What Is the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) Website?

Updated

gcna.org is the official website of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, a volunteer-based organization founded in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1936 that supports the carillon — a bell instrument with at least 23 bells connected by wires to a wooden keyboard. The site is worth visiting if you play, study, compose for, or simply want to hear carillon music, because it gathers sheet music, recordings, tower directories, exams, grants, and publications in one place. If you are only looking for a single concert or a quick definition, the site's "About carillons" pages and tower directories will likely be enough.

What the GCNA is

The Guild describes itself as "all about the carillon." Its stated purposes are to:

  • Support the development of its members
  • Encourage the building of new carillons and the improvement of existing ones
  • Promote the writing and distribution of carillon music

It has operated for nearly a century and is run by volunteers, with leadership, committees, governance documents, and a history section published on the site.

What you can find on the site

The navigation is organized by what you want to do rather than by audience type.

Sheet music and composition

  • GCNA Music Store
  • Other music sources
  • Submit music for publication
  • Music writing contests: Warner Arrangements Contest, Franco Composition Contest, Franco Proposal Contest
  • Commissioned music

Listening

  • Tower directories, for finding carillon music played in person
  • Links to listen to carillon music online
  • Recordings of carillon music on CD

Education and exams

  • Learn to play the carillon
  • Associate Carillonneur Exam
  • Carillonneur Exam
  • Webinars

Grants

  • Research (Barnes) grant
  • Emerging artist grant
  • Congress attendance grant
  • Regional gathering grant
  • Student composer-performer grant

Publications

  • Bulletin
  • Carillon News (the site notes a Spring 2026 issue)
  • E-News
  • Other publications

Organization and support

  • Who we are, leadership, committees, history, governance, Honor Roll
  • Join us, Donate, Contact us

Who it is for

If you are… Start with
Curious about what a carillon is "What is a carillon?" and "About carillons"
A player or student Education/exams, sheet music, webinars
A composer Music writing contests, submit music, commissioned music
Looking for a live performance Tower directories
Interested in funding Grants section
Wanting to support the Guild Join us, Donate

Practical notes

  • The site offers log-in options through Google, Microsoft, and Apple, plus a standard email log-in with "remember me" and "forgot password." Some member features may sit behind that log-in.
  • The available material does not state prices, membership fees, or whether any content is free, so check the relevant page or contact the Guild before assuming cost or access terms.
  • The "About carillons" section answers common questions directly: how to learn to play, what music the carillon plays, its history, and how carillons are made.

If your goal is to learn the instrument, find a tower near you, or submit a composition, gcna.org is the natural starting point. If you just want a definition, the homepage's "What is a carillon?" section answers it in a few sentences.