October 15-16, 2022
Met Carillon 100
Metropolitan United Church
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Free Carillon Recitals
Free Carillon Recitals
celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Massey/Drury Memorial Carillon at Metropolitan United Church and its rededication following a major renovation
Everyone is welcome to listen to the following free carillon recitals from the park in front of the church!
Everyone is welcome to listen to the following free carillon recitals from the park in front of the church!
Metropolitan United Church is located in the heart of downtown Toronto.
Metropolitan United Church is located in the heart of downtown Toronto.
56 Queen Street East
Toronto ON M5C 2Z3
416-363-0331
Sat Oct 15 at 10am
Featured Artist Recital
Sat Oct 15 at 10am
Featured Artist Recital
Performer: Margaret Pan
Performer: Margaret Pan
1. Canción y Danza V, by Federico Mompou (1893-1987)
2. Sicilienne, by Ronald Barnes (1927-1997)
3. Dance of Dreams, by Liesbeth Janssens (b. 1971)
Margaret Pan began studying carillon in 2007 at Princeton University, graduated from the Mechelen carillon school in 2012, and was a fellow at Bok Tower Gardens in 2015. She has played recitals across Belgium, the Netherlands, and North America, including for festivals and congresses of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) and the World Carillon Federation. She was the winner of the 2017 international carillon performance competition in Springfield, Illinois, and a finalist in the 2019 Queen Fabiola competition in Mechelen. Margaret has taught carillon at UC Berkeley (through the DeCal program) and at the University of Toronto, and has given masterclasses at Yale University. She has also served on the GCNA exam committee for 10 years, first as juror and currently as co-chair. Margaret's academic degrees are in physics (SB) and astrophysics (PhD) and she works as an astronomer studying planetary dynamics in our and other solar systems.
Sat Oct 15 at 1:15pm
Group Recital
Sat Oct 15 at 1:15pm
Group Recital
1. Chorale Partita III “The Harmony of Zion”, by John R. Knox (1932-2021)
performed by Gordon Slater
2. Ballad from Suite in Popular Style, by John Courter (1941-2010)
performed by Naoko Tsujita
3. Sonata, by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
performed by Andrée-Anne Doane and Gabriel Doane-Picard (duet)
4. Avec les Saints Anges, arr. by Émilien Allard
performed by Andrée-Anne Doane
5. Ballade, by Jef Rottiers (1904-1985)
performed by John Widmann
6. Lament and Alleluia, by Alice Gomez (b. 1960)
performed by Deborah Hennig
7. Toccata festevole from Suite No. 1, by John Courter
performed by Elisa Tersigni
Sun Oct 16 at 10:30am
Prelude before Worship
Sun Oct 16 at 10:30am
Prelude before Worship
Performer: Roy Lee
Performer: Roy Lee
1. Prelude on Veni Creator, by Ronald Barnes (1927-1997)
2. Pealing Fire, by Libby Larsen (b. 1950)
3. Variations on Price’s Theme for the McGill Square Bells, by Scott Allan Orr (b. 1992)
4. Menuet from Menuet and Trio, by Sidney F. Giles (1915-1985)
5. She’s Like the Swallow, arranged for carillon by Heather Spry (1951-1996)
6. Chorale Prelude on “Engelberg”, by John R. Knox (1932-2021)
7. “O Perfect Love”, arranged for carillon by James B. Slater (1927-2019)
8. Carillon Impromptu for Metropolitan’s 200th, by Gordon Slater (b. 1950)
PROGRAM NOTES
Inspired by the inscription on each of the largest 23 bells of Metropolitan’s carillon (“May the Spirit of the Lord reach the heart of every one where the sound of these bells is heard”), the opening piece is based on the hymn tune Veni Creator Spiritus (Come, Creator Spirit). Pealing Fire was commissioned by the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America in 2004, and uses melodic fragments of the Veni Creator chant throughout.
F. Percival Price, Metropolitan’s first carillonneur, composed a short theme (reproduced below) shortly after the carillon was dedicated in 1922. A century later, Scott Allan Orr, Toronto-born carillonneur/composer, composed these Variations on Price’s Theme for the McGill Square Bells. (McGill Square is the city block on which Metropolitan United is located.)
Price’s successors as Met’s Carillonneur have included Sidney F. Giles (1932-36) and James B. Slater (1962-97). Several other prominent Canadian musicians also started their carillon careers at Met, including Heather Spry (later, University Carillonneur at U of T) and Gordon Slater (later, Dominion Carillonneur in Ottawa).
For the first 50 years of the carillon (and for most of the past two years when the upper bells were in Ohio during the centennial renovation of the carillon), our carillon was a two-octave instrument, with 23 bells cast by Gillett & Johnston (England) in 1922. John R. Knox’s arrangement of the hymn tune Engelberg, by Sir Charles V. Stanford (1852-1924), uses only the lowest two octaves of the carillon. Engelberg is often paired with the hymn text “When in Our Music God Is Glorified”, which was the theme of one of the presentations at yesterday’s conference for carillonneurs and carillon students.
In 1960, with the addition of 12 midrange bells, cast by Petit & Fritsen (the Netherlands), our carillon became a three-octave instrument. Bud Slater’s 1964 hymn arrangement of “O Perfect Love” uses those three octaves. In 1972, 19 treble bells, cast by Paccard (France), were installed, bringing the total to 54 bells. Bud’s son, Gordon, used the entire four-and-a-half-octave range of the instrument to compose “Carillon Impromptu for Metropolitan’s 200th”, commissioned in 2018 for the bicentenary of Metropolitan’s congregation, based on four hymns of thanksgiving: “Come, You Thankful People, Come”; “Now Thank We All Our God”; “Creating God, We Give You Thanks”; and “We Plough the Fields”.
BIOGRAPHY
Roy Lee has been Metropolitan’s Carillonneur since 2016. He also performs regularly and teaches on the University of Toronto’s Soldiers’ Tower Carillon. Born in Hong Kong, he spent his teenage years in Vancouver, and was an undergraduate at Yale when he learned to play the carillon. In 2000, he passed his professional certification exam and became a Carillonneur Member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA). He also holds a diploma with great distinction from the Royal Carillon School of Mechelen, Belgium. He has performed guest recitals in Canada, the US, Ireland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Roy served on the GCNA’s Board from 2016 to 2022 and was its president from 2019 to 2021. He is currently chair of the GCNA's Emerging Artist Grants Committee, and has previously served as chair of the GCNA's committees for Events and the Associate Carillonneur Examination.
Roy received his B.A. (history) from Yale and his J.D. from the University of Toronto. He is a lawyer by day, plays the organ at his home church, and enjoys curling recreationally.
After the 10:30am recital, all are welcome to join our worship service at 11am inside the church. Wondering what our services are like? Read more here.
Sun Oct 16 at ~12:20pm
Postlude after Worship & Rededication Ceremony
Sun Oct 16 at ~12:20pm
Postlude after Worship & Rededication Ceremony
Performer: Margaret Pan
Performer: Margaret Pan
1. Vive la Canadienne, arr. by Émilien Allard
2. WORLD PREMIERE of Bells United, by Naoko Tsujita (b. 1985)
3. Modal Nocturne, by Geert D'hollander (b. 1965)
PROGRAM NOTES for "BELLS UNITED"
"Bells United" was written to celebrate the rededication of Met's renovated carillon. Since the reconditioned carillon was originally intended to be available for Pentecost, this composition reflects the meaning of this Christian festival by creating a hallowed atmosphere, as well as the elements of music from Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Latin American musical traditions, to represent the church’s unique position in the centre of one of the most multicultural regions of the globe.
The introduction of this piece shows the light of the Holy Spirit slowly approaching the earth from heaven, as it shatters in the air, spreading falling fragments all around. Soon after, people gradually start talking to each other and celebrating the Holy Spirit together. As the music progresses, the time signature, rhythm, and modes occasionally change, much like the contrasting languages of the world. As the title "Bells United" demonstrates, this piece was written to bring different musical traditions together and display the multicultural region where the Metropolitan United Church stands in the Toronto city centre. In addition, the actual carillon bells will finally be united through the renovation, which is an auspicious event for the church community and all the neighbours living nearby, exhibited by the festive climax at the end of the piece.
ABOUT THE COMPOSER of "BELLS UNITED"
Naoko Tsujita, M. Mus., is a performer, composer and music educator based in Toronto, Canada. She began studying carillon in 2017 at the University of Toronto while pursuing her Master's degree in percussion performance. In 2020, she was awarded a full scholarship from the Cast in Bronze Society to pursue the final diploma at the North American Carillon School. After completing her coursework in arranging for carillon, campanology, and marketing and promotion, she successfully performed her examination recital in Springfield, IL, in June 2022.
Naoko has won a number of honours for her carillon compositions and arrangements, including: Itsuki Lullaby (winner, the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America Sally Slade Warner Arrangements & Transcriptions Competition 2020); Nocturne Dance (Special Jury Mention, Perpignan Carillon Composition Competition in France 2019 and published by the American Carillon Music Editions); and Bell Chant (Honorable Mention, Iowa State Carillon Composition Competition 2019). Her carillon commissions include: Claustrophobia (Trinity College, Hartford, CT for the 2021 Virtual Congress of The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America and the World Carillon Federation); Cheers! (Indiana University Jacobs School of Music for the New Music Carillon Concert 2022). See full listing at www.naokomusic.com/compositions
As a marimba soloist, Naoko has won top prizes in several competitions, including the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and the South Japan Music Competition. Her marimba-guitar duo made their debut in Vienna, and has been the ensemble-in-residence at the East Chamber Music since 2021.
ABOUT THE PERFORMER
Margaret Pan began studying carillon in 2007 at Princeton University, graduated from the Mechelen carillon school in 2012, and was a fellow at Bok Tower Gardens in 2015. She has played recitals across Belgium, the Netherlands, and North America, including for festivals and congresses of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) and the World Carillon Federation. She was the winner of the 2017 international carillon performance competition in Springfield, Illinois, and a finalist in the 2019 Queen Fabiola competition in Mechelen. Margaret has taught carillon at UC Berkeley (through the DeCal program) and at the University of Toronto, and has given masterclasses at Yale University. She has also served on the GCNA exam committee for 10 years, first as juror and currently as co-chair. Margaret's academic degrees are in physics (SB) and astrophysics (PhD) and she works as an astronomer studying planetary dynamics in our and other solar systems.
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