A barcarolle is a piece of music evoking the song of Venetian gondoliers. Generally, a barcarolle is in compound meter, with a rippling, repetitive accompaniment suggesting the motion of the water against the boat. Some composers—Chopin in particular—have written barcarolles that are expansive, passionate pieces for which a slow, peaceful boat ride is just one of the many moods reflected in the music. The grander examples of the form were the inspiration for this piece. I also set out from the start intending to incorporate a lovely melody which, at a later point in the piece, would be presented in a "Franckian" canon. This piece is also designed to test the limits of the technical and expressive possibilities of the carillon and the carillonneur. I premièred the Barcarolle at Culver on July 23, 2005.

This is an unabashedly romantic piece. The tempo should "ebb and flow" frequently, as appropriate to the contours of the music. Transitions from a slower tempo to a faster one (notably measures 5 and 54) should be executed smoothly, with the faster tempo getting underway perhaps a little gradually.

The tempo should be essentially maintained in measures 63–71, with the high figurations executed freely, and with as much delicacy as possible.

—John Gouwens