Although Scott Parry of West Windsor performs on Princeton University’s carillon every Sunday throughout the year, he only presents a 45-minute concert annually. Parry will perform on the carillon at the Cleveland Tower of the Princeton Graduate School, on Sunday, September 2, at 1 p.m. Through the years he has given concerts on more than 50 carillons in nine countries, and his repertoire includes works of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Bizet, Beethoven, Bizet, Schubert, and Lecuona.##M:[more]##
Parry’s love affair with the bells goes back to 1947, when his church in Easton, Pennsylvania, asked him to organize a handbell choir. In 1950, when Parry entered Princeton University as a freshman, he first inquired about playing handbells, but was steered toward the carillon, one of only about 200 in the United States. He studied with Arthur Bigelow.
The largest, loudest, and most expensive musical instrument, the carillon was used in the 16th century to alert people to newsworthy events — special melodies told of fires and other events and each parish had a different tune. On market days the townspeople sent requests to the carillonneur, who had to be able to play and improvise.
Parry, who received his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Princeton in 1954, also has a master’s in public relations from Boston University, and a doctorate in education from New York University. He worked for the Group Attitudes division of Hill and Knowlton until 1961 when he left to form his own company, Training House, which specialized in management development, organizational effectiveness, and human resources training. He retired in 2000.
A collector of functional items, Parry and his wife, Joan, built the Castle, a 26-room house on Bear Brook Road, to showcase their eclectic collections. Their daughter, Kiki; son-in-law, Mike; and grandson, Griffin, live on Meadow Road.
Parry’s most prized possessions include a set of bells mounted on a carillon that were once owned by P.T. Barnum and a set of handbells from the London foundry that cast the Liberty Bell.
The collection also include old pharmaceutical bottles, medical equipment, military hats, paper weights, dolls, musical instruments, books, miniature boxes, antique copper kitchen ware, and Christmas ornaments. “We have surrounded ourselves with beautiful things from around the world,” he says. “The gene for collecting is genetic.”
Parry talks about his grandmother’s large doll collection and his grandfather’s canes, both of which they inherited. “There are a couple of hundred canes including one with three glass vials to fill with brandy for a long walk, one that shoots 22s, one that forms a seat, and one with a sword made from Toledo steel.” The Parrys often take the canes out for a walk.
Trains are another passion and he has a large room set up with at least 15 train sets. He received his first set of Lionel trains from his father when he was seven or eight. The train room was always popular at the couple’s annual holiday tour to benefit the Historical Society of West Windsor. There have not been tours for several years.
Parry will also perform at Grace Episcopal Church, 600 Cleveland Avenue, Plainfield, on Sunday, August 26, at 7 p.m. The carillon there boasts four and a quarter octaves. The performance coincides with the annual peach festival where spectators are treated to free ice cream and peaches.
— Lynn Miller
Carillon Recital, Princeton University, Grover Cleveland Tower, Graduate College, 609-258-3000. Scott Parry in concert on the fifth largest carillon in the country. Free. Sunday, September 2, 1 p.m.
