23 Jul “The Voice” of WCC
Did you know that the first carillon at WCC was given as a gift to the congregation by Mr. and Mrs. Theron Mandeville Woolson? The electronic carillon was dedicated on December 18, 1955 to the “children of Winnetka in loving and grateful memory of June Mandeville Woolson” who had died in 1946 at age 21.
The chair of the Board of Trustees (the predecessor of today’s Council) spoke these brief but eloquent words of acceptance. “Our church tower, so long silent, now has a voice.”
But what is a carillon? The set of bells now known as a carillon originated in Flanders, possibly at Aalst or Antwerp, in about 1480. The Flemish devised a wooden keyboard for use alongside the chiming cylinder.
A carillon is a musical instrument that consists of a set of at least 23 bells that have been precisely tuned to produce the notes of a western scale. They are struck with clappers connected to a keyboard of wooden batons played with the hands and pedals played with the feet.
A musician who plays the carillon is known as a carillonneur or carillonist. They are most often specially trained, as the carillon is an instrument entirely unlike any other.
At WCC, the carillon could be played from the keyboard of the church organ console or automatically by means of player rolls. (Think player piano in a saloon).
The original carillon consisted of tiny cast bronze rods that were stuck by tiny hammers. The sound was barely audible but with the help of electronic amplification the tones of such musical hits “Westminster Peal” could be heard throughout the village. Until the 1980s, that is, when the original WCC carillon went silent.
However, the voice of WCC’s tower is about to be amplified once more!
Thanks to the research and great effort of Tom Anderson and the Sesquicentennial Committee, WCC will now enter the digital age of carillons with the arrival of the Chime Master’s Millennium unit.
The size of a very good stereo amplifier and when paired with hi-def stereo speakers, it has the capability to play thousands of songs and hymns from traditional to contemporary. And as with any digital device it can be controlled remotely or be linked to a live keyboard.
This new addition to the music heritage of WCC will be for our congregational enjoyment and will be shared with the Village. We anticipate beginning to use the carillon in the fall as we celebrate our 150th!
The Sesquicentennial Committee with great thanks to George Brodsky’s book: Remember Rejoice, Renew.
