Summer Carillon Concert Series at Berea College continues with concert Monday, August 6, featuring John Courter

The 56-bell carillon of Draper Tower is Kentucky’s largest.  Seating in the College Quadrangle is provided, and a video monitor will allow persons at ground level to view the player in action. Admission is free.

John Courter’s program, approximately one hour long, will begin with a baroque Prelude by Vanden Gheyn, and continue with three African-American Spirituals.  The American premiere of Courter’s Suite No. 3 (“Irish”) for Carillon will be heard next.  The piece, commissioned by the Irish Arts Council (Dublin) and St. Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh (pronounced “Cove”) Ireland, received its world premiere on July 8th in Cobh with Courter at the carillon on a rather rainy Sunday.

The Dutch composer Wim Franken, whose 85th birthday is celebrated this year, is represented by excerpts from Six Rhythmic Studies for Carillon. Belgian composer Staf Nees’ Aubade (Morning Song) for Carillon was written for the dedication of a new carillon in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1962.

The program closes with Courter’s Suite No. 2 in Popular Style for Carillon. Sections of the piece are in different styles,  including Ragtime, a Ballad, Blues, and a March.  It was commissioned in 2003 by The University of Michigan to honor Jim and Millie Erwin, longtime sponsors of the Ann Arbor Summer Carillon Concert Series, Seven Mondays at Seven.  Special guests for the Berea Concert are members of the University of Michigan Club of the Bluegrass.

All are invited to attend this festive Summer Carillon Concert Series, held on the first Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. The final concert will be held on Labor Day, September 3, and will feature Tiffany Ng, carillonist of Eastman School of Music.