Richard M. Watson and Richard D. Gegner are pleased to announce the 2014 Summer Season of Carillon Concerts in Mariemont’s Dogwood Park beginning the twenty-fifth of May and running through the first of September. All concerts are scheduled at 7pm except for the Memorial Day (Monday, May 26), Independence Day (Friday, July 4), and Labor Day (Monday, September 1) concerts that are scheduled at 2:00 P.M.. The entire carillon concert series of programs can be accessed on this website by clicking on Village of Mariemont on the navigation bar, then Carillon Concerts and finally Mariemont Carillon Summer Booklet 2014. A printed hardcopy program Booklet will be distributed to each Mariemont residence later this month (April).
Private tours of this historic World Class Carillon can be arranged by contacting Mr. Richard D. Gegner at 513-271-8519.
There are just over 180 true carillons on the entire North American continent and The Mary M. Emery Memorial instrument with 49 bells is one of the very few that is housed in a free-standing tower surrounded by a park area that is an ideal venue for listening to these World Class Performances. The programs contain a wide variety of music including classical, religious and patriotic themes. Mr. Gegner and Mr. Watson continue to provide Mariemonters with a unique enjoyment experience.
Richard D. Gegner is Carillonneur at The Mary M. Emery Memorial Carillon in Mariemont, Ohio. He became affiliated with The Emery Memorial Carillon in 1967 as an Assistant Carillonneur and was appointed Carillonneur in 1972. Mr. Gegner became a carillonneur member of The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America in 1971 and served as Corresponding Secretary and on the Guild Board of Directors for 18 years. Mr. Gegner is coordinator of Carillon Activities for The Thomas J. Emery Memorial and has presented carillon recitals at Riverside Church in New York City, The University of Toronto in Canada, Alfred University (NY), Calvary Episcopal Church (Williamsville, NY), The Deeds Carillon (Dayton, Ohio), The Crystal Cathedral (Garden Grove, CA), Christ Church Cranbrook (MI), and the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI). Besides his duties at The Emery Memorial Carillon, Mr. Gegner is Organist and Choir Director at the United Church of Christ in Oakley, and Carillonneur for The Carroll Chimes Bell Tower in Covington, Kentucky’s Mainstrasse.
Richard M. Watson, born in 1946 in Madison, Wisconsin, received his musical training privately and attended the University of Wisconsin; while at the University, he served as assistant University Carillonneur (1963-1968). He was appointed University Carillonneur and Lecturer in Music at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama in 1968. He moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1973 to become director of the Cast Bell Chime and Carillon Division of The I. T. Verdin Company, and has been a full time designer of carillons and chimes and consultant on bell tuning and acoustics since that time. With William C. Meeks, he founded Meeks, Watson & Company in 1991; the firm, located in Georgetown, Ohio, is engaged in bell founding, chime and carillon building and renovation work. Mr. Watson has been active as a guest carillon recitalist since 1966; he became a Carillonneur member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America in that year, has served as a director of this professional organization, and has presented recitals and papers at several of the Guild’s annual Congresses. He received the Berkeley Medal in 1983 for outstanding service to the art of the carillon. Mr. Watson became Carillonneur at The Emery Memorial Carillon joining Mr. Gegner in 2005, and also serves as coordinator of Carillon Maintenance. Mr. Watson is organist of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Cincinnati, and director of music for Synods of the Anglican Province of America
Dates of Concerts can be found in the Mariemont.com Calendar, and through this PDF