Charles Kurz II ’67, P’99

One of the unexpected experiences that I had when I attended Trinity was learning to play the Chapel carillon. The bells were rung regularly on Sunday mornings, as well as for evening compline services, special events, graduation, and after football games. The bells were often annoying to those who still were asleep in their dorms on the quad. There were no instructors for the carillon at Trinity; there were one or two students each year who carried the tradition of becoming a carillonneur. From the Chapel narthex, there is a locked spiral staircase that ascends to a practice keyboard; a climb further up the Chapel tower leads to the real keyboard of wooden keys that are weighted to match the size of each bell. The lower the sound, the heavier the bell; the higher the sound, the lighter the bell. Because I knew how to play the piano, it was easy to play various songs on the carillon. After graduation in 1967, I had very few opportunities to play a carillon other than when returning to Trinity. It was a personal highlight to play the newly enlarged carillon during the 50th Reunion memorial service for my class in 2017. I am grateful to be one of the few people who has ascended to the top of the Chapel tower many times to observe the panoramic view of Greater Hartford and to experience the thrill of playing the bells on Trinity’s magnificent carillon.