Mary Mesquita Dahlmer (born Mary Perry Mesquita; 12 October 1897 – 14 October 1993) was an American carillonneur, the first to be employed as one in the United States, and the first woman carillonneur in North America.

Life and career

As a member of the Church of Our Lady of Good Voyage in

Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester () is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of Massachusetts's North Shore. The population was 29,729 at the 2020 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a ...

, she helped raise funds to build the church's 23-bell

Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) **List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) Plac ...

carillon by selling flowers. The carillon was inaugurated on July 23, 1922 by church organist George B. Stevens. When he was unavailable to play for a wedding on July 30, Dahlmer was asked based on her abilities as a pianist to fill in for him. She was subsequently appointed carillonneur, and studied with Anton Brees and Kamiel Lefévere. She was often asked to demonstrate the carillon for visitors, and in the process performed for John D. Rockefeller Jr.,

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

, and Mrs. Hugh Bancroft. She also had a career at the Frank E. Davis Fish Company. Dahlmer retired from her carillon post in 1945, after 25 years. In 1987, Dahlmer was elected an honorary member of The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America.

References

External links

Audio of Mary Mesquita Dahlmer performing on the carillon of the Church of Our Lady of Good Voyage

Oral history interview with Mary Mesquita Dahlmer, conducted by David Masters, in "Toward an oral history of Cape Ann: Dahlmer, Mary," Sawyer Free Library, Gloucester, Mass.
Carillonneurs 1897 births 1993 deaths 20th-century American women musicians 20th-century American musicians People from Gloucester, Massachusetts Musicians from Massachusetts American keyboardists American people of Portuguese descent 20th-century classical musicians {{US-musician-stub