Three universities and a carillon

The Library of the University of California, San DiegoKendrick Partington, our Organist Emeritus, travels to San Diego from time to time to visit his daughter and son-in-law. He brings back this report from a recent trip.

In addition to other educational establishments in San Diego, California, there are also three major universities - the University of San Diego, the San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego.

The first of these is a Roman Catholic Foundation, beginning as a College for Women Teacher Training. This title is still to be found inscribed on an arch-way within the complex of buildings which now make up the university, and the college itself must have represented quite a courageous step in its time. The campus crowns a prominent hill-top, and with its dazzling white faculty buildings in Spanish style, set among flower beds of brilliant colours and fountains, is splendid indeed. On the campus site there is also an enormous church of basilica status, for parish as well as student worship, surmounted by a vast blue dome which can be seen from many places in the city. The original College Chapel is also still there, a cool dark sanctuary, with a remarkable air of antiquity about it.

The State University has no such architectural pretensions and yet in its simple utilitarian way, is not without dignity. The faculty buildings are certainly somewhat monolithic in style, but in their arrangement on the campus, might resemble an old fortress, were one to use only a modicum of imagination.

The University of California has many branches in different places - a very famous one is in Berkeley in the north of California, on the other side of the bay from San Francisco. The San Diego campus is set very near to the superb coast-line of La Jolla, among tall trees, and although the buildings are uncompromisingly modern, they are arranged in the sloping terrain remarkably well. One felt that care had been taken to create something well-planned without regimentation. One of the most striking buildings is the Library. This has been likened to a representation of two open hands containing books, the means of acquiring knowledge. We thought another possible symbolism could be a Tree of Knowledge. Right at the top is a magnificent carillon, which was displayed to us by the proud carillonneur. The bells can be heard all over the huge campus, not only marking the passage of time, but also playing original compositions.

The tubular bells are housed in three cabinets facing the player, who sits at a three octave keyboard, like a small piano. It was a truly fascinating experience to play this instrument (I had never played one before). The action felt strange at first - smooth legato technique does not work - a kind of "striking" action is necessary to make the hammers hit the bells. I was surprised nevertheless, how precisely fast repeated notes could be played, and how mysteriously effective speedy scale passages could be executed, without loss of notes.

It was for me an oddly stirring experience, and when the carillonneur invited me to compose a piece for the instrument, I knew at once how I could set about it. After a few days, the music was complete, and to my delight, when I went back to the university to try out my piece, which I entitled "Tintinabulation" after Edgar Allen Poe, all the special effects I had incorporated into to the music - tolling effects, rapid glissandi, arpeggio figures and change patterns - came off well.

The music was then recorded on the carillon and will soon be sounding over the campus. I hope those who hear it, as they go about their work, will catch something of the excitement I felt on that occasion, and feel that I did my best to display the various features of the carillon to advantage.

Kendrick Partington


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Last revised 29th January 1999