CSUN's Grand Symphony Keyboard bells- Northridge, California
Posted by: calgriz
N 34° 14.177 W 118° 31.782
11S E 359121 N 3789412
California State University Northridge's (CSUN) Grand Symphony Keyboard bells.
Waymark Code: WMKF9V
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 04/05/2014
Views: 3
From CSUN press release in December 18, 2000: "..Cal State Northridge's historic campus carillon (a gift to the institution from the Class of '66) will once again serenade the full campus starting this week with the grand sounds of bells. As in the past, the distinctive bell sounds of Westminster Chimes will mark the hour and half-hour points of each day. And, the restored music playing capability of the carillon will sound three times a day with brief, several-minute interludes, beginning very appropriately during this season with selections of holiday music....CSUN's carillon has quite a history: Installed in 1966, the original 54-bell system was housed in the former Administration Building (now Student Services), playing from rooftop speakers there both clock tones and brief musical selections for many years through the 1980s, when age finally hobbled the system. In 1988, the campus community joined to fund an $80,000 overhaul and upgrade of the carillon system. That installed most of the carillon's current features: the expansion to a full 222 miniature bells. Also added was the roof speakers on Monterey Hall, the Kinesiology Building and the Music Building (**Cypress Hall) to broaden its reach; two keyboards to permit the carillon to be played live like an organ, and a microphone enabling it to serve as the university's emergency broadcast system. The new carillon then continued to grace the campus until the 1994 earthquake, when damage first silenced its music and then left the system in sporadic operation in recent years.
Now, that period has ended with the full repair and restoration of the carillon and it's 222 bells in a newly constructed home in the second floor room of the Music Building (**Cypress Hall). The project was overseen with great dedication by Mr. Jeff Craig, director of network administration in Information Technology Resources (ITR), who for many years has been the unofficial official caretaker of the campus carillon. Starting this week, both the clock tones and the musical interludes - such as White Christmas, Silver Bells and even Jingle Bells for the holidays - once again will sound throughout the campus, heralding what I hope will be a very positive and rewarding year ahead for us all."