High above the busy streets of Morristown in the tower of St Peter's Episcopal Church is a wonderful treasure, a 49-bell carillon. This instrument is concert grade and one of only 180 manually operated carillons in the whole of North America. There are just three others like it in the State of New Jersey. When the carillon was dedicated on Palm Sunday April 13, 1924, it was one of the first and largest in the USA, Canada and Mexico. At that time the Reverend D. M. Brookman wrote:

"The acquisition of these magnificent bells is a great event in the history of the parish and of the town. They are for the inspiration and benediction of thousands now living and of many more thousands as yet unborn. We happen to be of the generation that bestows our massive tower its crowning glory."

The carillon is played most Sundays by volunteers John Dyer, Matthew Siebenhuhner, and Nadine Sutcliffe between and after services.  Volunteers also play on special occasions and holidays, and for memorial services and weddings; there are occasional recitals given by visiting guest carillonneurs as well. At these concerts the public are invited to enjoy sharing a picnic on the church lawn as they listen to the music of the bells.

Many of the bells are inscribed as "gifts in memoriam."  Paintings by Ernest J. Parsons, carillonneur from 1929 to 1956, cover all the walls of the playing cabin from floor to ceiling. These scenes of worship, his church, the hills and meadows of England are an inspiration to all who scale the 100 steps from the narthex to the playing cabin. Visiting carillonneurs from around the world have said that St Peter's has the most decorated playing cabin they have seen.

See the St. Peter's listing at the website of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America here.  Some interesting facts from that site:

• Our carillon is one of 4 proper carillons (you must have at least 23 bells to be an official Carillon) in New Jersey: http://www.gcna.org/data/NJMORRIS.HTM.
• It is listed as one of the North American Milestones in Carillon History: http://www.gcna.org/data/MstonesNATR.html.
• 58 carillons in North America have more bells than our 49 bells: http://www.gcna.org/data/IXNATRnr.html.
• There seem to be 63 carillons which are heaver than ours: http://www.gcna.org/data/IXNATRwt.html.