Carillon rings in summer concerts

t's time to ring in the summer with picnics and free concerts on the River Campus.

The Hopeman Memorial Carillon Summer Recital Series returns this year with three performances beginning Monday, July 9. The carillon, a musical instrument of bells controlled by a keyboard, is located in the landmark tower of Rush Rhees Library. Concert goers can bring blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic suppers and sit on the Eastman Quadrangle in front of the library to enjoy the music.

This year's concert series features internationally known carillonneurs: Ellen Espenschied, director of the Yale Freshman Chorus; Julianne VandenWyngaard, university carillonist and music department faculty member at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, who will play Monday, July 23; and Linda Dzuris, university carillonneur at Clemson University, who wraps up the series on Monday, July 30.

Each concert will begin at 7 p.m., rain or shine, and will last about an hour. The carillonneurs will perform works composed specifically for the carillon as well as standard repertoire pieces by Bach, Sousa, Mendelssohn, Poulenc, and others.

The Hopeman Memorial Carillon is one of only six carillons in New York state. Weighing almost three-and-a-half tons, it consists of 50 stationary cast bronze bells that are sounded by clappers. Each clapper is connected by a half mile of thin metal rod to one of 48 wooden keys or 26 pedals. The carillonneur sits on a bench and plays by depressing the keys with loosely clenched hands. The pedals, connected to the heavier bass bells, are depressed with the feet. As with a piano, expressive playing is achieved by varying the touch.

The Hopeman Memorial Carillon Summer Recital Series is sponsored by the Department of Music in the College. For more information call x5-2828.

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