WILTON — A new carillon, given in memory of Charles Morgan, was recently installed in the belfry of the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, on Main Street.
It will soon chime and play religious and patriotic music throughout downtown, the Rev. David Smith said. Church members want to let residents know about the music ahead of time, he said.
The carillon was given to the church by Morgan’s family.
Morgan, 85, died in January in Rochester, Minn. He became president of G.H. Bass & Co. in Wilton in 1975. Smith performed the burial service this past summer in Wilton.
While talking with his Morgan’s wife, Jerie, Smith mentioned the church was thinking about a carillon. She wanted to know if it could be done in memory of her husband, he said.
Working with a company from Vermont, the musical instrument, which is typically housed in a bell tower of a church or municipal building, was installed 10 days ago, he said.
The church was founded in 1818 and while the roof was being shingled this past summer, Smith noticed a speaker in the belfry. He asked John Backus, chairman of the church council, about it and was told the church made preparations for a installing carillon but never got around to completing the work.
Smith said he thinks people will like it and, within a short time, those who don’t will probably get used to it and won’t hear it.
“We won’t inundate them with it all the time,” he said. “We’ll introduce it slowly so people can get used to it.”
The church council is working on the details of when it will play. Smith expects it will play at specific times but not necessarily regularly. Members plan to stand outside for a trial run to see if it is loud enough to be heard but not so loud it will offend anyone, he said.
In the future, patriotic music can be played for Veterans Day and Memorial Day and Christmas carols for that holiday, he said.
Although it is not a clock, it does have the capacity to chime on the hour, he said.
The carillon was purchased from the same company that Henderson Memorial Baptist Church in Farmington uses for its instrument, he said. The carillon at the Farmington church plays music throughout the downtown daily at noon and 5 p.m.
abryant@sunjournal.com
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- The First Congregational Church on Main Street in Wilton recently installed a carillon in the belfry. It will soon play music throughout the downtown.
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- The First Congregational Church on Main Street in Wilton recently installed a carillon in the belfry. It will soon play music throughout the downtown.
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