Pittis Carillon

*Location:

   Grace Episcopal Church
   East 7th Street at Cleveland Avenue
   Plainfield, New Jersey, USA
   LL: N 40.61593, W 74.41683

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   David E. Magee
   207 Dunellen Avenue
   Dunellen, NJ  08812-1231
   H: 732-968-1329
   - and -
   Jeff Spelman   (A)
   1151 Gresham Road
   Plainfield, NJ  07062-2022
   H: 908-755-4079   W: 862-778-8713
   F: 973-781-4532
   E: jeffspelman@comcast.net

   ?-? R. Robin Austin   (C)

*Contact:

   Grace Episcopal Church
   600 Cleveland Avenue
   Plainfield, NJ  07060
   T: 908-756-1520   F: 908-756-0175

*Schedule:

   (unknown)

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 47 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is E  in the middle octave
   Keyboard range:     C C   /    C G   
   Transposition is up  4 semitone(s), i.e., from C to E 
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The presence or absence of a practice console is unknown
   The instrument was enlarged in 1969
     with bells made by Paccard      
   Prior history:
     In 1923, the instrument was begun with 23 bells
       by Gillett & Johnston
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    ----  
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 1989

The church Website has a photo of the tower in the banner at the top of each page, and features a well-illustrated page about the carillon.

The firm which restored the building has a project page (click Churches & Cathedrals) which includes some interesting pictures of the tower.

A news article includes a photo of the keyboard

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Gillett & Johnston 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 NJ.

Index to all tower bell instruments in NJ.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2015/09/09
   and on technical data last updated on 1976/12/31