Sunday Afternoon Carillon Recital

Featuring Charles Semowich, Carillonneur

The Riverside Church carillon, built in 1930, was a gift of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in memory of his mother. The worlds’ largest carillon by weight, the Riverside carillon contains 74 cast bronze bells. The Bourdon bell, weighing 40,000 pounds (ringing on the hour) is the largest tuned bell in the world. The bells swing a peal each Sunday at 10:20 a.m. The Carillon prelude follows at 10:30 a.m., and can be heard and viewed online as part of the Sunday morning Service of Worship.

Fall and Winter 2021 Sunday afternoon recitals take place most weeks at 3:00 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) and can be best heard outdoors listening from Sakura Park, immediately north of Riverside Church at 122nd Street.

September 19: Music for Healing | 2:30 p.m.
Diptych Bells of Healing John Gouwans
Heal the World Michael Jackson, arr. Tiffany Ng
Healing Bells Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra
There is a Balm in Gilead arr. Charles Semowich

September 26: Johnny Appleseed Day
Tree Modes Amy Black
The Ash Grove arr. Richard Giszczak
Chorale Prelude on ‘Now Rests all Forests’ Ludo Geloen
The Sacredness of Trees Ellen Lindquist

October 3: Hispanic Heritage Month
El Titere Astor Piazzolla arr. Moshe Lewkowitz
La Purisima arr. Holla Kabat
Las Aguas de Silo,e  Alfredo Morales arr. Carol Anne Taylor
Pescador de Hombres Cesareo Gabarain, arr. Carol Anne Taylor
Amemonos de Corazon arr. Carol Anne Taylor
Tango Alice Gomez
Aguas de Marco arr. Abel Chaves
Mazurka-Choro Heitor Villa Lobos, arr. Karl Borghuis
Vaya con Dios Larry Russell, arr. Richard Giszczak

October 10: Carillonneur’s Birthday
Happy Birthday arr. Richard Giszczak
Music by Charles Semowich:
Fanfares
Intrada
Variations

October 17: Children’s Sabbath
Elves Stephen Heller, arr. Charles Semowich
Arrangements by Richard Giszczak:
Follow the Leader Ted Sears
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Roy Gilbert
Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo Jerry Livingston
Heigh-Ho Larry Morey
Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee Ned Washington
Climb Every Mountain Richard Rodgers
Carousel Ride, Play Parade, Roller Skates Eugenie Rocherolle
Micky Mouse Alma Mater Jimmy Dodd
Feed the Birds Richard Sherman
Let’s Go Fly a Kite Richard Sherman

October 24: Hungarian Republic Day (Oct. 21)
Mikrokosmos Bela Bartok, arr. Jonathon Arterton
Variations on a Hungarian Folk Tune Karl Borghuis
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 Franz Liszt, arr. Marnix Smit

October 31: Halloween
Toccata in D Minor Johann Sebastian Bach, arr. Judson Maynard
Toccata Léon Boëllmann
Wintry Wind Cedric Lemont
Fantasy on Dies Ire Charles Semowich
Funeral March of a Marionette Charles Gounod, arr. Lucy Dechene
Halloween John Carpenter, arr. Tiffany Ng

November 7: Autumn
Autumn Concerto Antonio Vivaldi, arr. Arie Abbenes
Autumn Aaron David Miller
Autumn Afternoon Eugenie Rocherolle, arr. Richard Giszczak
Falling Leaves Charles Zettek

November 14: Netherlands Celebration
Preludes Matthias Vanden Ghyen
The 300th birthday of the Netherlands pre-eminent carillon composer

November 21: Thanksgiving
Over the River and Through the Woods arr. Richard Giszczak
Fantasy on The Thanksgiving Hymn Johan Franco
We Gather Together arr. Wendell Westcott
Come, Ye Thankful People arr. David Christensen
Variations on Nun Danket Anton Ooik

November 28: Hanukkah
Rays of Hope Pamela Ruiter-Feenstre
Hanukkah Music
S’Vivon, arr. Richard Giszczak
Variations on Maos Zur Chaim Abrams
Advent Hymns

December 5: Seasonal Music
Nativity Triptych Ronald Barnes
Sleigh Ride Leroy Anderson, arr Richard von Grabow
Christmas music

December 12: Season Music
Nativity Suite Nino Rota
Christmas songs

December 19: Candlelight
Candlelight Carol Festival prelude

December 26: Noel
Noels Claude Balbastre and Louis-Claude Daquin

January 2: Christmas and Winter music

January 9: The Dutch Carillon
Fantasie Staf Nees
Suite Archaique George Clement
Toren aan Zee Gerald Boedijn
Emergenza Addie de Jong

January 16: Dr. Martin Luther King Day
African American Spirituals

January 23: Winter
Winter Concerto Antonio Vivaldi, arr. Arie Abbenes
Winter Suite Peter Langberg

January 30: Year of the Tiger
In honor of the New Year for the Chinese, Vietnamese, Mongolian, and Korean peoples

February 6: Valentine’s Day
Come Again, Sweet Love John Dowland, arr. David Christensen
True Love Cole Porter, arr. Gerald Matindale
Don’t Leave Me J. Brel, arr. Ph. Beullens
Love is Blue Andre Popp. Ar., Richard  Giszczak
Songs by George Gershwin arr. Gerard de Waardt
The Man I Love
Somebody Loves Me
Bess, You is my Woman Now
Lady be Good
Someone to Watch Over Me

February 13: Black History Month – Original Carillon Music by African American Composers
Harlem Promenade Brandee Younger
Tower City Jessie Montgomery
Island Stones Wilbert Roget, II
Carillon Dances Kalvert Nelson

February 20: Presidents’ Day
Ode to Columbia’s Favorite Son arr. Charles Semowich
Four Presidential Marches arr. Milford Myhre
You are All Right Teddy arr. Charles Semowich
E Pluibus Unum Variations Charles Grobe, arr. Charles Semowich
America arr. Leen ‘t Hart

February 27: Inspirational Music
Kum Ba Yah arr. Alice Gomez
He’s Got the Whole World in his Hands arr. John Courter
The Bells of Hell (An American Salvationist Hymn) arr. Theophil Rusterholz
Amazing Grace arr. Richard Giszczak
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot arr. Milford Myhre
Lord, I want to be a Christian arr. Richard Giszczak
Nobody Knows the Trouble I have Seen arr. Leen ’t Hart
Bringing in the Sheaves arr. Richard Giszczak
Blessed Assurance arr. Richard Giszczak

March 6: In Honor of the Indian Festival of Holi and of the Start of Spring
Holi Festival Song
Celebrating Holi  Nancy Stewart
Spring  Aaron David Miller
Spring Concerto  Antonio Vivaldi, arr. Arie Abbenes

March 13: Irish Music in Honor of St. Patrick’s Day
Music arranged by Adrien Gabruers:
Deus Meus Adiuva
Lord Inchiquin
Two Mile Bridge
The Cruiskeen Lawn
Eibhlin a Ruin
Planxty
Minstrel Boy arr.by Leen t’ Hart

March 20: Women Composers in Celebration of Woman’s History Month
Schweiss Kloken  Iteke Prins
Fanfare on BAEF  Margo Halsted
Harlem Promenade  Brandee Younger
Dance a Peaceful Heart  Liesbeth Janssens
Claustrophobia Naoko Tsujita

March 27: Celebrating World Theater Day
Songs from “West Side Story” Leonard Bernstein, arr. Jos. Lerinckx
Songs from “Fiddler on the Roof” Jerry Brock, arr, Richard  Giszczak
Camelot Medley Richard Giszczak
Nocturne from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Felix Mendelssohn, arr. Leen t’ Hart
Music for a While, from “Oedipus” Henry Purcell, arr. Arie Abbenes
Give me Your Tired, Your Poor, from “Miss Liberty” Irving Berlin

April 3: Music in Honor of National Arab American Month
Habbaytak Bil Sayt (I loved you in the Summer)
Longa Foraq (Long Parting)
Min Maqam Kurd (I held a Position)
Wa Habibi (My Beloved)
Karhaman (Karma)
Samaii Bayati Qadim Ibrahim al-Masri
Derdj (Dredge) with Variations by Charles Semowich

April 10: National Find a Rainbow Day
Carla Staffaroni, Guest Carillonneur
Two Impressions of the Sky Scott Hummel
Luoshuitian Chinese Traditional, arr. Mathieu Daniel Polak
Grey Sky Bert Alink, arr. Austin Ferguson
My Favorite Things Richard Rodgers arr. Richard Giszczak
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head Burt Bacharach arr. Sally Slade Warner
Over the Rainbow Harold Arlen arr. Jos Lerinckx
The Rainbow Connection Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher, arr. Sally Slade Warner

April 17: Easter Sunday
Welcome Happy Day arr. Betty Buchanan
O Fillii et Filiae George Matthew, Jr.
Variations on ‘Easter Hymn’ Charles Semowich

April 24: Handbell Festival
Carillon (originally a piece for handbells) Philip M. Young, Arr. for carillon by Carole Johnson
Test Drive from ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ John Powell arr. Joey Brink
Eighteen Variations on ‘Chop Sticks’ for Carillon Albert Gerken
Campanella II Edward M. Nassor