Friends of the McGaffin Carillon Visits the 75 Congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America

The Thomas J. Emery Memorial Carillon, Mariemont, OH

During the congress we heard 14 carillon concerts on two different instruments and six presentations about carillon, music, and history. There were four Guild business meetings. We attended evensong at an Episcopal convent and a duo organ concert at a church in Cincinnati. During a trip to a bell foundry watched a bell being cast. 

Covenant and University Circle Carillonneur, George Leggiero with Board President, Denise Horstman, and Board Member and frequent guest carillonneur, David Osburn, attended the annual congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. The congress took place in Mariemont Ohio June 18-22, 2017. We also visited carillons Dayton and Cincinnati. 

David Osburn, Denise Horstman, and George Leggiero. 

The Deeds Memorial Carillon, Dayton, Ohio

Sister Jacquiline welcomed us and told us about the history of the order and the chapel. Later we joined the sisters for evensong. 

The impressive 175th anniversary bell designed and cast by Verdin. 

Preparing the mold for the new bell.

Wednesday was a day with four concerts, four presentations, and a business meeting. We learned about discoveries in the Guild Archives and about the discovery of carillon music composed by Gian Carlo Menotti and Rosario Scalero. We also heard the prize winning compositions in the Guild's Johan Franco Composition Competition. 

Tuesday we traveled to Carillon Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio to hear several concerts on the fine carillon there and to tour the grounds. The museum chronicles the impressive history of the creativity and milestones in Dayton history. After lunch and concerts we boarded busses to visit the chapel of the Episcopal Convent of the Transfiguration in Glendale, Ohio. 

The Chapel of the Transfiguration, Glendale, Ohio. Ralph Adams Cram, architect, the same man who designed the McGaffin Tower..

After evensong, we bussed into Cincinnati where we visited the Verdin Company who  were celebrating their 175 years of casting bells. After a "Taste of Cincinnati" dinner, we toured the factory and watched the casting of a bell on the company's mobile foundry. 

The Verdin Mobile Foundry

The bronze reaches 2000 degrees F and is ready to be cast into a new bell.

The molten bronze is poured into the mold. The mold will be opened in a few days. 

Leon Bibb Visits The McGaffin Tower

Leon Bibb spent a recent afternoon at the tower with his videographer and producer. He was inspired to include the tower as one of his "My Ohio" segments on Cleveland's WEWS Channel 5.

Leon Bibb visits The McGaffin Tower and Carillon as one of his "My Ohio" segments

CLEVELAND - "When do the bells ring for me," sings the great American singer Tony Bennett.  He is among my favorite singers.  I thought of him when I heard bells ringing in University Circle.  But the bells reverberated not only for me, but for thousands of other people who were within earshot of 47 bells being played at the highest point of Church of the Covenant, an iconic building in the area.

Ringing the bells was George Leggiero, Covenant and University Circle Carillonneur........

Click here or image above to read the entire story and view his 5 1/2 minute view of the tower.

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/my-ohio/carillon-at-clevelands-church-of-the-covenant-keeps-bells-ringing-musically-for-thousands

Holiday Circlefest 2015 a Great Success!

Almost seven gallons of hot spiced tea and twenty dozen cookies disappeared as hundreds of visitors to University Circle Inc.’s annual Holiday CircleFest met FMC volunteers at a tent near the Covenant shuttle stop to become Tower Tourists.

We expanded from three to four CircleFest Tower Tours this year, but still far exceeded comfortable numbers for the last tour of the day—last year’s 3 p.m. tour group was about 30 persons, so this year’s big crowd was 3-4 times what we could have predicted. Our sincere apologies to anyone who gave up on that climb to the carillon. We will find a way to offer one or two additional tours next year and limit the size to maximize enjoyment for all.

Thanks to all who gave us their e-mail addresses to enter a drawing for one of three personalized Tower Tours. Congratulations to the three winners drawn by University Circle Carillonneur George Leggiero.

When the bells toll: McGaffin Carillon rings over University Circle

Article by Aquene Kimmel in the Observer, the student newspaper of Case Western Reserve University.   9 October 2015

                Aquene Kimmel - Observer

Underneath 47 massive bells, weighing more than 15,000 pounds in total, George Leggiero is right at home.

Inside the Church of the Covenant, Leggiero began the trek up a tightly wound spiral staircase, the same trek he has been making for the past 42 years since he was a student at Case Western Reserve University.

Atop the stairs, about 80 feet above the bustling Euclid Avenue, an instrument sits on a raised platform. It looks something like a hollow piano with two rows of wooden handles instead of white and black keys. Two rows of foot pedals protrude from its base. Wires stretch up from the back of the instrument and disappear, through the ceiling, to the bells above......read more

Montessori High School at University Circle Visits the Tower

Nearly twenty French students from the Montessori High School at University Circle brought their lunches over from Magnolia Dr. to the Lunchtime Carillon Concert on Friday, Sept. 25. They all climbed the tower to the clavier level to see the instrument prior to the concert, some staying to enjoy the view and the breeze from the 80-some-foot-high balcony while listening to the music. Afterward, University Circle Carillonneur George Leggiero taught them about carillons in France and French Canada. Many thanks to Montessori's French and physical education teacher, Nancy Smekal, for arranging this special educational event (with a little cardio as well!).