Carillon Guild
Make Beautiful Music on a Unique Instrument
As a Saint, you can enjoy an opportunity few other students have—to learn and play this magnificent instrument. Canterbury is one of only five high schools in the country to have a carillon!
Established in 2018, our Carillon Guild is a class that meets twice a week. As a guild member, you learn proper playing technique on a practice clavier in the Chapel of Our Lady, then climb the chapel tower to play the Jose M. Ferrer Memorial Carillon every day, performing a mix of classical and contemporary arrangements. Additionally, you will help run a Carillon Club where you will teach other students to play and offer tours of the tower.
Canterbury has the unique honor of housing one of Connecticut’s 11 carillons. Located in the Chapel of Our Lady, our Jose M. Ferrer Memorial Carillon was installed in 1931, making it one of the oldest in Connecticut, as well as the smallest, with 23 bells. The carillon was cast by the English foundry of Gillett & Johnston, Croydon, England, and is an excellent example of the small carillons for which the foundry was noted.
What is a Carillon?
The carillon is a musical instrument that consists of at least 23 cast bronze bells in fixed suspension that are tuned in chromatic order (i.e., in half steps) and are capable of concordant harmony when sounded together. Because the carillon is typically found in the bell tower (or belfry) of a church, it is commonly played from a clavier, or keyboard, containing wooden levers and pedals wired to clappers.
Ring Schedule
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 3:15 PM
Wednesday, Saturday 12:30 PM
Sunday 11:15 PM
A History of Canterbury’s Carillon
Click here to read the 1931 article in Canterbury's student publication, The Tabard, when the Jose M. Ferrer Memorial Carillon was installed and dedicated.
Join Saints alumnus and former Carillon Guild member, Neil ’22, as he climbs up the chapel tower to play the carillon.
Colleges & Universities with Carillon Guilds
Students with carillon experience are sought after by numerous prestigious colleges and universities and may be eligible for scholarships. See below for a full list of colleges that have Carillon Guilds.
