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Greater South Bend Region's Ultimate Guide to Arts & CultureThursday Feb 09, 2012South Bend Area Weather

    Venue Directory

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    Culver Academies, Memorial Chapel


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    Culver has a very fine pipe organ in the Chapel, with admirable acoustics. It is particularly effective for Romantic literature and orchestral transcriptions, but has the necessary resources to handle nearly any organ literature. It was originally built in 1951 by the M.P. Möller company of Hagerstown, Maryland. It has undergone several tonal modifications over the years, but work done since 1980 has been directed toward making the instrument an effective reflection of its original romantic character (but without attempting to copy it exactly). Since 1978, the organ has been under the able care of Fabry, Inc. of Antioch, Illinois. The organ has three manuals, with 54 ranks of pipes, for a total pipe count at present of 3,333. In the early 1980s, Chimes and a Harp stop were added to the organ, as were two Zimbelsterns. Over the summer and early fall of 2006, major work will be undertaken on the organ (carried out by Fabry, Inc.), including re-leathering internal chest action parts. The carillon is played after Sunday morning services in the Chapel and in recitals throughout the warmer months of the year. Culver Academies hosted annual congresses of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America in 1953, 1961, and 1985. A distinguished roster of international artists have played guest recitals on the Culver carillon over the years, representing Belgium, Canada, France, and The Netherlands, as well as many noted American carillonneurs. John Gouwens, Carillonneur of the Academies since 1980, is well-known in the carillon field, having performed in recital at nine congresses of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, and at a congress of the World Carillon Federation. He returned this fall from his fifth European concert tour, in August of 2001, playing recitals in Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany. Mr. Gouwens has also produced two recordings of the Organ and Carillon of Culver, available on Compact Disk and Cassette. (A third one is now in preparation.) Click here the link to see more about the recordings. In June of 2004, Culver was the host institution for the annual Congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.