Current Events

(No Guild-related events are imminent.) 

Upcoming Events

The 2011 GCNA Congress (annual) and 2011 WCF Congress (triennial) will both be held in the USA, at Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, from June 26 through July 1.  Business meetings for the GCNA and WCF will be separate, with GCNA meetings on June 26-29 and WCF meetings on June 28 - July 1.  Most presentations and recitals will be joint.

The 2012 GCNA Congress will be held in Clemson, South Carolina.  For more information see the Congresses page.

Recent Events

The 2010 GCNA Congress was held on June 14-17 in Naperville, Illinois, at The Millennium Carillon, with some activities at other carillons in the Chicago area.  For an illustrated preview, download a PowerPoint presentation (10.1MB = 10,100 KB).  View the official Congress photo (7MB JPEG), taken at the base of Moser Tower; the entire tower appears in the inset at upper left.

2009 GCNA Congress at Longwood Gardens

The 67th GCNA Congress was held June 22-25, 2009, at Longwood Gardens, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

WCF World Congress 2008 In Groningen

Martini Tower, Groningen, Netherlands

The 16th World Carillon Federation Congress was held from Sunday, July 13, until Thursday, July 17, in Groningen, Netherlands.  Based on the congress theme, "Theme with variations," a diversified program was developed by the Stichting Carillon Congress Groningen 2008 in cooperation with the board of the Nederlandse Klokkenspel-Vereniging.  In addition to the historic Hemony carillon in the famous Martini Tower of Groningen, all seven carillons in the province, quite different in character, were included in the program.  Three traveling carillons were also available.

Concerts included congress and guild recitals and spectacular concerts of carillon with electronics, four-hand carillon with ringing bells, and a concert with traveling carillon and fusion band.  At least seven new compositions were presented for various instrumental combinations, and some of these new compositions had a corresponding afternoon lecture.  Free sheet music was available.

Excursions were made to carillons in the region and the bell foundry museum in Heiligerlee, and there were opportunities to visit some of the world famous church organs in Groningen.  An open-air bell founding event took place on the main square of Groningen.

Sixteen lectures on very different subjects were given in the following categories: campanology, musicology, education, history and organization.  Besides these topics, there were introductions on two aspects of carillon culture as to the beginning of a possible WCF standard on carillon education and carillon construction.  The location for most of the meetings and lectures was the Academy Building of the State University of Groningen.  The adjacent tower of the university houses a small 25-bell carillon with bells in major third tuning.

The web site of the congress contains additional information. The congress fee included all lunches, coffee/tea, excursions, concerts, the congress banquet, a congress book, and a congress report.

Berkeley Hosts 2008 GCNA Congress and Carillon Festival

Sather Tower, Berkeley, California

The seventh Berkeley Carillon Festival and the 66th GCNA Congress were held June 10-13, 2008.  Featured artists were Jeremy Chesman, Linda Dzuris, James Fackenthal, Andrea McCrady, Gordon Slater, and the Sonos Handbell Ensemble.  Presenters were Joseph Daniel, Margo Halsted, Justin Ryan, and Kim Schafer.  Much information was available on the Web.