The eight change ringing bells in Good Shepherd’s bell tower were cast by the famous Whitechapel Foundry in London, the same one that cast Big Ben and the original Liberty Bell, established in 1570. The bells were installed in 2004.
“Change Ringing” originated in England in the 17th century. It is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns known as methods. It is called such because the bells are constantly moving, or changing, their positions in the order in which the bells are struck. Good Shepherd rings its bells every Sunday at 10am.
Sign up in advance for an opportunity to visit the tower and learn about this ancient musical tradition.
Tuesday morning begins in Aiken, South Carolina, with worship at the St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church and an opportunity to enjoy hearing the church’s carillon of 23 bells installed in 1964 and made by Petit & Fritsen.
Dr. Linda Dzuris became Clemson's first University Carillonneur in 1999 and is a Professor of Music in the Department of Performing Arts. Additionally, Dzuris is a performance instructor of the North American Carillon School, which was established in 2013 as affiliate and American representative of the Royal Carillon School 'Jef Denyn' in Mechelen, Belgium.
She received her B.M., M.M., and D.M.A. degrees in organ performance and church music from the University of Michigan. Carillon study was also done in Ann Arbor, MI, with additional study at The Netherlands Carillon School in Amersfoort, NL.
Dzuris is Vice President of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, chairs the Board sub-committee on events and the Ronald Barnes Grant Committee, and is an adjudicator on the Associate Carillonneur Evaluation Committee.
She has been a featured guest artist in carillon concert series throughout the United States, The Netherlands, France, and Switzerland. In 2017, Dzuris performed concerts on behalf of the GCNA at the 19th World Carillon Federation Congress held in Barcelona, Spain.
She will be an appointed North American Delegate at the World Carillon Federation in Utrecht, NL in 2023. American Carillon Music Editions and the Yale Guild of Carillonneurs publish her original carillon compositions.