale University Guild of Carillonneurs, the only student group charged with all the responsibilities of an active carillon program. The Yale Guild celebrated its fortieth anniversary by hosting a sunny congress alive with recitals, talks, and other events.
Each day began with a general business meeting during which members reported on and debated topics both ongoing and new to the advancement of the group’s goals for the carillon in North America. The results of a survey by the Professional Concerns Committee were a wake-up call, revealing that a large proportion of carillonneurs work for little or no pay. A resolution was passed extending voting privileges within the GCNA membership, and the board of directors voted Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania as the host of the 2009 congress and Naperville, Illinois as the host for 2010. Three officers were voted onto the Board of Directors: Helen Hawley, Patrick Macoska (second term), and Gordon Slater. Advancement recitals followed each meeting, and all were successful, resulting in the induction of nine new Carillonneur Members.
On the first congress day, Geert D’hollander and Liesbeth Janssens played a scintillating opening duet concert with travel from Belgium sponsored by American Airlines. Jeremy Chesman followed with a fitting concert of Flemish romantic music. A presentation by members of the Yale Guild elucidated its successful student-run operation and energetic activity, and Tin-Shi Tam narrated the origin of bells and their contemporary musical role in China with a multimedia lecture. The evening ended with an opening reception sponsored by the Yale University Collection of Musical Instruments, where carillonneurs mingled amongst priceless historical instruments and an ethnomusicological exhibit by Tiffany Ng of bells and historic documents.
Additional activities enriched the second congress day, including open tower time, a solo handbell ringing workshop, international music sales, and extensive exhibits mounted by the Yale Guild in cathedral-like Sterling Memorial Library documenting the history of bells and bell-ringers at the university. Materials included the autograph manuscript of Virgil Thompson’s duet, “Bell Piece for the Yale Carillon.” A formidable concert by Eddy Mariën inspired listeners for Lisa Lonie’s talk on concert programming strategies before carillonneurs flooded BAR, a local pizza institution and brewery, courtesy of sponsors The Verdin Company and Royal Bellfounders Petit & Fritsen. Margo Halsted concluded the day with yet another fine concert.
The third congress day featured a recital by Lee Cobb, Dennis Curry, John Gouwens, and Carlo van Ulft of new publications and compositions over a lunch sponsored by Meeks, Watson & Company. As winner of the 2006 GCNA Composition Competition, Cobb premiered his “Sonata” with eloquence. A panel discussion explored ongoing needs and developing opportunities in North American carillon education, adding excitement to the near-finalization of the Ronald Barnes Memorial Scholarship Fund. Finally, Yale Guild alumni Roy Lee and Ellen Dickinson offered adept recitals, with Dickinson premiering two winning entries of the Yale Carillon Composition Competition, “Impulses and Ratiocinations” by Jacob First and “Martelé” by Yoshiaki Onishi. The afternoon feast of new music was followed by an ice cream social sponsored by Fonderie Paccard.
On the final congress day, John Bordley previewed the next congress at Sewanee: The University of the South, and Todd Fair gave an illuminating master class to talented students. New Carillonneur Members Lara Walter, Christine Power, and Tiffany Ng performed a recital of wide-ranging repertoire, and Kim Schafer delivered her paper, “The Carillon and Auditory Culture: Carillon Music in Louvain, Belgium in the late 18th century.” The day concluded with a magnificent concert by Milford Myhre.
Amongst open bars and massive dinosaur skeletons in the Peabody Museum of Natural History, the Royal Eijsbouts closing banquet began the evening with the spectacularly successful first Barnes Silent Auction, a thrilling drive that raised over $5,800 for the scholarship fund. Dinnertime remarks highlighted the hard work of current members of the Yale Guild, and Jim Smith graced the diners with some wry observations.
Participants in the post-congress trip journeyed the next morning to the Riverside Church in New York City and enjoyed a demonstration of the five-manual Skinner organ. Cathedral carillonneur Dionisio Lind and guest artist Justin Ryan performed expressively on the newly renovated and heaviest carillon in the world. As the day came to an end, participants bid farewell to each other until the next gathering in Sewanee.
More people than can be listed deserve recognition for their contributions, among them Roy Lee ‘01, initiator of Yale’s bid to host the congress; Ellen Dickinson ‘97, Yale University Bell Consultant; Emily Johnson ‘05 and Tiffany Ng ‘05, who saw the renovation of Harkness Tower and its facilities to completion; and Christina Meyer ’06 and Claire Halpert ’07, whose leadership in every stage of planning and execution in the final year made the congress a success. Yale Guild members Yesol Huh, Christina Jacovides, Jason Lee, Richard Ramberg, Betsy Williams, and Brendan Woo worked around the clock at the congress, and though not in attendance, university officials Philip Greene, former Dean Richard Brodhead, and Deputy Secretary Martha Highsmith opened the doors that made the Yale Guild’s work possible. Congratulations to them and countless others for their tireless efforts to bring this congress to fruition!
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