9-14-00
SMITH CHAPEL AND CARILLON TO HAVE 48 BELLS
Larry and Kathryn Smith, donors of the multi-faith chapel now under
construction at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, have expanded the
number of bells in the chapel's carillon. The instrument will include a
full complement of forty-eight bells.
"We visit the building site and keep up-to-date on the progress being
made," said Larry Smith. "As we found out more about carillons, we
learned that forty-eight was an ideal number. Penn State Behrend's
carillon will be one of the few in the nation with a full complement of
bells."
"We are really overwhelmed by the Smiths' enthusiasm and commitment to
this project," said Dr. Chris Reber, associate provost for advancement.
"The chapel will be named for Larry and Kathryn Smith and the bell
tower and carillon will be named for Larry's parents, Juanita and the
late Floyd Smith."
The bells for the Floyd and Juanita Smith Carillon are being cast by
Meeks, Watson, and Co., located in southern Ohio. The bells will be made
from "bell metal," a bronze consisting of eighty percent copper and
twenty percent tin. The same alloy has been used since the 1600s.
"The largest bell in the carillon at Penn State Behrend will weigh
1,344 pounds and have a 40" diameter at the mouth of the bell," said
Richard Watson, a partner in Meeks, Watson and Co. and a carilloneur for
many years. "The smallest will weigh 15.25
pounds and have a six and five-eighths inch diameter."
Watson also noted that forty-eight bells, or four octaves, is the ideal
size for a carillon. "Ninety-five percent of the music published for
the carillon can be played on four octaves," he said. "This size
permits teaching and practice of almost the entire literature of
carillon music."
According to John Ream, director of Operations at Penn State Behrend,
the bells should be received in August, 2001.
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Contact: Loretta Brandon
(814) 898-6063 (O)
(814) 864-9922 (H)
e-mail: lzb6@psu.edu