The Associate Carillonneur Exam evaluates a candidate's skills at an intermediate level utilizing carillon repertoire of moderate difficulty. It is designed for GCNA Associate Members who would like recognition from the GCNA and professional feedback.
Candidates submit recordings of music performed on their own instruments, which may be of any size, including a two-octave instrument. Unlike the Carillonneur Exam, this process is not anonymous and candidates are not required to perform an examination recital at Congress. In addition to the performance requirement, there are two written components: carillon history and concert program design.
There is no application deadline—applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Individuals who pass this exam may be eligible for a grant of up to $750 to support their further carillon education.
Submit audio recordings of 2 pieces from the lists of required pieces below, plus other pieces of comparable or greater difficulty, for a total of 10–15 minutes of music. Do not submit compositions, arrangements, transcriptions, or improvisations that you have created.
Note: Under special circumstances, you (or your teacher on your behalf) may obtain special permission in writing from the committee chair to substitute required pieces with pieces of comparable or greater difficulty. It is advisable to contact the committee chair far in advance, before recordings are made.
These pieces are found in Playing the Carillon: An Introductory Method, which you can purchase from the GCNA Music Store. The handling, pedaling, and tempo marks added by the editor need not be followed. Pieces marked with a dagger † can be played on 3-octave carillons.
Piece | Page (2017 ed.) | Page (2010 ed.) |
---|---|---|
† Second Prelude, from Three Preludes, by Theophil Rusterholz | 18 | 14 |
† Pedal Aria, by John Gouwens | 26 | 20 |
† Sarabande, by Ronald Barnes | 28 | 22 |
† Slow Dance, by Roy Hamlin Johnson | 30 | 24 |
† Pastel in Bronze, by Albert Gerken | 44 | 38 |
Waltz, from Three Short Pieces, by John Gouwens | 54 | 48 |
Andante, by Joseph-Hector Fiocco (De Gruytters No. 49) | 68 | 62 |
† Sonorities, from Suite No. 1, by John Courter | 70 | 64 |
Mixolydian Mode, from Seven Modal Pieces, by John Courter | 76 | 70 |
Aeolian Mode, from Seven Modal Pieces, by John Courter | 78 | 72 |
Giga, by François Couperin (De Gruytters No. 96) | 82 | 76 |
Toccata for 42 Bells, by Robert Moore | 93 | 87 |
Prelude V, by Matthias Vanden Gheyn | 97 | 91 |
Allegro, anonymous (De Gruytters No. 184) | 109 | 103 |
These pieces are found in The Belmont Carillon Book, Volume II, which you can purchase from the GCNA Music Store. The handling, pedaling, and tempo marks added by the editor need not be followed.
Piece | Page |
---|---|
Coronation March, by Clifford Ball | 40 |
Prelude, from Belmont Suite, by John Knox | 44 |
Final Flourish, from Belmont Suite, by John Knox | 48 |
Festival Prelude, by Gladys Elinor Watkins | 50 |
Muss i denn, a Swabian folk song, arr. Percival Price | 54 |
Stillness, a Russian folk melody, arr. Percival Price | 62 |
Marche en Rondeau, by Marc-Antoine Charpentier | 77 |
Rondo, K. 13, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 86 |
Place the microphone(s) in an area where there is good balance for the bell sounds. To avoid keyboard noise, do not place the microphone(s) in the playing room. For additional information, see Helpful information on recording for the carillon.
Before submitting your recording, listen to each piece carefully with the music in front of you. Ask yourself:
Depending on your answers, you may decide to record some pieces again.
You are strongly encouraged to submit a video recording of you performing one of the required pieces. The video recording will not be separately graded. It will be used to provide helpful feedback in relation to performance techniques, posture and positioning at the console. Submitting a video recording will help judges provide better and more useful feedback. Head, body, hands, and feet should all be clearly shown at some point in the video. A video recording made on a smartphone is acceptable. The microphone for the video recording may be in the playing room rather than in the bell chamber.
Demonstrate your basic knowledge about general history of the carillon (and optionally the history of your own instrument) in a written format. The effort expected is the equivalent of about 2–3 pages of double-spaced text, but you are encouraged to present the information in a format that will be practical and useful to you as a (future) ambassador for the carillon. Examples of presentation formats include:
You (or your teacher on your behalf) are welcome to contact the committee chair to propose a different presentation format.
Original research is not expected. You may use information in the general carillon history section of Playing the Carillon: An Introductory Method by John Gouwens. (Two-octave carillon players using The Belmont Carillon Book may contact the committee chair to obtain these pages.)
Submit 2 sample programs for recitals of between 30 minutes and 1 hour in length. The music chosen does not have to be music that you already know. The programs must include a short biography.
Before applying, you must first become a member of the GCNA, which costs US$40 annually (or US$25 for full-time students), and remain in good standing.
To initiate the exam, assemble all required materials of the application, which include:
Additionally, pay a US$20 application fee. The preferred method of payment is via PayPal. Enter your name in the box below and click the Pay Now button. Alternatively, you can pay the fee via check. Please use US dollars drawn on a US bank made payable to "The GCNA".
Finally, send your application materials to the Associate Carillonneur Exam Committee chair, Jim Fackenthal, at ace@gcna.org. You have a few ways to do this:
Questions? Contact the committee at ace@gcna.org.
The members of the Associate Carillonneur Exam Committee form the jury: Jim Fackenthal (chair), Wesley Arai, Linda Dzuris, Laura Ellis, and Tin-Shi Tam. The committee will listen to the audio recordings, and read the history project, the two programs, and the biography.
Candidates will pass, fail, or be invited to resubmit some parts of the exam material. (If the committee requests the resubmission of some parts of the exam material, candidates will have two years from the time of their first evaluation report to resubmit. After two years, all submissions will be treated as new applications, requiring complete application material and fee. Prior committee evaluations of any previously submitted material will not necessarily be the same upon resubmission.)
To successfully complete the exam, candidates must pass all requirements including each audio recording that is submitted.
The video recording (if one is submitted) will not be separately graded.
Standards for Carillon Performance is the internal guideline used by the judges to evaluate candidates' performances, but will not be used as a template for the final reported performance evaluation.
Candidates will receive comments and suggestions, if needed, from the judges.
Candidates who meet the standards set by the committee will receive a certificate, suitable for framing, an "AC" code in the GCNA membership directory, and a special announcement of their accomplishment to the membership. Successful candidates may also become eligible for the Emerging Artists Grant.
Only the names of those candidates who pass will be released to the GCNA membership.
For more information, contact the Associate Carillonneur Exam Committee chair, Jim Fackenthal, at ace@gcna.org.
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