Explore the Tower
Use the diagrams below to understand how the tower is organized, where the instrument lives, and how sound travels from the bells into the open air above the Quad.
Click a section of the tower or use the labels to learn more.
Base & Playing Cabin
The base of Denny Chimes houses the playing cabin and automation equipment, where the instrument can be performed live or operated automatically.
- The manual playing console, adapted from a traditional organ, features two keyboards and foot pedals, allowing the carillonneur to play the bells above
- A “practice mode” allows the carillonneur to play manually without sounding the bells, instead triggering internal speakers that can only be heard inside the tower
- An automated system manages the hourly chimes and can also perform prerecorded music throughout the day
Tower Structure
The middle of the tower connects the playing cabin to the bells above through a system of mechanical linkages.
- A hatch above the playing cabin opens into the tower, where a ladder provides access to the interior structure
- The tower itself is rarely accessed except for maintenance, due to its narrow space and natural elements inside
- The diagram illustrates how motion from the console is transferred upward to the bells
Bell Chamber
At the top of the tower, the bell chamber houses the cast bronze bells that form the voice of Denny Chimes.
- Denny Chimes has 25 cast bronze bells, qualifying it as a true carillon
- The current bells were cast by Royal Eijsbouts of the Netherlands, one of the world’s leading carillon foundries
- Openings near the top of the tower allow sound to project outward across the Quad, carrying the instrument’s voice throughout campus
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