Vernon V. Harris Memorial Carillon

*Location:

   St.Luke's United Methodist Church
   North Robinson Avenue at NW 15th St.
   Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
   LL: N 35.48456, W 97.51613

   Elevator (not inspected since 2006)
   or stairs (176 steps)

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   (unknown)

   ded.16Se1956 Robert Donnell
   19??-?? Harry Turner
   19??-91 Mrs. Don Jensen
   19??-20?? Timothy Hein

*Contact:

   St.Luke's Methodist Church
   222 NW 15th Street
   Oklahoma City, OK  73103-3598
   T: 405-232-1371
   E: info/@/stlukesokc DOTorg
   - or -
   Robert Fasol, Organist/Choirmaster
   T: 405-609-1007
   E: rfasol/@/stlukesokc DOTorg

*Schedule:

   Rarely used.

*Remarks:

   Rehung by Verdin in 2017, with new
   frame, transmission & console,
   including air-piston autoplay.
   Major triad on bourdon also swings.
   Old practice console removed from
   playing room to church museum.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 42 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D# in the middle octave
   Keyboard range:     C G   /    C F   
   Transposition is up  3 semitone(s), i.e., from C to D#
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The presence or absence of a practice console is unknown
   The present keyboard was installed in 2017
     by the maker cited in Remarks above
   Prior history:
     In 1956, the complete instrument of 42 bells was installed
       with bells made by Petit & Fritsen
       Keyboard range was:     C G   /    C G   
   Auxiliary mechanisms: 3E    
   Tower details: 
     Height of console:                39  meters above ground
     Height of lowest level of bells:  46  meters above ground
     Height of highest level of bells: 49  meters above ground
     Belfry openness: 98S%
   Year of latest technical information source is 2017

The church Website was recently redesigned, and is now quite flashy, but it no longer has a Music section, so the former extensive illustrated page about the carillon is also gone.

The announcement of the Carillon Dedication Service has a small drone photo of the open bell frame on top of the tower and a larger heading photo taken before the renovation began, showing manual action still in place.  The bells are now rehung in a more compact arrangement than before.

News article on the planned dedication, with photos of bells on their way to installation.  An accompanying video clip may not work in some Web browsers.  The pastor is quoted as saying that this is now "one of the top 20 carillons in North America," which is incorrect; 110 of 184 traditional carillons are heavier, 124 have more bells, and it is classified as medium in size.

News article (5No'17) on culmination of $525,000 project to rebuild the carillon. With 3 photos - 2 historic & 1 during installation

Sep'16 blog article on removal of the bells, giving their history.  It includes a video clip (5:27), with current & historic photos, and the work of two huge cranes.

Youtube video (3:40) of the return of the bells.

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 traditional carillons by year of completion.

Other medium carillons with similar keyboard ranges.

Index to all traditional carillons in OK.

Index to all tower bell instruments in OK.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2017/11/31
   and on technical data last updated on 2018/05/08