Tolling bell will help commemorate 150th Anniversary of Appomattox…
Naperville’s Millennium Carillon will toll a single bell from 2:15-2:19PM (CDT) on Thurs., April 9 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.
According to a press release from the National Park Service, carillons, churches, schools, and communities across the country are invited to participate by ringing bells for four minutes beginning at 3:15PM Eastern Daylight Time.
“The bells will ring first at Appomattox at 3PM on April 9, 2015,” stated the National Park Service press release. “Confederate General Lee in the McLean House at Appomattox Court House ended. While Lee’s surrender did not end the Civil War, the act is seen by most Americans as the symbolic end of four years of bloodshed.”
Participants are invited to share how they observed the event by posting to social media at #BellsAcrosstheLand2015. “Bells across the Land” can mean different things to different communities; for example, celebrating the end of the Civil War, remembering the fallen, or acknowledging the ongoing need for human rights.
Performance of Civil War music will follow
Naperville City Carillonneur Tim Sleep will play a concert of Civil War music following the tolling of the bells at the Millennium Carillon until approximately 2:45PM.
PN file photo
“Many of the carillons in the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America are participating across the United States,” said Carillonneur Sleep.
The Millennium Carillon in Moser Tower and the Visitor Center will open for the 2015 season on Sat., May 2. Visitors can climb the 253 steps to the top of the 160-foot tower and enjoy a spectacular view while learning about the workings of the Carillon, its history, and its unique features, including Big Joe, the largest bell of 72 bells that span eight octaves.
Hours of operation are from 10AM and 4PM on Saturdays and from 12 noon to 6PM on Sundays, with Friday hours (10AM to 4PM) beginning May 22 and continuing through August 14.
The Carillon summer recital series begins at 7PM Tues., June 2, featuring carillonneurs from the Netherlands, France, Germany, Denmark, Russia, Australia, Canada and the United States.
2015 Summer Recital Series Performers / 7PM Tuesdays
| June 2 | Wylie Crawford | Univ. Carillonneur | U. of Chicago | ||
| June 9 | Julie Zhu | Carillonneur | New York, NY | ||
| June 16 | Jim Brown | Asst. Carillonneur | Naperville, IL | ||
| June 23 | Malgosia Fiebig | City Carillonneur | Utrecht, Netherlands | ||
| June 30 | Amy Johansen | Univ. Carillonneur | Sydney, Australia | ||
| July 7 | Gijsbert Kok | City Carillonneur | The Hague, Netherlands | ||
| July 14 | Ulla Laage | Carillonneur | Copenhagen, Denmark | ||
| July 21 | Toru Takao | Carillonneur | Emmerich, Germany | ||
| July 28 | Olesya Rostovskaya | Carillonneur | St. Petersburg, Russia | ||
| Aug. 4 | Frances Crépin | Municipal Carillonneur | Saint-Quentin, France | ||
| Aug.11 | Jonathan Hebert | Peace Tower | Ottawa, Canada | ||
| Aug. 18 | Tim Sleep | City Carillonneur | Naperville, IL |
In addition to the Tuesday evening summer series, weekly recitals by local carillonneurs will take place on Saturdays at noon April-December. Weekly Carillon concerts will be held on Saturday evenings at 7PM June-August and on Sunday afternoons at 3PM during the month of April, at 4PM May-September and at 3PM October-December.
The Moser Tower with the Millennium Carillon is located along the Riverwalk at Rotary Hill across Aurora Avenue from Naperville Central High School.
