Kibbey Carillon

*Location:

   Lower belfry
   Gloria in Excelsis Tower
   Washington National Cathedral
   (The Cathedral Church of St.Peter &
     St.Paul)
   Mount Saint Alban
   Massachusetts & Wisconsin Avenues NW
   Washington, D.C., USA
   LL: N 38.93062, W 77.07056

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   Edward M. Nassor   (C)
   4600 Demby Drive
   Fairfax, VA  22032-1707
   W: 202-537-6236
   E: ENassor@cathedral.org

   1963Se22 dedicated
   1963-76 Ronald M. Barnes (1927-97)
   1977-84 Richard Strauss
   1985-90 James Saenger

*Contact:

   Music Department
   Washington National Cathedral
   Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues
   Washington, DC  20016-5098
   T: 202-537-6216

*Schedule:

   Sat. 1230-1315; Sun. 1045-1100;
   numerous special occasions.
   Building open daily 1000-1630
     (later in summer).

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 53 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D# in the bass octave
   Keyboard range:     G C   /    G A#27
   Transposition is down 4 semitone(s), i.e., from C to G#
   There is one missing bass semitone
   There is an identical practice console
   The whole instrument was installed in 1963
     with bells made by Taylor       
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 1970

The Cathedral Website has a page (under "Music") about the 53-bell carillon in the lower belfry of the Gloria in Excelsis central tower and the 10-bell ring in the upper belfry of the same tower.  (If your Web browser doesn't display the menu bar above the Cathedral photo, use the Site Overview at the bottom of the page, or click here.)  See Discover -> Photo Gallery -> Photos for Print to find two large photos of the central tower.  See Shops -> Museum Store and put "carillon" in the search facility (with setting "full text") to find a CD which features the carillon as well as others which include some carillon tracks.

Where this work lies in the sequence of output of the Taylor 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 grand carillons with similar keyboard ranges.

The five bass bells of this carillon are among all great bells in North America.

Index to all traditional carillons in DC.

Index to all tower bell instruments in DC including the 10-bell ring in the upper belfry of the same tower.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2020/12/12
   and on technical data last updated on 1978/12/05