For whom the UR bells toll
Joanne Kong climbs up the bell tower several times a year to program the University’s carillon.
BY HOLLY RODRIGUEZ
Media and Public Relations Officer
On the second floor of Boatwright Memorial Library, a hidden stairwell leads up to an archive of out-of-circulation books that guards a locked, heavy door. Behind it, another stairwell goes up to another locked, heavy door that opens to a room full of half-empty bookshelves and obsolete office equipment.
“This leads to the actual bell tower,” says Dr. Joanne Kong, director of accompaniment in the Department of Music, standing at the base of a ladder that disappears into darkness above. Beyond the darkness is a set of speakers that project the music of an electronic carillon across campus. Across from the ladder is the final door that opens into a small room.
Kong makes this climb to the carillon’s hub several times a year to program the music played from the University’s bell tower each day at 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The afternoon sunlight shines in through a window facing Westhampton Lake. The carillon sits in the corner, and a keyboard that Kong plays occasionally is next to it.
The music is stored on business card-sized discs ordered from Schulmerich Carillons Inc., the company that installed the current carillon more than a decade ago. Each disc has a theme, such as The Beatles, the Christmas season or Irish songs. Kong also can create discs of original music.
She keeps the musical selections seasonal and periodically changes discs to play fresh selections.
Some special occasions require a specific type of music—at graduation, the carillon plays the University’s alma mater. During the winter holidays, Christmas favorites ring out.
Occasionally the programmed music is replaced with a live selection that Kong plays on the keyboard. After the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings, she tolled the bells in remembrance of the victims. She also performed live after the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy.
Sam Holland, R’56, remembers when Boatwright Library was built and the first carillon began to play.
“The original system was installed in 1957, and it played very simple melodies with about seven bell tones,” he says. “The tunes were composed by a former member of the music faculty,” and bells rang between classes.
After 30 years in the computer software business, Holland, coincidentally, went to work for Schulmerich. In 1993 Schulmerich upgraded the equipment to a digital model.
“Now the carillon has a better repertoire of music,” Holland says. It can rotate about 300 melodies. Newest models hold as many as 1,200, but the University has no immediate plans to upgrade again.
Meanwhile, Kong continues to climb the tower and provide twice-daily music that rings out across the campus.