Massey/Drury Memorial Carillon

*Location:

   Metropolitan United Church
   (was Metropolitan Methodist Church)
   Queen Street East at Church Street
   Toronto, Ontario, Canada
   LL: N 43.65366, W 79.37660

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   Elisa Tersigni,   (C)
     Wayne C. Vance Carillonist
   E: carillon@metunited.ca

   1922 ded. Joseph H (Harry) Withers
     (1875-1949)
   1922-26 F.Percival Price (1901-1985)
   1926-28 John Skillicorn       (d.)
   1928-30 J.Leland Richardson (1906-1969)
   1930-32 Edmund Milroy      (d.)
   1932-36 Sidney Giles       (d.)
   1936-41 Edmund Milroy      (d.)
   1941-62 Stanley F. James   (d.)
   1962-97 James B. Slater   (CH;d.)
   1997-2016 Gerald Martindale   (A)
   2016-2023 Roy Lee   (C)

*Contact:

   Metropolitan United Church
   56 Queen Street East
   Toronto, ON  M5C 2Z3
   T: 416-363-0331
   E: office/@/metunited.ca
   - or -
   Dr. Jonathan Oldengarm, Minister of Music
   E: jonathano@metunited.org

*Schedule:

   Sunday 1030-1100

*Remarks:

   Original instrument was the first
   modern carillon in North America.
   Keyboard renovated 1991, with new
   cabin.  Practice console by Petit &
   Fritsen (1960) acquired in 1990s from
   Kirk-in-the-Hills, Bloomfield Hills,
   Michigan.
   Oct.2022: Major renovation by Meeks,
   Watson & Co. completed; all bells but
   the originals were removed from tower,
   & rehung on new frame after P&F
   bells were retuned; new North American
   standard keybd changed transposition.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 54 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is A  in the bass octave
   Keyboard range:     A#F   /    A#C 25
   Transposition is down 1 semitone(s), i.e., from C to B 
   There are two missing bass semitones
   There is a non-identical practice console
   The bells were re-tuned in 2022
     by Meeks,Watson 
   Prior history:
     In 1971, the instrument was enlarged to 54 bells
       by Paccard     
       (19 bells remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     C G   /    C C 23
       Transposition was down 3 semitone(s), i.e., from C to A 
     In 1960, the instrument was enlarged to 35 bells
       by Petit & Fritsen
       (12 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    C G   
     In 1922, the instrument was begun with 23 bells
       by Gillett & Johnston
       (23 bells remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    C --  
   No auxiliary mechanisms known
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2022

The church Website has a sketch of the building on the home page, and a description of the carillon at the bottom of the Music page.  A tower photo appears on the About page, which includes another description of the carillon.  A page about the carillon project details the work to be done.  A news page (19Sep'19) has three related videos.

A special Website was set up for an Oct.2022 event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the carillon and its rededication following a major renovation, details of which are given there.

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 second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Petit & Fritsen 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 ON.

Index to all tower bell instruments in ON.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2023/10/31
   and on technical data last updated on 2022/11/27