The Charles Baird Carillon inside Burton Memorial Tower will be temporarily silenced this summer as crews remove and replace 30 clappers, the swinging metal components inside the carillon bells.
The work began May 22, with the planned removal of 26 of the 30 clappers. The remaining four clappers are the heaviest, with one weighing nearly 1,000 pounds, and will require a 50-ton rough terrain crane to safely bring them to the ground. They are expected to be removed in August, just prior to the reinstallation of the new clappers.
The bell tower carillon chamber will be closed to the public during the project, and no carillon performances will take place until the work is complete.
Reinstallation of all the clappers is anticipated in August, with performances expected to resume afterward.
The project is intended to improve playability, reduce the risk of injury for performers, and preserve the long-term use of one of the university’s most recognizable musical landmarks. The clappers being replaced were installed during a 2011 restoration of the carillon, but their weight has made the instrument unusually difficult to play.
“The 2011 clappers were experimental prototypes of such extreme heaviness that they impeded playability, led to broken keys and performance injuries, and dissuaded students and professionals alike from playing and teaching on the Baird Carillon,” said Tiffany Ng, university carillonist and associate professor of music in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
Ng said the new clappers will be fabricated to industry-standard weights, allowing for more controlled playing while still drawing strong, resonant sound from the bells.
“As university carillonist since 2015, I have sustained multiple repetitive strain injuries over the years from the Baird Carillon’s experimental clappers, and students and affiliate performers have sustained injuries as well,” Ng said. “Cumulatively, such injuries can cut a carillonist’s career short.”
The Baird Carillon contains 53 bronze bells originally cast by John Taylor & Co. in Loughborough, England. The instrument, housed in Burton Memorial Tower on Ingalls Mall, is the third heaviest carillon in the world. Its largest bell, which strikes the hour, weighs 12 tons, while the smallest weighs just 15 pounds.
Josh Meeks of Meeks, Watson & Co., the company responsible for removing the existing clappers and creating the new ones, said designing and fabricating new clappers will take several months, as it involves designing clappers for each of the 30 bells, manufacturing the shanks, casting the clapper balls, fitting bearings to support smooth movement, and blasting and painting the finished components before installation.
Meeks said many of the new clappers will be offset closer to the bell wall to make them easier for the carillonist to control.
Ng said the project will enable a wider range of music to be performed from Burton Tower.
“The weight of the current clappers has ruled out the performance of various parts of the carillon repertory, including Richard Giszczak’s virtuosic arrangement of ‘The Victors,’ arranged in 1998 for the Baird Carillon,” Ng said.
“So, we are excited to start playing a fuller range of carillon repertoire for Central Campus in the fall, including ‘The Victors’!”
Deborah Cushman
What is a very interesting story might be more interesting with facts about the bell/bell clapper companies (is the current company also located in England?); the age/design of the carillon; the age of Burton Tower and some elements about its design.
And, if the Baird Carillon is only “one” of the most recognizable musical landmarks on campus, what could possibly be more recognizable?
Thanks for the piece. I read every word.
Josh Chenier
History of the Baird Carillon
https://smtd.umich.edu/facilities/burton-memorial-tower/charles-baird-carillon/
History of Burton Memorial Tower
https://smtd.umich.edu/facilities/burton-memorial-tower/
Meeks, Watson & Co is located in Georgetown, Ohio.
http://www.mwbells.com/
The University Record
Thank you for your comments, Deborah! We are thrilled to hear you are so engaged with this story.
The Record plans to publish another article on the carillon updates later in the summer, closer to the reinstallation of the clappers and return of the concerts. That piece will explore some of the details you’ve inquired about.
As for notable musical landmarks at U-M, in addition to Burton Tower, we are so fortunate to have a variety of auditoriums and theaters, including Hill, Lydia Mendelssohn, Rackham, the Power Center, and Arthur Miller — as well as the Earl V Moore Building and another carillon in Lurie Tower on North Campus.