MISSOULA : USA - MT

*Location:

   Ellis Tower
   Main Hall
   University of Montana
   (formerly Montana State University)
   Missoula, Montana, USA
   LL: N 46.86021, W 113.98378

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

*Player:

   Nancy J. Cooper
   Music Department, University of Montana
   Missoula, MT  59812
   W: (406)243-2080
   E: nancy.cooper@umontana.edu

   1969-92 John C. Ellis  (d.1992)

*Contact:

   Shirley Howell, Dean
   School of Fine Arts
   University of Montana
   Missoula, MT  59812
   T: (406)243-4970

*Schedule:

   Tue-Fri noon

*Remarks:

   1977 playing keyboard by Verdin.
   Tower named in 1992 in memory of
   John C. Ellis.  Practice keyboard by
   Verdin, 1993, 53 notes.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 47 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is F  in the middle octave
   Transposition is up  5 semitone(s)
   Keyboard range:     C C   /    C C 23
   There are two missing bass semitones
   There is a non-identical practice console
   The present keyboard was installed in 1977
     by the maker cited in Remarks above
   Prior history:
     In 1953, the complete instrument was installed
       with bells made by vanBergen   
   Year of latest technical information source is 2005

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

*Links:

On the university Website, the search facility will turn up numerous news articles about the carillon, but not a replacement for a former page about the history of Main Hall, which included a description of the carillon, nor for a related page which had a photograph of some of the bells.  Warning--the campus map faces east, not north!  (The downloadable version does have a properly oriented compass rose.)  A campus postcards facility includes a variety of photos of Main Hall.

A long series of photos by Bill Haygood includes many of these bells but also some surprises.

Where this work lies in the sequence of output of the vanBergen 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 MT.

Index to all tower bell instruments in MT.

*Status:

   This page was built from the database on  5-Oct-05
   based on textual data last updated on 2006/10/05
   and on technical data last updated on 2005/03/04

Explanations of page format and keyboard range are available.

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