Dorothea Carlile Carillon

*Location:

   College Hall Tower
   Smith College
   Elm & Green Streets
   Northampton, Massachusetts, USA
   LL: N 42.31784, W 72.63573

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   Grant R. Moss
   Sage Hall 203
   Smith College
   Northampton, MA  01063
   T: 413-585-2757   F: 413-585-3181
   E: GMoss@email.smith.edu

   19??-78 George F. Mair  (d.1978)
   reded.1977 James R. Lawson  (d.) (C)

*Contact:

   Smith College
   Northampton, MA  01060
   Attn: Media Relations Director
   T: 413-585-2190   F: 413-585-2174

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Remarks:

   3 Meneely/Troy bells replaced in first
   expansion, remaining 9 in second
   expansion.  The 1952 keyboard was in
   baton style at chimestand scale, as
   new bells were interspersed with old
   on the original frame.
   E.Howard tower clock removed to make
   space for 1977 enlargement.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 48 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D# in the middle octave
   Keyboard range:     C C   /    C C 24
   Transposition is up  3 semitone(s), i.e., from C to D#
   There is one missing bass semitone
   The presence or absence of a practice console is unknown
   The instrument was enlarged in 2009
     with bells made by Paccard          
   Prior history:
     In 1977, the instrument was enlarged to 47 bells
       by Paccard         
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    ----  
       There were two missing bass semitones
     In 1957, the instrument was enlarged to 23 bells
       by Paccard         
       (14 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    C A  8
     In 1919, the instrument was begun with 12 bells
       by Meneely/Troy    
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     C E   /    C E  3
       There were two added semitones
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2015

News release about the addition of bell #48 (2000 lbs) to the Smith College carillon; to be in place by the end of March 2009.

The Smith College Website uses a photo of the top of College Hall as part of the background to the home page.  The interactive campus map has a brief description of the building, but it doesn't mention the carillon.  A few news articles which do mention the carillon can be found through the Search facility; one of them describes the annual Carillon Composition Prize, but there is no description or history of the instrument itself.

An article on student compositions for the Dorothea Carlile carillon has a photo of some inscribed bells and a photo of the original 11 bells in front of College Hall before installation in 1919.

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Meneely (Troy) bellfoundry.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Paccard 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 year of completion.

Other concert carillons with similar keyboard ranges.

Index to all traditional carillons in MA.

Index to all tower bell instruments in MA, including the 8-bell ring in Mendenhall Center on this campus,

   This page was built from the database on  2-Mar-25
   based on textual data last updated on 2025/01/15
   and on technical data last updated on 2015/07/30