Public Performances During 29th Texas Regional Carillon Conference by Professional Carillonneurs

First Baptist will be hosting the 29th Texas Regional Carillon Conference on October 14 and 15. Carillonneurs will be performing on our Glasscock Memorial Carillon during the conference.

Recitals to be performed:
Friday, October 14

• 4:30pm by Jesse Ratcliffe of Abilene, Tex
• 5:15pm by Dr. Andrea McCrady of Ottawa, Canada

Saturday, October 15

• 11am by Wylie Crawford of Chicago, Ill
• 1pm is the Members’ Recital

The church family is invited to hear these recitalists play on our 51-bell carillon near Ocean Drive. Bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the beautiful bell music with a bay view.

This is the first time in many years for First Baptist to host a Texas Regional Carillon Conference. Spread the word and invite your friends to support these talented musicians who have taken time out of their busy schedules to perform here.

The 51 bells were cast in the Netherlands by the Royal Eijsbouts Bell Foundry and shipped by barge to the Port of Corpus Christi in 1976. The tower was also built by Eijsbouts and assembled on the grounds in front of the church by three technicians from Eijsbouts and one technician from Schulmerich in Pennsylvania.

The dedication of the original tower and carillon was played by Lowell Smith, University Carillonneur at The University of California at Riverside, on November 21, 1976. Church member Lucille Glasscock donated the funds for the original tower and bells in memory of her late husband, oilman Charles “Gus” Glasscock.

Loyd Lott, Organist and Carillonneur at First Baptist Church, played the carillon after church services, weddings, and funerals, and hosted a summer recital series until 2002, when one bell fell onto the playing cabin roof. Upon inspection, the frame holding the bells had so much corrosion from the salt atmosphere that the bells had to be taken down and stored. Eventually, the tower had to be removed completely for safety concerns in November 2015.

The church began a campaign to raise the funds needed to rebuild the tower and refurbish the bells. With the help of the Corpus Christi Bell Tower Foundation, enough funds were raised to have the Verdin Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, build the new stainless-steel tower and reinstall the original bells.

The tower is now singing again after 19 years. The playing cabin has an easy-to-play new clavier, electric adjustable bench, electric remote hatch opener, remote-controlled HVAC system, and a controller for the Westminster quarters and hour strike. 