MSU Carillon and Beaumont Tower

About the Instrument | History of Beaumont Tower & Carillon

Carillonneurs & Assistant Carillonneurs | Music Samples | 2008 Concerts | Tours

Carillonneurs

Ray McLellan, carillonneur

(1997-Present)

Ray McLellan earned his B.A. at Florida Southern College in Lakeland and his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Michigan. It was at U-M that he began carillon studies with Margo Halsted. He also studied for one year, on full scholarship, at the Pädagogische Hochschule in Freiburg, Germany, and earned a certificate for carillon study at the Netherlands Carillon School in Amersfoort as a student of Todd Fair.

McLellan, who was appointed University Carillonneur in 1997, currently teaches and performs on the 49-bell Beaumont Tower Carillon and directs the Muelder Summer Carillon Recital Series.

Margo Halsted, carillonneur

(1996-1997)

Margo Halsted, an active recitalist, teacher, speaker, jurist, musicologist and consultant, has concertized in all countries with an active carillon tradition. Several of her students have passed the examination to become full members of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. Particularly interested in historic carillon music, she has published articles and a book on 18th- and 19th-century carillon manuscripts from Belgium. She has been a featured recitalist or speaker for four World Carillon Federation meetings. In addition to her degrees from Stanford University and the University of California, Riverside, Ms. Halsted holds a diploma from the Netherlands Carillon School.

Wendell Westcott, carillonneur

(1941-1987)

Wendell J. Westcott was the University Carillonneur at Michigan State University for more than four decades. He graduated from the "Royal Carillon School 'Jef Denyn'" (Belgium) with the highest honor ever bestowed by that school. Dr. Westcott was the organizer and director of The Spartan Bell Ringers, a handbell organization comprised of MSU students. Wescott has concertized throughout the United States, Belgium and The Netherlands.

Russell Daubert, carillonneur

(1929-1941)

Russell Daubert was an athletic trainer and coach (freshman swimming) in the college's Athletic Department who first had the task of playing the tower chime (later a carillon), starting in 1929. Lacking formal training he was only able to play the most simple of melodies on the instrument. In 1941, upon transfer of control of the tower and carillon from the Athletic Department to the College of Music, Wendell Westcott began his career of performances on the instrument.

Assistant Carillonneurs

Sally Harwood, assistant carilloneur and carillon student, began her carillon study in 1996, as the first student of Margo Halsted at the newly refurbished Beaumont Tower Carillon at Michigan State University. She has studied with Ray McLellan since 1997. Harwood was admitted to full membership in the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America in 2000, after successfully completing her advancement recital at the Guild Congress in Frederick, Maryland. Her other primary musical activity is playing recorders and krumhorns with the Namenlos Early Music Consort. Sally serves as an associate general counsel at Michigan State University.

Copyright 2000© Tim Potter

Patricia Johannes, assistant carilloneur and carillon student, is a graduate of Michigan State University where she majored in elementary education, with a minor in music. She taught early elementary children for 17 years. She led elementary boy and church youth choirs, and served in several churches as pianist. Having played piano since the age of six, she was well prepared to accept the challenge of playing the carillon. She began studies with University Carillonneur Ray McLellan in 1998 and is an associate member of the Guild of Carillonneurs of North America.

William C. McHarris, assistant carilloneur and carillon student, is a professor of chemistry and physics at Michigan State University and has been studying the carillon since 1996, first with Margo Halsted and then with Ray McLellan. He composed a set of eight carillon pieces, entitled "Venturesome Inventions," which was published by American Carillon Music Editions.

Tours

During University Carillonneur Ray McLellan's weekly performances (12-12:30 p.m. on the day of student lessons) the tower is usually open to visitors. Groups wishing to arrange a tour of the tower and carillon at other times should contact McLellan by phone (517) 432-4066 or by email at rm@msu.edu at least one month prior to the proposed date of the tour.

Except where noted, tours of the tower and carillon are free to all, and usually are offered for at least 20 minutes at some point either before or after a tower event. In a few instances tours may occur during a carillon performance; in most cases they will take place immediately following a recital.

The carillon performance chamber is on the fourth floor of the tower (73 steps up) behind the clock face. There is no elevator or rest room facility in the structure.