By Brian Harlow, St. Peter’s Director of Music
High above the busy streets of Morristown in the tower of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church is a wonderful treasure.
St. Peter’s carillon of 49 bells is one of only four traditional carillons in New Jersey (many bell sounds that you hear from church towers are not from real bells!) and was the largest carillon in the United States when dedicated on Palm Sunday, April 13, 1924. It is one of only 119 concert-class carillons in the entire United States. Altogether, it weighs more than 35,000 pounds. The largest bell weighs 4,495 pounds.
Come hear Lisa Lonie play our beautiful carillon in concert on Sunday at 4 p.m. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on the lawn, or come early for a seat on one of the benches in the garden. Refreshments will be available, and a free-will offering will be collected for the Music at St. Peter’s concert series.
Lonie has been carillonneur at St. Thomas Church, Whitemarsh, Pa., since 1999 and played concerts at St. Peter’s in 2000 and 2001. Lonie is a frequent carillon recitalist throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. She has performed for acclaimed carillon festivals, including the 1996 World Carillon Congress in Aschaffenburg, Germany.
For more information, contact the church, located on South Street at Miller Road, at 973-538-0555.
Hi,
First time that I have heard this or any other carillon and it sounded very impressive.
My late cousin, Frederick Rocke ,was , I believe the first carillioneur when the instrument was installed in the 1920’s, but you don’t mention him at all.
Regards,
Trevor Coleman