Carillonneur Is Appointed by Regents


ANN ARBOR, a city nationally known as a sophisticate in the realm of music and one, which probably 
has been visited by more great musicians than any other 
in the nation of its size, is to be the home, in a short 
time, of a "carrillonneur." Wilmot F. Pratt, of New
 York City, will arrive soon to take his post as Carillonneur for the Baird Carillon following his appointment by 
the Board of Regents at its August meeting.


Mr. Pratt is 24 years old and unmarried, "young
 enough," Professor Earl V. Moore, Director of the Uni
versity School of Music, says, "to understand the view-
point of the students." He is a native of New Jersey 
and until recently has been carillonneur at St. Thomas 
Church in New York City, where he also was a soloist 
in the choir. For the past year he has been studying in
 the carillon school at Malines, Belgium, under M. Jef
 Denyn, who was city carillonneur at Malines until his 
retirement in 1933 and who, Dr. Moore declares, is the 
most distinguished performer of that instrument in the 
world.


The Malines school was founded 12 years ago for the 
training of performers on the difficult instrument and is 
the only school of its kind in the world. Many of
 Denyn's pupils hold positions in Belgium and Holland,
 carillon centers of the world, and the finest artists in the
 United States have studied under him. Mr. Pratt will 
be the only American graduate of the Malines school in 
this country. Another holds a position in Belgium and 
a Canadian is carillonneur at Ottawa.


When Professor Moore was in Europe early in the
 summer to check progress on the carillon itself at Lough
borough, England, he heard Mr. Pratt play. During the 
young man's period of study at Malines he played many 
concerts throughout the Netherlands and was recalled for 
additional engagements. Since that time he has passed
 his examinations "with great distinction," according to a
 cablegram received by Professor Moore from Denyn in
 which the master highly recommended his pupil. The
 examination consists of paper work in music and a per
formance on the great carillon at Malines, one of the 
finest in the world, before a jury of carillonneurs from 
the Netherlands.