~ Press release provided by the Luray Parks Association
LURAY — The Luray Park Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrea McCrady of Ontario, Canada as the Resident Carillonneur for the 2022 season at the Belle Brown Northcott Memorial Carillon, also known as The Luray Singing Tower.
Recitals will begin on Saturday, May 28 at 7 p.m., and on Sunday, May 29 and Memorial Day — Monday, May 30 at 3 p.m. Recitals will then be presented on Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through Labor Day weekend.
McCrady has served as the Dominion Carillonneur of Canada (Canadian National Carillonneur) at the Peace Tower of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa since 2008. As of mid-February 2022, the Peace Tower and its carillon are slated to undergo an extensive restoration, which may take three to four years to complete. As a result, Dr. McCrady is available to Luray through the 2025 season.
Dr. McCrady was appointed Dominion Carillonneur of the Peace Tower Carillon in Ottawa, Canada in 2008. She began playing the carillon in 1971 at Trinity College, Hartford, CT (B.A., 1975). While in Europe on a post-graduate fellowship, she studied at the carillon schools in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
During medical school at McGill University, Montreal, she was carillonneur at St. Joseph’s Oratory, followed by her hospital residency in Toronto, where she played at the University of Toronto and the Canadian National Exhibition. From 1990-2008, she coordinated the carillon program at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane, WA, where she also practiced family medicine.
In 2008, she retired from medicine upon receiving Bachelor of Music magna cum laude from the University of Denver. She is an instructor in carillon studies at Carleton University in Ottawa.
Dr. McCrady served for many years on the Board of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, and as its President from 1988-89. She has co-chaired the Ronald Barnes Memorial Grant Fund and the Heritage Music Committee and served as secretary of the World Carillon Federation.
Dr. McCrady has played many recitals in Europe, North America, at international carillon festivals in Florida, Illinois, California and at the 2002 and 2014 Congresses of the World Carillon Federation.
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This is quite an honor for Luray.
I hope Dr. McCrady enjoys her stay here