Deutsche Glockenspiel Vereinigung (DGV)
Hahnenklee | Germany | March 1, 2025
A Carillon School in Hahnenklee (Harz)
Beginning in early 2024, Hahnenklee, home to the 49-bell carillon in the Stave Church, has served as an official carillon school in collaboration with the Royal Carillon School Mechelen and the German Carillon Association. The school is open to all students of the Royal Carillon School Mechelen, as well as anyone interested in learning about the carillon.
A practice carillon is available on the ground floor of the guest house, and a second one is currently in production by Reinold van Zijl. Students and guest carillonneurs have the option for accommodations in the guest house's upper floor.
A fundraising campaign is underway to support the establishment of a music library and fund the purchase of the second practice carillon.
For further details, visit Hahnenklee at this website.
Hanover | Germany | March 1, 2025
Carillon workshop in Hanover, August 16th-18th 2024
For many years, the DIAKOVERE Henriettenstift has been organizing a carillon workshop in cooperation with the DGV in Hanover.
The 49 bell carillon from the F. W. Schilling bell foundry (Heidelberg) was inaugurated in 1960. The tower is located in the middle of a park of the Henriettenstift and is one of the few in Germany that can be played without climbing stairs. The instrument plays spiritual melodies automatically every day at lunchtime.
In the mid-1990s, the Hanover carillonneurs Anna-Maria Helbig, Deaconess Lore Wartenberg and Cantor Dr. Karl-Friedrich Waack had the idea for this workshop. S. Anke-Christina Müller, cantor at the DIAKOVERE Henriettenstift since 1996, organized the first carillon workshop in Hanover in 1997. Wilhelm Ritter (Kassel) led the annual workshop every summer until his death in October 2018. Mathieu Daniel Polak (Rotterdam) was a lecturer for the 2019 workshop. In this workshop, Polak's composition "De Woerdense Suite" for tower carillon (1 player) and mobile carillon (2 players) was premiered. The composition is dedicated to Henk Verhoef on the occasion of his 25th anniversary as city carillonneur of Woerden.
In August 2024, the participants celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Carillon Workshop in Hanover with lots of bell music, lessons on three practice carillons and lectures.
Kiel | Germany | June 7, 2024
Kieler Carillonheft vol. IV and the 20th anniversary of the carillon
In the mid-1990 came the idea of installing a carillon in the tower of the former Kiel monastery, a new instrument funded by donations. The carillon was inaugurated in September 1999 originally with 45 bells. In 2005 five more bells were added. The largest bell weighs 620 kg, the smallest 5 kg and the total weight is 4,085 kg. The instrument sounds a minor third lower and the keyboard standard is Central European.
From the beginning, carillonneurs Gunther Strothmann and Gerd Heinrich have been the driving force of the instrument. They organized all the concerts in the "Kiel Bell Summer" inviting local and international guests. More recently Reinhild Kunow and Volker Scheibe joined the team. The Kiel Carillon has an experienced and appreciative audience, who enjoy listening from a small park on the site of the former monastery.
The Kieler Carillonhefte vol. I and vol. III were created as a collection of original compositions and arrangements for carillon. The Kieler Carillonheft vol. II was compiled on Gunther Strothmann's 70th birthday and contains musical works by 19 different musicians. the Kieler Carillonheft vol. IV was published to mark the 20th anniversary of the Kiel Carillon, with adaptations of sacred songs, original compositions for carillon and arrangements.
For more information visit our website.
