The carillon is considered to be the world's largest (or at least heaviest) musical instrument, and contains at least 23 bronze bells (or a two-octave range). It is usually housed in a bell tower and is played by striking the batons and foot pedals of a special keyboard that connects to each bell's clapper. Bell-tuning techniques were developed mainly in the Low Countries in the mid-17th century, and bell foundries and carillons flourished afterward in Britain, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Starting around the middle of the 20th century, the United States experienced a boom in carillon interest, building towers and importing bells for university campuses, civic centers, and city parks. Today, carillonneurs can be members of numerous international and regional associations which organize outreach efforts and allow for discussions of performance technique, of the history of the instrument and its present and future states, and of the idiomatic music composed for the carillon. A large part of this collection documents the history and proceedings of many of these national and international professional organizations of carillonneurs.
The carillon donated to the University of Chicago chapel by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and installed in 1932, known as the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon (named after the donor's mother), is the second largest carillon in the world. Its sister carillon in New York's Riverside Church (with the same name, donor, and from the same foundry) was built around the same time and eventually included two more bells than Chicago. Never before had carillons of this size been built, and they proved to be the masterworks of the British bell foundry Gillett & Johnston. The collection of the University of Chicago carillon bells took three years to cast and is comprised of 72 bells (6 octaves) and over 100 tons of bronze, with the largest bourdon bell weighing in at 18.5 tons and sounding a low C#. Since the 1930s, the various, successive University carillonneurs have led concerts and festivals, programmed regular recitals, led student teaching, and been the visible representatives of this extraordinary instrument. More recently, the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon underwent major restoration from 2006 to 2008.
Wylie Crawford has been the University carillonneur since 1984, and this collection of carilloniana was compiled by him. After growing up in New York and earning a degree in Physics from Antioch College, Mr. Crawford came back to his native Illinois to earn an MA in Teaching at the University of Chicago. Here, he became intrigued when he heard the music coming from the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel's carillon and soon began learning to play the instrument, joining the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America by 1974. Mr. Crawford achieved full carillonneur membership in the Guild in 1977, and has since served on various committees and been an active member of both the Guild and the World Carillon Federation, of which he is currently president (as of 2012). Most of the items in this collection were collected by Mr,Crawford and document a wide span of carillon activities and the carillonneur professions of many different regions all over the world, as well as the history of the instrument. Some materials also demonstrate Mr. Crawford's personal connections to these activities, professionals, associations, and the instrument's long tradition.
From the guide to the Crawford, Wylie. Collection of Carilloniana, 1898-2012, (Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.)
