CHICAGO - UC : USA - IL

   The Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial
     Carillon

*Location:

   Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
   University of Chicago
   E. 59th Street and S. Woodlawn Avenue
   Chicago, Illinois, USA
   LL: N 41.78860, W 87.59686

Site locator map  or   or  Bing Maps
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*Player:

   Wylie Crawford,   (C)
     University Carillonneur
   701 Sheridan Road
   Evanston, IL  60202-2501
   H: (847)328-2333   W: (847)328-5193
   F: (847)328-5196
   E: Wylie@Crawford.net
   - and -
   James Fackenthal,   (C)
     Assistant Carillonneur
   5303 South Drexel Avenue
   Chicago, IL  60615-4907
   H: (773)288-0725   W: (773)834-2689
   E: fackentl@midway.uchicago.edu

   1932-53 Frederick L. Marriott   (d.)
   1953-60 James R. Lawson (1919-2003)
   1960-69 Daniel Robins   (d.)
   1969-84 Robert Lodine   (d.)

*Contact:

   Rockefeller Memorial Chapel
   University of Chicago
   5850 South Woodlawn Avenue
   (or 1156 East 59th Street)
   Chicago, IL  60637-1628
   T: (773)702-2100

*Schedule:

   Noon and 6pm Mon-Fri and noon Sunday,
   when school is in session; tours of
   the tower (free) begin 1/2 hour before.
   Summer series normally 6pm Sundays
   from mid-June thru August.

*Remarks:

   Second-heaviest carillon in the world.
   The bourdon (C#) was cast at 365-2-23
   (40959 lbs); after tuning it was
   shipped at 330-1-2 (36990 lbs).  The
   commonly reported weight of 38080 lbs
   is exactly 340 cwt, or 17 tonnes,
   an approximation.  Swinging bells are
   do1, fa1, sol1, la1, do2.
   Renovation of 2007-9 removed 46 bells
   from tower; some were re-tuned; new
   playing & 2 practice keyboards built
   to WCF 2006 design with max keyfall;
   transmission completely re-oriented.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 72 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is C# in the bass octave
   Transposition is down 4 semitone(s)
   Keyboard range:     C F 66/    F D 33
   There is one missing bass semitone
   The bells were re-tuned in 2008
     by Eijsbouts   
   Prior history:
     In 1932, the complete instrument was installed
       with bells made by Gillett & Johnston
   Year of latest technical information source is 2008

Additional information on the technical history of this instrument can be found in a database printout.

*Links:

A campus map facility provides both customized locator maps and building photos for the Chapel as well as Mitchell Tower with its 10-bell ring.  (Click the main photo to see another page of photos.)

Sample announcement of the tower tours which are available in conjunction with twice-daily carillon recitals (see Schedule above)

Photo of the tower shrouded in scaffolding during the recent renovation

Building photos from Emporis Buildings
(Also see our Emporis Advice.)

Where this work lies in the sequence of output of the Gillett & Johnston bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all North American traditional carillons by weight.
Ranking among all North American traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all North American concert class carillons by year of completion.

Index to all traditional carillons in IL.

Index to all tower bell instruments in IL.

*Status:

   This page was built from the database on 21-Jun-10
   based on textual data last updated on 2010/06/21
   and on technical data last updated on 2008/02/20

Explanations of page format and keyboard range are available.

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