Four Cornell alumni chimesmasters now living in the Boston area will play three chimes concerts in West Newton this summer. The one hour concerts will be held at the First Unitarian Society in Newton (FUSN) in West Newton starting at 7:00 pm on these Fridays: June 19, July 24, and August 28.
The alumni are:
- Bob Feldman '66, PhD '75
- Cathy Longley-Cook '03, '05
- Scott Silverstein '08
- Jenny Xia '13
They will be joined by other players from FUSN. If the weather is nice, you can bring blankets or chairs and sit out on the lawn. If it is raining, FUSN will provide indoor listening space. The chimesmasters will play a variety of music, including classical and popular. Afterwards, you can meet the players in the tower, see how the bells are played, and try ringing the bells.
FUSN’s 11 bells comprise an instrument called a “chime," similar to Cornell's 21 bell chime. Cast in 1916 by the McShane Bell Foundry of Baltimore, the FUSN bells hang in the belfry at the top of the tower of FUSN’s historic building. They range in weight from 575 pounds to 3,350 pounds, with a combined weight of almost seven tons. The player rings them by pushing down 11 wooden hand levers on a playing stand, each lever attached by a cable to the clapper inside a bell. There is no electrical assist; playing is totally by human effort.
When
Friday, July 24, 2015
7:00 p.m.
Where
First Unitarian Society in Newton
1326 Washington Street
West Newton MA
Questions?
For more information, visit the FUSN website or contact Bob Feldman '66, PhD '75 at Robert_Feldman@hotmail.com.
