The Virtual Carillon

The "Virtual Carillon" created by Matthew Wrather, Yale University Class of 2002, and featuring the 54-bell Harkness Tower Carillon at Yale, is truly AMAZING!!

I found this on a Google search. The bells were digitally recorded and then Mr. Wrather created a shockwave file to "play" the carillon.

I can play the Virtual Carillon on the PC in my office at my church, which is up in the organ loft. [I sometimes entertain myself while I am there working by playing music from my PC, which I have connected to the music audio system.]

When the Virtual Carillon plays softly from the large speaker system located in a pipe organ chamber in the chancel, it sounds absolutely real! The first time I used it during church (yes, I did!!), I saw a few puzzled heads looking up toward the roof! "When did we get a carillon?!

Here's the link to the page:

http://www.yale.edu/carillon/virtualcarillon.html

Give it a minute to load, especially if you're on a dial-up connection. You will see a carillon keyboard appear - play it by clicking your mouse on the keys! Turn it up real loud and drive your neighbors nuts!! Or better yet, put a speaker connected to your PC up on the roof!!!

Note: To make it easier to play (one plays by "pressing" the carillon keys with mouse-clicks, which ain't easy!), I made a stick-on keyboard map with the names of the notes. That really helps a lot.

N.B. The Yale Carillon is tuned to B, so it sounds one half-step lower than the written pitch.

(btw, it appears sometimes like I am "mouse-clicking" on notes and nothing's happening. The problem is, I was panning the camera to show my mouse hand. Since I couldn't split my vision between the monitor and my hand, I was clicking "between the keys" where of course no notes would sound. The virtual keyboard is actually very responsive and prompt.)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• carillon
• bells
• chimes
• tower
• yale
• university
• matthew
• wrather
• charles
• richard
• lester
• pipe
• organ

[Alu10000]

The link doesn't work :(

[theremin137]

@Alu10000 -- yep. apparently the page was removed from the yale.edu website. sorry, but I had nothing to do with that.

[sims1ification]

Any plans to create an iPad or even an iPhone version of this? That would be great!

[churchwhistles]

I tried to post the URL of the virtual carillon, but I got an error on this end. It still works for me, but you have to type it out. I guess the YouTube doesn't allow it! If you don't have the URL, try Yale dot edu and then search for it there

[Alu10000]

@theremin137 Thanks :)

[yaleguild]

Glad you like it!

[bgw1114]

Many carillons are transposing instruments, but there is no standard pitch; Yale's carillon plays in B, so the sounds are true to life!

[Audinos]

I've spent many hours playing with the Virual Carillon. It seems, though, that everything is a half step lower than it should be: press a C, hear a B.

[1lonlyferret]

yes someone else found my favorite time waster. Thank god i doesnt work on Iphone!!!!!!!!!I would never get anything done

[THBerkman]

It doesn't work so good on my computer!

After a few notes, when i click, i hear no sounds. After about 10 seconds it works again.

Why is this?