WORLD CARILLON PROJECT STATEMENT - Rilke wrote movingly about standing on a bridge one night while being quiet witness to a shooting star arching downward through the firmament – a silent streak of fire which, according to his account, not only was actively traced by his eyeballs, but deeply perceived and felt internally as well - unexpectedly, as the dying star seemed to pass through his inner space.
I live in Brooklyn – A block away from what by all appearances looks like a main street straight out of small town America. Many small groceries, a tiny family coffee shop and bookstore, a barber shop filled at midnight, a fireman’s bar - - and a church – St Joseph The Worker.
On most mornings – at 9amISH - the carillon bells play resoundingly from the belfry of St Josephs’. The reverberations from these massive bells are magical, ethereal and sometimes, if the wind is out reaching around, the bells show up and dissipate – get thin, disappear, and show up again – “acoustic shadows” - just like the strangely relaxed picnickers watching The American Civil War battles reported - that the horror of the battles was completely silent if the wind was carrying the sounds of battle away from them.
The bells are also a generous reminder that the world of my own apartment, in these moments, expands so as to include the perimeter of this small town within a big city, within a country, within a world. The sounds limn the largeness of the circumference of our sometimes-narrow conceptions of ourselves and they arrive like clouds – from above. As Alfred Stieglitz said about his captivating images of clouds – “they are there for everyone…and untaxed as of yet…free”.
With this music, my dream is that Carillonneurs from all over the world play this music that I write each month – and if enough of us engage, perhaps we can re commit our attention to the knowledge that the world in all of its largeness can be seen as a small town too - all of us working, living, dreaming, waiting, watching, and listening together to make our places - and added together places (World) in its entirety - the best version of itself that it can be – and that sometimes, a simple analogue reminder from the outside - sounds that are free and from above - may sing in our inner spaces so that we may feel a little less lonely.
Started in AUGUST of 2020 - - The WORLD CARILLON PROJECT (one year so far!) will continue to arrive on the 1st of each month and will feature a new composition (with video) that I will write for a different Carillonneur - playing from a different Country. John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik - from the immeasurably important and valuable NEW SOUNDS WQXR/WNYC - have been generously sponsoring these new videos and compositions. All video (except NYC which was edited and shot by Unarmed Media and Rachael Hacking) is wonderfully and very generously edited by David Mc Lean of The Greene Space. Visuals shot by each participating Carillonneur.
Hope you enjoy this largest of sounds and instruments and I hope it brings some kind of comfort during this - as Zadie Smith has called it - great humbling.
BOURNVILLE, ENGLAND - MARCH 1, 2022 - From thIs “model village” Trevor Workman plays the carillon in the Quaker meeting house that oversees the Bournville Green. This new piece is called “The Ishmael Problem.”
MASSACHUSETTS, USA DECEMBER 1, 2021
“I felt a Funeral in my Brain,” by guest composer Elizabeth R Austin an atmospheric piece inspired by an Emily Dickinson poem. Margaret Pan performs and offers a video tour of the Cohasset carillon at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Cohasset, Massachusetts.
TORONTO, CANADA NOVEMBER 1, 2021
Carillonist Elisa Tersigni performs “Whistling In The Dark,” at the University of Toronto Soldiers' Tower carillon, as part of the World Carillon Project. Drone photographer: Éric Pecile Photographer of bells and inside the carillon: Milan Ilnyckyj Video editor: David Mc Lean
UKRAINE, KYIV - OCTOBER 1 2021 - with majestic views of Kyiv in Western Ukraine, comes a movable carillon played by the immensely musical Iryna Riabchun for a small gathering.
Played it on the Botvinko Brothers’ mobile carillon, a 50-bell monster that weighs about 3 tons.
Botvinko brothers’ Mobile carillon: 50 bells 2700 kg- Royal Bellfounders Petit & Fritsen. (2006-2007). Keyboard, transmission – Sergej and Leonid Botvinko (Kyiv, Ukraine)
St. Michael Golden-Domed Cathedral (11th century), Kyiv Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle (15th century)
Westen Ukraine Camera: Uugen Gusak (RAI.Ua ,Burshtyn), Yuriy Nikshych (Kyiv)
JAPAN, ITAMI - SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 - From the hands and ears and great sensitivity of the great Carillonneur Yumi Nakamura comes a new piece - For the Woodcarver Walter Steiner - just as he inspired from above, I hope this music brings hope from above too. So in addition to the actual carillon footage, courtesy of Ikeyan, we hear the “music” of the city outside, provided by Happy FM Itami.
GERMANY, EMMERICH AM RHEIN, - AUGUST 1, 2021 - Carillonneur Toru Takao brilliantly performs Whisperhouse. Big appreciation always for NEW SOUNDS WQXR/WNYC - John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik for hosting this music.
PORTUGAL - JULY 1, 2021 - The World Carillon Project rolls into Portugal (almost literally – the carillon here is not installed in a church but travels on a flatbed truck). The new piece, “Beacon Light Mast,” is built around a simple rising theme that repeats throughout the piece, and is played here by the immensely musical Ana Elias on the Carrilhão Lvsitanvs – the world’s largest traveling carillon, owned by CICO, the International Center for Carillon and Organ in the Portuguese town of Constancia. Big appreciation and gratitude for John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik from new Sounds WQXR.
GERMANY, BERLIN - JUNE 1, 2021 A NEW PIECE - Ember Might - written for this June 2021 World Carillon Project - played by the great carillonneur Anna Kasprzycka for a performance (and video) from Berlin’s historic Parochialkirche. With ever increasing appreciation for John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik of New Sounds WNYC for hosting this World Carillon Project.
NORWAY, OSLO - MAY 1, 2021 - played with great nuance and sensitivity by the incredible Carillonneur Laura - Marie Rueslatten from The Oslo City Hall Tower which overlooks the Harbor. Big appreciation for John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik of New Sounds WNYC for running this series and great appreciation for David McLean for his superb editing.
SPAIN, BARCELONA - APRIL 1, 2021 - In Barcelona Spain - This super sensitive rendering by carillonneur - Anna Maria Reverte i Casas of this latest musical offering - The Angel Esmeralda - performed from from the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya. As always, big appreciation for John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik of New Sounds WNYC for our continued collaboration on this project - and great appreciation for David McLean of The Greene Space for his wonderful editing on this and (almost) all of these below.
POLAND, GDANSK - MARCH 1, 2021 f - The incredibly musical Monika Kazmierczak performs “8” - the eighth piece in this WCP adventure. Realized with the courtesy of the Museum of Gdańsk - Sound, cameras – Witosław Bociąg - Drone footage: Michał Juszczakiewicz. Big appreciation for John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik of New Sounds WNYC for our continued collaboration on this project.
USA, NEW YORK CITY - FEBRUARY 1, 2021 - This month on New Sounds! A new piece of music entitled OXYRHYNCHUS for lil gamelan orchestra and the carillon at St Thomas Church in New York City - Liz Behrend (above playing the reyong), Nerissa Campbell (panyacah), and Bethany Collier (reyong), along with Pong Trairatvorakul - bellringer for St Thomas Church. Filmed and edited by the Incredible Marika Hacking, Rachael Hacking, and Francesco Saviano of Unarmed Media who I am beyond fortunate to have these chances to collaborate with.
Big thanks and appreciation for St Thomas Church. Also - Gamelan Instruments provided by Bucknell University, Lewisburg PA. And a very special thank you to Bethany Collier for teaching me a great deal (my first crash course) about Gamelan music and instruments and great appreciation also for Nerissa Campbell for bringing all of these excellent musicians together to perform.
Lastly and as always - unending appreciation for John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik of New Sounds WQXR (NYCs best new music radio program)
All of these World Carillon Project segments (below) were edited by David McLean of WNYCs The Greene Space - I am feeling very fortunate for our collaboration.
RUSSIA, ST PETERSBURG - JANUARY 1, 2020 - the truly incredible Olesya Rostovskaya - Theremin, Organ, and in the above - Bellringer (Performing this new composition “Iskra”) from The State Museum for the History of St Petersburg - The Peter and Paul Fortress. Big appreciation also for Caryn Havlik and John Schaefer for once again, including this project in their ever important New Sounds program. Filming and sound recording by Alexey Pogarskiy.
THE NETHERLANDS, HILVERSUM - DECEMBER 1, 2021 - from Willem Marinus Dudok’s Hilversum in The Netherlands comes the remarkable bellringer Wim Ruitenbeek - bringing incredible energy and musicianship to this new music I have written for him and the Hilversum Carillon entitled Prolepsis Days. Big appreciation for Caryn Havlik, John Schaefer, and David McLean of New Sounds, WQXR, The Greene Space, WNYC.
AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY - NOVEMBER 1, 2020 - the great bellringer Isaac Wong performs “Skywalk” as part of the continuing WORLD CARILLON PROJECT - as always - big appreciation for John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik at New Sounds WQXR.
BELGIUM, LIER - OCTOBER 1, 2020 - Big Thanks as always to John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik of NEW SOUNDS WQXR for presenting this new composition - A Clearing in the Woods - written for bellringer Jasper Depraetere from the city of Lier in Belgium. Jasper brought this music to life with so much clarity and intention - big big thanks to you Jasper for sharing in this new adventure!
USA, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 - In conjunction with WQXR’s most important and poignant NEW SOUNDS program - The World Carillon Project continues with the second performance - performed by Bellringer Tom Gurin who not only brings to life this new composition “Night Pouring In” with great vigor, rigor, and heightened sensitivity, but also has been so generous (along with Joey Brink) in helping me understand the instrument in a much more nuanced and dynamic way. Thank you Tom! I hope you enjoy this - From Duke University. Big thanks and appreciation to John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik.
USA, CHICAGO - AUGUST 1, 2020 - The World Carillon Project is a performance series for carillon – the large (the bass bell in this above carillon is 18.5 tons) sets of metal bells that are usually housed in the bell tower of a church. This first piece “United,” played by Joey Brink on the carillon at The University of Chicago Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. The plan, in collaboration with New Sounds and WQXR/WNYC, is for a monthly series of live performances of music that I will write for the instrument and the bellringers from carillons across North America and Europe.
Below is a link to the New Sounds line up from July 31st 2020 - Great appreciation for John Schaefer and Caryn Havlik who are continually doing tremendous things for music, musicians, composers, and listeners with their New Sounds Program - I am super proud to be a sliver in the spectrum of this magisterial program.