Bells in centuries past were often treated as humans themselves—they were baptized, named, and described as having “voices.” In this case from Imperial Russia, a bell was punished for centuries for its alleged crime.* It’s 1591 and Boris Godunov is … Continue reading A Severe Punishment
It’s Maundy/Holy Thursday, and it’s a big day for Catholic bells in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. It’s time to spread their wings–and fly! From Maundy Thursday (or sometimes Holy Saturday) until Easter morning, church bells are silent. Their silence … Continue reading Easter Tradition
Now there are a lot of bell happenings that I find awesome, but this one takes the cake…this is AWESOME. A mentor (thanks Kimberley Rudd!) of mine tuned me into the Let Freedom Ring! campaign of the First Baptist Church … Continue reading Let Freedom Ring!
What do you call Motörhead played on tower bells? Metal on metal, baby. Heavy metal. Sorry, not sorry. That joke is too easy. Perhaps you’ve heard that in Oslo, Norway the clock tower in the City Hall has been ringing … Continue reading Metal on Metal
Whether or not sound is more directly connected to our emotions, it can’t be denied that the sound of bells elicits emotions from listeners. This poem by a Stanford alum (class of 1906) captures the emotional nostalgia he hears upon … Continue reading “The Bells of Stanford”