John Courter Carillon

*Location:

   Draper Building
     (Jessie Preston Draper Memorial)
   Berea College
   Chestnut Street (US Hwy.25)
     near Main Street (KY Hwy.595)
   Berea, Kentucky, USA
   LL: N 37.57298, W 84.29227

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   Dr.Javier Clavere,   (A)
     College Organist and Carillonneur
   101 Chestnut Street, CPO 2194
   Berea College
   Berea, KY  40404-1516
   W: 859-985-3464   F: 859-985-3994
   E: Javier_Clavere@berea.edu

   2000-10 John E. Courter (1941-2010)

*Contact:

   Xiangtang "XT" Hong, D.M.A.
   Chair, Department of Music
   305 Presser Hall, CPO 2194
   Berea College
   Berea, KY  40404-0003
   T: 859-985-3464   F: 859-985-3994
   - or -
   T: 859-985-3000  [switchboard]

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   52 bells cast in 1980, 47 for
   MECHANICSBURG - 1, USA - PA, and 5 as
   part of MECHANICSBURG - 4, USA - PA.
   2 basses and 2 trebles cast for
   this installation.   Practice keyboard
   in studio below playing room.
   Keyboard range is 5 octaves, G to G;
   by R.Strauss & Verdin Co. to proposed
   world standard dimensions.
   Dedicated 27 October 2000.
   Additional practice keyboard in old
   studio in Phelps Stokes Chapel attic,
   by Bigelow/Paccard, obtained from
   National Shrine in DC in 1988.
   Carillon formally named in 2010.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 56 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D# in the middle octave
   Keyboard range:     A#G   /    A#C 25
   Transposition is up  5 semitone(s), i.e., from C to F 
   There are two missing bass semitones
   There is an identical practice console
   The whole instrument was installed in 2000
     with bells made by Petit & Fritsen
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2000

The Berea College Website.
There is a tiny sketch of the top of Draper Hall tower on the home page, and a photograph of it on the "About the College" page.

News article about John Courter

YouTube video (9:02) on the restoration of mechanical action of this chime; narration in part by John Courter.

Waymarking page, with 5 photos

Where this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen 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 KY.

Index to all tower bell instruments in KY, including the 10-bell chime (-1) on the same campus.

   This page was built from the database on 29-Dec-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2024/12/20
   and on technical data last updated on 2000/05/27