#ThursdayDoors | Visiting A Carillon, Learning About Said

/ Ally Bean

Today I’m joining Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm Frampton, so that I can share with you the following door + gate photos– and a bit of information about carillons.

I took these photos at Dogwood Park in Mariemont, OH. It is a village east of Cincinnati, OH, and is one of the nation’s first planned suburban communities. The park is charming and within it is the Mariemont Bell Tower, a carillon with 49 bells.    

Carillons are musical instruments that contain at least 23 cup-shaped tuned bells. Often, as is in the case of this particular carillon, the bells are hung in a belfry and are connected to a keyboard. When a musician hits the keyboard, using his or her fists, each bell rings, creating a pleasing loud sound.

There are only 166 traditional carillons in the United States, and many of them are on university campuses or in city parks, like this one.

Here’s what I saw in Dogwood Park on a sunny summer afternoon. The whole place looked like it belonged on a Hollywood movie set– that’s how perfectly maintained it was.

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GATED DOORWAY into Mariemont Bell Tower.

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Looking up at Mariemont Bell Tower while standing in front of it.

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DOOR to restroom within Mariemont Bell Tower.

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Side of Mariemont Bell Tower as seen through trees.

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GATE [open] to the park that surrounds Mariemont Bell Tower.

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99 thoughts on “#ThursdayDoors | Visiting A Carillon, Learning About Said”

  2. I never thought much about what a Carillon really was. Thanks for the education. And the great shots – it was a nice day there, wasn’t it?

    Liked by 1 person

    • nancy, there was no concert when we visited. This was a spontaneous look-see adventure, having driven by this bell tower many million times.

      We went to Bok Tower when I was a girl. I remember thinking that the sound was too loud! Will checkout your link, thanks for providing it here.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, as a child on vacation we went to Bok Tower in FL where we heard the bells, but I didn’t understand then that a carillon was an instrument. Now I want to visit one and hear it do its thing. Adding to my bucket list…

      Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, I’d like to hear the bells, too. In the summer there are Sunday night concerts, but getting to this little village and finding a place to park are tricky. But maybe…

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    • janet, I’ve driven by this carillon for years, but never stopped to look at it. When Z-D and I stopped to look at it last week I wasn’t going there to be part of Norm’s doors, but once there I had an idea!

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Such amazing photos!! What a gorgeous park. I would love to hear the bells, especially since I play in the bell choir at church. This would be so different! Even the bathroom door is intriguing. You’re so lucky to have such a beautiful place so close.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Beth, this is a little park that I knew existed but had never stopped to investigate. It was about as idyllic as a city park can be, and the bell tower was beautiful. My photos don’t do it justice! Someday we’ll get back that way to hear a concert.

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  23. It’s a lovely tower indeed. These days carillons do seem to be fewer and fewer. No matter the tune the tone is always so light and uplifting. It’s hard not to smile when one is bong, bing, bonging away.
    Excellent post.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Norm, having driven by this tower for about 20 years it seemed like it was time to actually stop and visit it. I didn’t go with the intention of finding a door, but there it was… and a door is a door… so voilà a contribution to your weekly challenge.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Nice sleek and clean look of the tower. Love carillons – I grew up with them. In Holland many churches have carillons. Thanks for the pleasant memory!

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  25. Oh, I love big wrought iron gates. They always look so stately and Gothic, like something from a Bronte novel. And seeing them a bit open like that is always just a little bit…mysterious, even with that gorgeous blue sky.

    Liked by 1 person

    • nance, there was no lack of wrought iron around this bell tower– all of it in pristine condition. I was sorry that I couldn’t get a shot of both gates in one photo, but they were huge and I didn’t have the perspective to do that. Now that you mention it, it was Bronte-esque around this place.

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    • Judy, I’ve not heard the carillon bells, so now that I know more about them I want to. This bell tower has a concert every Sunday night in the summer, so we might try to get there.

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  28. You got your door and gate in there! A door to a restroom is still a door, and a welcome one at that.

    Sounds like an interesting subject. I’ll have to check out the host post.

    There’s a carillon at the Botanic Garden, I think sometimes there are concerts. But I’ve never seen it played. That seems like it could be fun.

    Loud.

    But fun.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Isa-Lee, Norm’s door challenge is unique and fun. He’s very lenient about what is a door, although I did get a pic of an actual door so I’m cool. I learn so much from all the bloggers who participate.

      I’ve not been to a concert at this bell tower, but would like to go. I agree, it’d be loud, but it’d be an experience worth having. At least, once.

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  30. Even the restroom door is clean and shiny!
    Reading through some of the comments from others, I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t know about carillons. In fact, I don’t think I’ve even heard that word before! I wonder if Australia has any…

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  31. I recall there being a carillon somewhere near Dayton, Ohio, but I don’t remember which town. I don’t recall for sure if I ever heard it played, but I think my mother and I did go to hear it once.

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  34. I wrote an article a few years ago about carillon concerts. That’s right — a local place with a carillon had concerts weekly and people brought their chairs and sat on the ground nearby and listened. It’s a tradition in the town!

    Liked by 1 person

    • tara, that’s a fun tradition. This carillon that we visited has Sunday night concerts in the summer, but parking is tricky and getting there is not an easy drive! But… maybe one night we’ll make a go of it.

      Liked by 1 person

  35. Carillons make such beautiful music. Thanks for including the link to the list of carillons in the US (and in other countries). I enjoyed looking at the list – and remembering the various ones that I’ve seen over the year.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Sheryl, I didn’t get the opportunity to hear the music, but the belfry and grounds around the it were beautiful. Now that I know about carillons, I hope to see more of them– like you have!

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  36. I love carillons. This is a great tower and I loved the video of it with the aerial view.

    There are 3 carillons in Toronto and one is played every Sunday morning before mass. I made a special trip downtown early one Sunday a couple of years ago just to hear it. It is still a fervent wish of mine to someday be able to go inside a bell tower and watch the carillon being played!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joanne, I knew that there were some pretty towers around that were called carillons, but I didn’t understand that the tower was one thing while the carillon was the instrument within. Now that I’m savvy to all of this, I want to hear a carillon concert in person. I agree it’d be cool to watch someone play the instrument. Don’t know how you make that happen.

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  37. Oh my, I almost missed this post. What a small world we live in. Yet also so large, we can miss much. How fun to find this post among my emails. My son and his family started out in Mariemont. But you’ve shown me much more than I ever realized. My focus in the small town center then was more on the movie theater and Graetor’s ice cream.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Janet, how interesting that you know this little village personally! The town center is the epitome of charming. I know that ice cream parlor too well. The carillon is about half a mile away from there, toward Cincinnati proper. So glad you saw this post and commented. What fun!

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  38. That looks like a lovely place to visit and chill. I feel like I know carillons, maybe from a movie or something? The fact there are only 166 traditional carillons in the US is pretty amazing.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kate, I’d no idea that carillons were so rare until after we visited this one and I did some research about them. There must be a movie somewhere that features a carillon, but beats me what it is!

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