Free. Free Parking in the lot in front of the tower on Euclid Avenue also along Bellflower Rd behind the tower, a great place to hear the concert.
You can also tune in on your computer, tablet, or smart phone through our YouTube channel
Jon Lehrer
Michigan state and Grand Valley Universities
Program
Something Old, Something New
Jon Lehrer, University Carillonist
Michigan State and Grand Valley Universities
I. Shall We Dance?
Minuet from Musick for A While Ronald Barnes (USA) (1927-1997)
Danza Española #2 Enrique Granados (1867-1916) arr. J. Lehrer
Hattem Groove Kenneth Theunissen (b. 1973)
II. Bbarnes Serenadebs (announced by 2 tolls on the new Bb bell)
Processional from Serenade I ( Ronald Barnes (1927-1997)
Flamenco from Serenade II
Barcarolle from Serenade I
III. Bbelgian Romancebs (announced by 3 tolls on the new Eb bell)
Minuet & Trio Staf Nees (1901-1965)
Ballade voor Beiaard Jef Rottier (1904-1985)
IV. Beyond the C (announced by the 4 C# bells, ending with the newest)
Over the Rainbow Harold Arlen (1905-1986) arr. G. DeWaardt
Sonatine Stefano Colletti (b. 1973)
V. Finale (announced by the 5 D bells, ending with the newest)
Chorale Partita III: The Harmony of Zion John Knox (1932-2021)
*The ringing of the 4 newest bells are noted as follows: (2 5) in parentheses to indicate there are 2 strikes of the Bb and 5 of the Eb within the piece, and [2 5] in brackets would indicate there are 2 strikes of the high c# and 5 of the high d.
Jon Lehrer is the 6th University Carillonist of Michigan State University and the 2nd University Carillonist of Grand Valley State University. A graduate of Yale University and the Royal Carillon School of Belgium, Jon is also a laureate of 5 international competitions for carillon, including The Queen Fabiola, the NKV, and the Alexius Julien Baroque Competitions. A regular on the global stage, he has also toured for the Canada Council for the Arts as a concert soloist, and on the North American renaissance festival circuit as a musican-entertainer. Jon was once a data scientist and cancer researcher but now focuses on creating moments of beauty for a busy university communities, advancing the carillon art, and instructing the next generation of carillonists.
Program Notes
Major renovations are cause enough for celebration, even more so when accompanied by 4 beautiful new bells. I wanted not only to showcase these new additions, but to help us recognize the moments in which they are ringing. It is customary to ring “tellers” to indicate the section of the program, and I use this as an opportunity to play each new bell on its own. For pieces that incorporate new bells, I also indicate (after the title) how many times each will be rung. Excluding the final piece and tellers between segments, we will here 47 strikes of the Bb, 51 of the Eb, 9 of the c# and 14 of the d. Make of these numbers as you wish, but know they were not selected at random.
For the finale, the final phrase of the piece has been modified to incorporate the new bells (from lowest to highest) within the last few seconds of our concert. Hopefully they can both linger in our ears and serve as a once more for good lucksendoff.
Shall We Dance: All these pieces are dances, though they could not be more different from one another. The Minuetimitates the light yet stately courtly dances of the 18th century, though written more recently. Danza Española #2 is from a 19th century suite of Spanish Dances. Subtitled “Oriental”, #2 is one of the slower and more contemplative dances in the collection. Hattem Groove is full of energetic latin rhythms, though contrasted by a brief lyrical interlude.
Bbarnes Serenadebs: Barnes’ Serenade no. 1 for Carillon was a turning point in carillon composition, popularizing a shift from modified piano composition techniques to new idioms based on the unique acoustics properties of bells. His approachable singable tunes might not sound revolutionary today, but they ushered in a golden age of North American carillon composition that continues to this day. They also showcase the new low Bb and Eb well, with 13 and 42 strikes respectively.
Bbelgian Romancebs: The presence of a low Bb bell in carillons can be traced back to the world’s first carillon school in Mechelen, Belgium, where a historic swinging bell from the tower was connected (via Bb pedal) to the city’s otherwise C-compass carillon. Graduates of the school spread its new romantic performance and composition styles, helping to solidify the Bb’s inclusion in carillons and carillon repertoire worldwide. The middle section (Trio) of the Minuet and Trio allows the low Bb to shine, and in Ballade voor Beiaard, the reprise of the main theme is played over a repeated tolling Bb.
Beyond the C: The McGaffin carillon, which for over half a century topped out at c5, now boasts a c# and d. Since much of the historic meantone carillon repertoire was written in the key of D, these two additions open up many new possibilities for the years to come. Besides echoing the section title, Somewhere Over the Rainbow gives us a nice sampling of the new bells, since the syllables “where” and “-bow” are played on d and the syllables “o-” and “rain” are played on c#. As a result, we’ll get to hear 8 strikes of each. Colletti’s Sonatine, one of my favorite pieces for carillon, can now be played here as originally conceived, with 1 strike of the c# and 6 of the d.
Finale: Chorale Partita III: The Harmony of Zion combines a 19th century American hymn tune (its title reaching back several millennia) with several European Baroque musical forms, all penned by a 20th-21st century British carillonist and composer. Its chorale-like interludes sit quietly between variants of a more virtuosic segment until the themes begin to intermingle, building up the musical texture to its inevitable conclusion. A few modifications to the final cadence allow us to hear each of the 4 new bells one last time, from bottom to top, with the high d having the final say of today’s program.—Jon Lehrer
The carillon can be heard from the grounds around the tower including the Case Western Reserve Campus behind the tower away from the Euclid Avenue traffic noise. Concerts are rain or shine and your car is also a place to hear the concert. Horn honking is an accepted form of applause at the end of the program.
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