New bells in Yoakum, Texas
James F. Neumann of Yoakum, Texas, wrote me about his unique carillon installation. He is perhaps the only private citizen in the USA to possess a personal carillon. Yoakum is a small town about 125 miles from Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Corpus Christi. Mr. Neumann is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist serving local citizens.
The twenty-five cast bronze bells were produced by Meeks, Watson and Company of Georgetown, Ohio. The bells were originally cast in 1997-98 for Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. They were installed on a 16-foot tower in Mr. Neumann's back yard during the spring of 2001. The bourdon is a C, 140 pounds, and 17 inches in diameter. The instrument comprises two chromatic octaves tuned in equal temperament. The bell profiles were designed by Richard Watson after typical Gillett & Johnston bells. There is no manual playing console. The instrument is played through a dedicated PC utilizing a proprietary bell playing program. The bells are fitted with traditional clappers which are controlled by solenoids.
The tower is 16 feet high and stands on a concrete foundation with four-inch steel members at the corners. The bells hang from a steel frame. A powder coating was baked on to the frame rendering it rustproof. The hat is topped with a metal finial. The exterior of the tower is covered with a concrete fiber material. The instrument is connected to the adjacent residence via an underground conduit and low-voltage cable. A MIDI keyboard is used for real-time play and recording chime tunes.
At some time to be determined in the future this instrument will be hoisted down from its present location and taken to the tower of the historic St. John's Lutheran Church of San Antonio. There it will join a three-bell peal which has graced the tower for about 75 years. It has been designated as the Fred and Margaret Neumann Memorial Carillon. When the instrument is installed in the church tower, it will be possible to install a manual playing console using the present clappers.
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