News from The McGaffin Carillon in University Circle.
Restoration Highlight--The Clavier
Restoration Hightlight
The highly anticipated restoration and renovation of The McGaffin Carillon is complete. We are very thankful for the over 225 donors who have made this possible. A list of donors is on the Friends of the McGaffin Carillon website https://www.ucbells.org/friends . In these series of highlights The Friends of the McGaffin Carillon would like to honor some of the major gifts as well as some of the major upgrades to the installation.
Clavier
Mildred Russin and Frank Svoboda
The New Clavier
There are new bells, and those will be highlighted in a later post. But those won’t be heard unless the performer has a proper clavier (keyboard) from which to play them. After over fifty years the old clavier had become so worn that it made so much noise the performer couldn’t hear what they were playing. The new clavier is a gift of the estate of Frank J. Svoboda. Frank was a good friend of the late Mildred Russin and both were very supportive of music at The Church of the Covenant, especially the carillon. Mildred arranged for the gift from Frank’s estate.
The new clavier is built to a standard set by The World Carillon Federation in 2006. It is made of sturdy oak, with maple batons. Its smooth and quiet action is a welcome change from the old clavier.
The clavier is connected mechanically to the clappers of each of the fifty-one bells, a hand lever for each of the bells, and foot levers for the lowest twenty-five. The bells have been hung on new framing that brings the smaller bells closer to the clavier. All of this makes for a quieter and more responsive action. The musicians will have an easier time bringing more subtle nuance to their performances.
The Bells Have Returned!
On Friday, May 16, a large container from The Netherlands arrived at the tower. This was the shipment of our twenty-four bells that spent the winter abroad along with four new bells. Also included was all the new hardware for the carillon as well as the new clavier. A crane lifted the equipment into the tower and the three workers from Royal Eijsbouts started the three week process of installing it all.
"Backstage" at Two Cleveland Heights Carillons
Have you been missing our bells as much as we have? There are two other nearby four octave carillons and we've been invited for two Saturday morning carillon crawls to visit these towers and their attached church buildings.
Saturday, April 5. Visit the carillon at The Church of the Saviour in Cleveland Heights. Sheryl Modlin, FMC board member and Church of the Saviour Carillonneur, has invited us to visit this instrument that was installed in 1953-54. It is another carillon with Dutch bells, but by a different foundry than The McGaffin Carillon. Climb into the tower and watch a demonstration of the carillon. Wander the church while the church organist demonstrates the organ.
More information and Reserve Tickets for April 5 Visit to Church of the Saviour
Saturday, May 3. Visit St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Cleveland Heights. David Osburn, FMC board member and St. Paul's Carillonneur has invited us. This instrument was installed in 1928 as an eight bell chime and expanded twice since to its current forty-seven bells. Climb the tower to visit the carillon, wander the church art gallery, hear a demonstration of the church organs.
More information and Reserve Tickets for May 3 Visit to St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
Both crawls begin at 9am with a continental breakfast and conclude with a box lunch.
Please order your tickets now. There will be an additional $5 charge for registrations the morning of the event.
Cost-Each Event
$10 Children ($15 day of event, Under 12 accompanied by an adult)
$25 Adults ($30 day of event)
Contact the FMC Office for more information (216) 535-4411 info@ucbells.org
Friends of the McGaffin Carillon 2024 Annual Report
The
Restoration and Renovation
Has Started!
Despite a shortened program year to start our long-awaited renovation, we did manage to perform over 30 concerts and we estimate that over 6000 people enjoyed those concerts in person or online. Read about it in our 2024 Annual Report.
The McGaffin Carillon Goes Silent During Major Restoration and Renovation
On August 18, 2024 a concert by George Leggiero, Keiran Cantilina, and Patrick Macoska celebrated the start of the final phase of the carillon’s restoration and renovation. Within days the instrument was disassembled and plans were made for the spring installation of the new framing, bells, and playing mechanism.
Some of the smaller bells on display before they were crated up for their trip back to The Netherlands.
The twenty-four smallest bells are making a trip back to The Netherlands, to the shop where they were cast and tuned in 1968. They are needed to fabricate the new framing, clappers, and mechanism. Before they were packed up, they were on display and people had a rare chance to be close to them and even get to try ringing them.
Redmar Willems, Eelco Eijer, and Frank Reemers, from Royal Eijsbouts, the Dutch firm who cast the original McGaffin Bells in 1968 came to disassemble the carillon and get the tower ready for the spring re-installation of the instrument. After their ten days, the bells and their tools are packed and ready for the trip back to The Netherlands.