1167 - Plummer Building Carillon
Every morning in Rochester, Minnesota, long before the hospital corridors fill with footsteps and hushed conversations, music rings out from the sky.
High above the Mayo Clinic campus, nestled in the tower of the historic Plummer Building, the carillon begins to since. With 56 bronze bells, each precisely tuned and lovingly cast, this magnificent instrument does more than mark the hour. It offers a breath of calm, a pause for reflection, and a quiet whisper of hope.
Since 1928, the Rochester Carillon has watched over patients and physicians alike. With the stroke of a baton and press of a pedal, the carillonneur brings bronze to life. Dedicated to the American Soldier, its music stands as a tribute to courage, service, and sacrifice. The bells do not swing, they sing from stillness, their voices born from the gentle strike of hidden clappers. Each note, tuned with exquisite care, resonates in harmony, echoing far beyond stone and steel.
The first 23 bells were a gift from Drs. William and Charles Mayo, cast in England, consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and dedicated “To the American Soldier.” From the very beginning, these bells were never meant to be merely ornamental. They were a daily offering to a city of healers and the people they serve. The music, the Mayo brothers believed, could reach where medicine could not. And so it has.
In nearly a century, only four have carried the weight and wonder of this instrument: James Drummond, Dean Robinson, Jeffrey Daehn, and today, Austin Ferguson. Each has shaped its voice with artistry and reverence, passing not just a baton, but a tradition of healing through sound.
Though Mayo Clinic remains the only medical center in North America with a carrillon, its music knows no borders. Through live streams and an archive of recordings, the Rochester Carillon now sings across oceans and time zones. Its melodies, ranging from classical hymns to modern folk, honor both tradition and diversity, reflecting the rich tapestry of patients who walk the halls below.