Playlist: Most-Requested Songs for the Rockefeller Carillon
Photo credit: Erielle Bakkum
by Joey Brink, University Carillonneur
The UChicago Guild of Carillonneurs performs twice daily on the Rockefeller Memorial Carillon throughout the year. We play music composed for the instrument, classical music, pop music, film, jazz—everything! Have a song request that you'd like to hear on the carillon? Submit your request here. Here’s a mix of the most-requested popular songs, plus some student favorites, and why we love to play them.
Guess what our most requested song is? Yep, it's the Harry Potter theme. You'll feel like you're at Hogwarts as you sit under the ivy-covered gothic architecture with Hedwig's Theme soaring down from the tower.
A reaction to the Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1, this carillon prelude is a popular piece among carillon students. Look out for it any day of the week!
Kahoot is a classroom quiz tool, and this theme plays in the platform lobby and during the quiz. Put this one on endless repeat for the right effect.
A popular request, and very effective on the bells. Listen for the Riders of Rohan melody enter on the big bass bells!
Contemporary music for carillon! The composers in the music department write the coolest music for the instrument, many of which will be featured on an upcoming CD, Ripple Effects, coming 2020.
I arranged this song for my partner, Vera, as a Christmas present back in 2010 when we were college students. We had just started dating at the time. Well not even really dating. It was kind of undefined. Now we're married and have a 1-year-old daughter!
Disney music is my favorite genre to play on the instrument. (Tip: request a Disney song and you are 2x more likely to hear it played). Colors of the Wind in particular, when the melody goes into the super low bass bells.
A classic piano piece that works particularly well on the carillon, with ornamentation that highlights the control and capability of the instrument.
Bring your date to Rockefeller to hear this one, and maybe you'll hear the rest of the La La Land soundtrack too!
It's kind of fun to play Clocks in a clocktower. "But there's no clock on the tower," you say. Wrong! Well, you're right. But the bells tell you the time of day every hour from 9am-6pm. Don't be late!
UChicago Carillon Students. Photo credit: Joey Brink
The carillon is a solo keyboard instrument, much like a piano, and interested students are encouraged to sign up for carillon lessons by contacting 3rd-year Jinghong Miao jinghongm@uchicago.edu. Students must be fluent in treble and bass clefs and have at least 3 years left to go in their academic program to begin carillon lessons.