St Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church Carillon - Scottsdale, Arizona
N 33° 32.105 W 111° 56.021
12S E 413308 N 3710998
This desert church takes pride in their carillon
Waymark Code: WM981Z
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 07/11/2010
Views: 18
The carillon is a project from a foundry in the Netherlands. Royal Eijsbouts (Dutch: Koninklijke Eijsbouts) Bell Foundry from Asten, The Netherlands, created the bells used by Chime Master to create the carillon at this church. Eijsbouts has been in business for more than 135 years and has provided bells for prestigious installations all over the world.
From the church website:
The 25-bell carillon was dedicated October 7, 2006 with a concert by one of America's foremost carillonneurs, James Welch. The 4,074 pounds of bells, forged by a Dutch foundry, now play electronically on the hour from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but there are plans for manually performed carillon recitals from time to time.
Inscriptions on the bells note they were given in appreciation for the ministry of The Right Reverend John and Jan Thornton. John Thornton is a retired Episcopal bishop for the Diocese of Idaho who served as interim rector of St. Barnabas from December 2002 through March 2004. The Thorntons were on hand for the dedication and services that featured two concerts by Welch.
Carillons are distinct in that their bells are stationary and their strikers are pulled against them. More commonly, bells suspended in towers are rocked back and forth so that they hit stationary strikers.
St. Barnabas' set features a dozen bells distributed on four levels facing the northwest and 13 bells on four levels facing the southwest. Cables lead down to the tower's tiny room where the carillonneur performs at the console. For automatic or programmed music, a computerized system uses pneumatics to force air through tubes to move the batons so they pull the cables.