60th Congress of GCNA   It has been a very interesting summer.  In June, my father, Charles, and I attended the 60th annual Congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs of North America, held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. While the event centred around two magnificent carillons; for the chimer types (together for a group photo to the right) there were arrangements to visit and play the Kerrytown Chime, located in the Kerrytown Market & Shops, 407 North 5th Avenue, Ann Arbor. This is a 17-bell chime, installed in 1997, which is played from a traditional stand-up chimestand equipped with a full complement of foot pedals. Our congenial hosts, Joe & Karen O?Neal, and daughter Heather, showed us the tower and bells and let us play the chime for (literally!) hours. Cornell chimesmasters Cathy Jordan and Lauren Marino gave a half-hour concert,

some of the pieces being duets, and Judy Ogden did a marvellous rendition of Felix Arndt?s ?Nola?. As well, Karen O?Neal gave us a talk on the building of the Kerrytown Market and how the chime of bells came to be installed. In brief, the O?Neals, while vacationing in Ireland, visited a church in Cork, which allowed anyone to walk in and play their bells. They were so smitten by this concept that they decided to do the same back in Ann Arbor. The Kerrytown Chime chimestand is located just inside the main door on the second level of the complex, and is played normally on Mon./Wed./Fri. from Noon to 12:30. Everyone passing by is encouraged to play, musically talented or challenged alike! It is a wonderful way of introducing the world of bells and chiming to people of all ages. Kerrytown can be reached at (734) 662-5008 for a directory or calendar of events, and is well worth a visit.

       Christ Church Chime  One of the marvels of the Internet for chimers is discovering other chimes in your area. This summer I was able to contact the chimers at Christ Church Anglican in Petrolia, Ontario, a drive of an hour and a half from home. Christ Church has a very actively played chime of 11 bells cast by Meneely & Co. of West Troy in 1909, virtually identical to the St. James? chime. Chimer Sylvia Fairbank gave us a tour of the church and tower and let me loose on the chimestand. Compared to St. James, where the chimestand is several floors below the belfry, the Christ Church Chime is impressively loud, as the ceiling above is the belfry floor. It is a great chime to play, sounding very much like the St. James chime, with similar keyboard action. This is the second tower that this chime has been installed in, as the original church and tower caught fire in 1957 and was destroyed, with only the tower (and chime) being saved. The chime was salvaged, and installed in the new church tower in 1958, along with the original chimestand.  I was able to visit again at the end of August, and played the chime for over an hour. I also met one of the other chimers, Evelyn Ward de Roo (there are 4 or 5 chimers in all; that's Evelyn with the chimestand in the picture to the right), and her husband, and we spent some time in the belfry admiring the bells. The bell-frame is in excellent shape; unlike the St. James chime, there have always been louvered openings to protect the wood and metal from the weather. It is also striking how little mechanical wear there is compared to our chime. Or, put another way, how worn our transmission and appliances are compared to the Christ Church Chime!

Christ Church Anglican, Petrolia, Ontario
 

Does Anyone Have Eight-Bell Chimes Music?
           If so, Bruce Learmonth, organist, choirmaster & chimer at St. John the Baptist Anglican Church in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan would like to hear from you. His e-mail is opr21@hotmail.com or bruce.learmonth@sasktel.sk.ca . They have an 8 bell John Taylor chime installed in 1910.

St. John the Baptist Anglican Church, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

     An Historical Note    Ernest House, chimer from 1920 to 1960, was commended by the Church-wardens at the January 1941 Annual Vestry Meeting for completing 17 years of Sunday morning chiming without missing a single Sunday! Indeed, Ernie and his brother-in-law Horace Gladding were so dependable that it was worth a line on the penciled history on the wall behind the chimers when a Sunday was missed. The entry dated May 25, 1947 reads: ?Bells not rung today. Chimers out of town."

Ernest C. House at the Bells of St. James chimestand c.1959

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