Arvella Schuller Carillon

*Location:

   Crean Tower
   Christ Cathedral (RC)
   (formerly The Crystal Cathedral;
     originally Garden Grove Community
       Church, Reformed Church in America)
   West Chapman Avenue at South Lewis St.
   Garden Grove, California, USA
   LL: N 33.78774, W 117.89923

   Either exterior cable hoist (2-person
   free-swinging basket) or 140' (45m) of
   vertical ladders (safety harness
   available).

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   Melissa Weidner   (C) [interim]
   E: musicamsacram /@/ hotmail.com

   1990-2002 James R. Lawson (1919-2003)
   1993-2010 Rick Breitenbecher   (A)

*Contact:

   Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange
   13280 Chapman Avenue
   Garden Grove, CA  92840
   T: 714-282-3000, 714-971-2141
   F: 714-282-3029
   E: parish/@/christcathedralparish.org
      mbungcag@rcbo.org
   - or -
   David Ball, Cathedral Organist
   E: david/@/davidballorgan DOTcom

*Schedule:

   Sundays at noon; Christmas Eve;
   Independence Day; before organ recitals
   and other special programs.
   Mon-Sat automatic hymn tunes at noon.

*Remarks:

   Major-third bells; Cambridge quarters.
   Also playable from both organ consoles
   (without expression).
   2011: Property being sold at bankruptcy
   to Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange
   [County]; three-year transition.
   2014: Property being adapted as the
   cathedral of the Diocese;
   consecration planned for early 2016.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 52 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is C  in the middle octave
   Keyboard range:     C E   /    C C 24
   Transposition is nil (concert pitch)
   There is one missing bass semitone
   There is an identical practice console
   The whole instrument was installed in 1990
     with bells made by Eijsbouts    
   Auxiliary mechanisms: OQ4E  
   Tower details: 
     Height of console:                 45 meters above ground
     Height of lowest level of bells:   42 meters above ground
     Height of highest level of bells:  50 meters above ground
     Belfry openness:  60%
   Year of latest technical information source is 1994

The Website of the Cathedral is extensive, but unfortunately says almost nothing about the carillon.

Google Streetview images of the tower from the south side or from the west side; tilt either photo up to see the series of vertical ladders that provide access to the playing room and belfry.

Diocesan newsletter article about the bells; organ and carillon being reconditioned for consecration of the cathedral, now scheduled for early 2016.  Organ work, by Ruffati Fratelli of Italy, contracted in early Dec.2013.  Organ is among ten largest in world; 287 ranks, over 16000 pipes from three sources (part Ruffatti, part Aeolian Skinner), now in four locations.
A category index page for the same publication includes several interesting photos of the tower, as links to various stories about plans and progress toward renovating and adapting the campus and buildings for Catholic use.

News article about the forthcoming dedication of Christ Cathedral (RC), formerly the Crystal Cathedral; with details of the $57.5m purchase and $77m renovation.  No changes mentioned for the bell tower.

The former church Website included the tower in a photo on the Visitors' Information page.  Look for the "All About Us" page, and then History, to find more photos and some information about the tower and carillon.

Waymarking page, with 5 photos

Building information and photos (17 of 24 images include all or part of tower)

A blogger's photo of the tower - somewhat tilted but very detailed.

Where this work lies in the sequence of output of the Eijsbouts 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.

Other concert carillons with similar keyboard ranges.

Index to all traditional carillons in CA.

Index to all tower bell instruments in CA.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2023/01/24
   and on technical data last updated on 1991/07/06