Leonidas Polk Memorial Carillon

*Location:

   Shapard Tower
   All Saints Chapel
   The University of the South
   University Avenue at S.Carolina Avenue
   Sewanee, Tennessee, USA
   LL: N 35.20385, W 85.92014

   Stair turret from former baptistry to
   lower belfry; lift (inoperable) or open
   steel stairs to playing cabin at
   parapet level (between belfries).

Site locator map

*Carillonist:

   Rev.Dr. Raymond M. Gotko   (A)
   501 Sweetberry Drive
   Monteagle, TN  37356-6003
   H: 931-924-2253
   E: RGotko@gmail.com
   - and -
   Charlene Williamson   (AC)
   8367 Tullahoma Highway
   Estill Springs, TN  37330-3745
   H: 931-649-2238
   E: CharleneWilliamson@gmail.com

   1959-84 Albert Bonholzer   (d.)
   1984-92 Esther B. Watson   (A)
         & Laura Hewitt Whipple   (d.)
   1992-97 Marcia de Bary   (C)
   1997-99 Laura Hewitt Whipple   (d.)
   1999-2000 Jeff Davis   (C)
   2000-17 John L. Bordley, Jr.   (C)

*Contact:

   The University of the South
   735 University Avenue
   Sewanee, TN  37383
   T: 931-598-1274  [Chapel Office]
   E: llsaxton@sewanee.edu  [Public Rel.]

*Schedule:

   Tuesday & Thursday at 1230;
   Sunday after 1100 service.

*Remarks:

   Keyboards and original installation by
   Arthur Bigelow, who also influenced
   the tower design.
   8 basses in lower belfry;
   3 rows of trebles on timber.
   1991: Transmission replaced and
   keyboards rebuilt by Verdin, with new
   sound bars, resonators and action on
   practice clavier.
   Bourdon no longer swings, but can be
   tolled electrically to simulate swing;
   C,D,F have same action since 2012.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 56 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is A# in the bass octave
   Keyboard range:     A#G   /    A#A   
   Transposition is nil (concert pitch)
   There are two missing bass semitones
   There is an identical practice console
   The whole instrument was installed in 1958
     with bells made by Paccard      
   Auxiliary mechanisms: nS1   
   Tower details: 
     Height of console:                 27 meters above ground
     Height of lowest level of bells:   10 meters above ground
     Height of highest level of bells:  33 meters above ground
     Belfry openness:  20%
   Year of latest technical information source is 1973

The university Website has a section about the carillon.  It presents the current schedule of carillon and change ringing activities, as well as downloadable recordings. 

On the campus map, both bell towers are near the center.

A blogger greets 2010 with a photo of All Saints' Chapel, Sewanee, TN, and the full text of Longfellow's poem, "I heard the bells on Christmas Day."

Where 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 TN.

Index to all tower bell instruments in TN, including the change-ringing bells hung in Breslin Tower (-2) on Convocation Hall.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2017/06/30
   and on technical data last updated on 2007/06/30