MOUNT HERMON : USA - MA

   McRoberts Memorial Carillon

*Location:

   The Rhodes Center for the Arts
   Northfield Mount Hermon School
     (was Northfield & Mt.Hermon Schools)
   off Mass.Hwy.10 via Lamplighter Way
     or F.Sumner Turner Drive
     or Main and Mt.Hermon Roads
   Mount Hermon,
     Gill, Massachusetts, USA
   LL: N 42.71528, W 72.4836

Site locator map for present location or

*Former location (1966-2008):

   Sage Chapel
   Northfield campus of NMH School
   Main Street (Mass.Hwy 10),
     north of Moody Street
   East Northfield,
     Northfield, Massachusetts, USA
   LL: N 42.71528, W 72.44292

Site locator map for original location or
Also see our own Map Use Hints.

*Player:

   (Not yet appointed)

   19??-?? Lucy I. Dechéne   (C)

*Contact:

   Music Department
   E: sheffernon@nmhschool.org  [chair]
   Northfield Mt.Hermon School
   One Lamplighter Way
   Mount Hermon, MA  01354
   T: (413)498-3000   F: (413)498-3010
   - or -
   Bill Rowe, Dir.Advancement
   T: (413)498-3601
   E: browe@nmhschool.org
   - or -
   E: info@nmhschool.org

*Schedule:

   None since 2003, when Sage Chapel was
   closed because of hazardous conditions.

*Remarks:

   Former Northfield campus of NMH was
   founded as the Northfield Seminary for
   Young Ladies, and merged with Mount
   Hermon School for Boys in 1971.
   Sage Chapel, built in 1909, was a
   memorial to Russell Sage; original
   bells given by Fleming H. Revell.
   Carillon installation by Arthur Bigelow
   (perhaps his last one); it is a
   near-twin to UC/Riverside, which was
   installed in the same year.
   2006: The school is in transition,
   with the Northfield campus to be sold
   or leased.
   Apr.2008: Bells being reinstalled,
   but with electric action only.  Not
   clear whether original clavier was
   preserved for possible future use.
   Existence of previous 8 bells, recast
   into present 47, is newly reported.

*Technical data:

   Electric-keyboard carillon of 47 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is C  in the middle octave
   Transposition is nil (concert pitch)
   Keyboard range:     C C   /    C G   
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The whole instrument was installed in 1966
     with bells made by Paccard     
   Prior history:
     In 1924, a complete instrument was installed
       with 8 bells made by Whitechapel 
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
   Year of latest technical information source is 2004

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

*Links:

The school Website once had photos of Sage Chapel and the belfry, but they are no longer available.  A brief news clip about the relocation, with a small photo of the new tower (before installation of the bells), incorrectly adds the original 8 to the present 47 to get 55!  A page about the arts center has a link to a page about the carillon project.

A Webpage about the NMH Class of '58, which funded the relocation, includes photos of both Sage Chapel and the Rhodes Center tower under construction.

A local news article about the relocation of the carillon has a photo of one of the large bells.

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Whitechapel bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard 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 age.

Index to all traditional carillons in MA.

Index to all tower bell instruments in MA.

*Status:

   This page was built from the database on 26-Apr-08
   based on textual data last updated on 2008/04/22
   and on technical data last updated on 2008/04/20

Explanations of page format and keyboard range are available.

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