Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2014 - (Page 38)
A RTS
CAMPUS BELLS RING DURING
20TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR
by Mary Isca Pirkola
When Julianne Vanden Wyngaard
came to Grand Valley in 1965, there was
no carillon tower on campus, not even
a music major among the academic
program offerings. Now there are
two that serve as the centerpieces
for two campuses.
Vanden Wyngaard joined the
university's full-time music faculty in
1967 when Grand Valley established
the cluster colleges, and the arts and
performance groups grew rapidly.
As Department of Music chair from
1984-1996, Vanden Wyngaard refined
the course and degree offerings and
worked to procure accreditation from
the National Association of Schools
of Music.
She also worked to procure the
two iconic campus landmarks. With
President Emeritus Arend D. Lubbers,
Vanden Wyngaard was instrumental
in bringing the Cook Carillon Tower to
the Allendale Campus in 1994, and the
Beckering Family Carillon to the Pew
Grand Rapids Campus in 2000.
"President Lubbers had a fine vision
for the university, including the addition
of a carillon," said Vanden Wyngaard.
"He asked me if I would be interested in
learning how to play it, or if we should
get an automated version."
Vanden Wyngaard wanted to learn
and invited Margo Halstead, the
University of Michigan carillonist, to
Allendale each month for lessons until
the dedication in 1994.
The Cook Carillon Tower measures
100 feet to the top of its spire. It houses
"The carillon has
allowed me to bring
beautiful music to so
many people that I
will be forever grateful
to Grand Valley."
-Julianne Vanden Wyngaard
38
Summer '14
Julianne Vanden Wyngaard is
the principal performer on the
Cook and Beckering carillons.
photo by Bernadine Carey-Tucker
a carillon consisting of 48 bronze bells
cast in the Netherlands. They vary in
tone, based on size and weight. The
bells range from 7.5 inches to more
than 51 inches, and weigh from 14 to
nearly 3,000 pounds. Arranged in
chromatic series, the bells are played
by a carillonneur who climbs 61 steps
to the playing cabin, located just below
the bells and clock mechanism. The bells
are connected by cables to a keyboard
and pedal board that permit loud or soft
expression through a variation of hard or
soft strikes.
The Beckering Family Carillon Tower
measures 151 feet, with 112 steps to the
playing chamber. Its 48 bells were cast
at a foundry in France.
"Carillon music on the page looks
very similar to piano sheet music," said
Vanden Wyngaard. "Music written in
the treble clef is played with two hands,
using loosely closed fists. Music in the
bass clef is played with the feet."
Vanden Wyngaard has been the
principal performer on the Cook and
Beckering carillons. Each summer
from 1996-1998, she studied at the
Netherlands Carillon School. In 2000,
Vanden Wyngaard spent her six-month
sabbatical learning more challenging
music, and successfully completed
the requirements for the diploma in
performance, literature and arranging.
Vanden Wyngaard also gives lessons to
make the carillon accessible to students
and area musicians who want to learn to
play this extraordinary instrument.
In 2005, Vanden Wyngaard hosted
more than 130 carillonists at Grand
Valley during the annual congress of
the Guild of Carillonneurs in North
America. Each year since then, Grand
Valley's annual Summer Carillon
Series provides many opportunities
to hear performances by some of the
world's finest carillonneurs on both
campuses. Other carillon concerts
are performed during the holidays
and special campus events, such as
convocation, commencement and Fall
Arts Celebration events.
"Having the carillon in my life has
allowed me to make a slight right turn
part-way through my career, as
I pursued a new instrument," said
Vanden Wyngaard. "It has opened so
many doors for me and allowed me to
bring beautiful music to so many people
that I will be forever grateful to Grand
Valley and those in position to have
made this happen."
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2014
Table of Contents
Campus News
Fall Arts Celebration
Athletics
Donor Impact
Sustainability
Research
Q&A Karen Gipson
A seat at the table
Students dig program
Deployment to enrollment
Seeing double
Off the path
Arts
Alumni News
Grand Valley Magazine Summer 2014
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