Loughborough Carillon

The Loughborough Carillon was the first grand Carillon in Britain and remains the finest. A Carillon is a musical instrument, not a “peal of bells” more familiar in many English Churches. Loughborough’s Carillon is based on 47 bells and follows the tradition of Belgian bell music. In a Carillon the bells are rung by forcing a clapper down onto the bell from levers at a keyboard, or clavier. The Carillonneur therefore plays the music which can be enjoyed across the surrounding Queens Park and well beyond.

The Carillon Tower was built as a War Memorial by public subscription in memory of the 480 men of the town who fell in the Great War as inscriptions on the Bells testify. Bronze tablets on the exterior of the Tower commemorate the fallen of both World Wars and subsequent conflicts. The Bells themselves were all cast at Loughborough’s Taylor’s Bell Foundry which shares the honour with Whitechapel of producing the greatest church bells.

The opening recital was given on the 22nd July 1923 by the most famous Carillonneur, Chavalier Jef Denyn of Malines in Belgium. The original music for the Loughborough Carillon entitled “Memorial Chimes” was composed by Sir Edward Elgar (Pictured below).

The inaugural recital was:

• Land of Hope and Glory - Elgar
• Marche Funebre - Chopin
• Mijn Moederspaak - Peter Benoit
• Memorial Chime - Elgar (Composed specially for Loughborough Memorial Carillon)
• God save the King

During recitals visitors are able to watch the Carillonneur playing in the Clavier room:

Pictured above: Caroline Sharpe playing the bells.
Pictured below: The view of the Clavier from the front.