Sarasota resident seeks home for carillon

Wylie Crawford is confident Sarasota residents would greatly enjoy all of the benefits a carillon could provide to a community — if only they knew what a carillon was.

“People don’t know what to make of it the first time they hear of it, but it’s addictive,” Crawford says.

First things first: A carillon is a musical instrument consisting of at least 23 bells played with a keyboard and foot pedals. The large-scale instrument is typically housed in towers, though a few mobile versions exist.

Now that that’s out of the way: Why, exactly, should people be interested in bringing a carillon to Sarasota?

Crawford, a seasonal resident who serves as president of the World Carillon Federation, knows he’s an unusually devoted believer in the value of the instrument. He discovered the carillon as a graduate student at the University of Chicago in the 1960s, and was the college’s chief carillonneur for more than four decades.

Like any true believer, he is certain the masses can be converted — and that they’d be better off for it.

“It’s like asking what’s the benefit of having an orchestra or theater group or orchestra house,” he said. “It’s entertainment. It’s a gathering place.”

As it happens, there’s a carillon in Sarasota right now. Frank Della Penna owns one of three mobile carillons in the United States, performing musical routines under the name Cast in Bronze. Della Penna is working at the Sarasota Medieval Fair at the Sarasota Fairgrounds and says his performances are a hit among the renaissance fair crowd.

Crawford is angling to keep the instrument here a little longer. He just has to find a venue willing to house it for public performances between now and February.

So far, his search for a home for the carillon has proved challenging. He originally reached out to The Ringling, but had no luck. He’s targeted Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota Jungle Gardens and Sarasota Square Mall, all of which have failed to deliver a “yes” in response to his proposal.

On Nov. 1, the Downtown Improvement District briefly discussed the carillon, considering whether there was space to store it downtown. The board agreed it wasn’t a good fit, highlighting the challenge Crawford faces.

“I’d love to have him visit downtown for a parade, but as a permanent fixture, I don’t know if it’s going to make friends,” DID board member Daniel Volz said.

Crawford is not giving up hope on finding someone willing to display the 4-ton, 25-foot-long collection of 35 bells.

“I’m trying to think outside the box,” Crawford said. “I’m hoping there’s somebody who’s as equally motivated who knows the territory better than I do.”

At the very least, he said it would be a welcome addition during the holiday season.

“I put together a flyer with a picture of the instrument that says, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if you could hear Carol of the Bells on real bells?’” Crawford said.

Even as the short-term use of the mobile carillon remains a major question, Crawford is dreaming of erecting a permanent carillon tower somewhere in Sarasota. He says he’s personally seen communities benefit from the installation of two carillons — one in the Chicago Botanic Garden, another in the suburb of Naperville, Ill.

He knows it’s too early to get into the logistics of planning something like that, but he also says a project can come together quickly if a motivated donor is on board. Before that can plausibly happen, he has to get over that small hurdle of nobody knowing what a carillon is.

And so, the search for a home for the mobile carillon continues.

“Seeing one is the key,” Crawford said. “That’s why I’m working so hard to get this one on loan.”