Bells sound a call to hear the mystical in an ordinary day. Musicians have tolled reminders to seek God across the centuries.
Priests of the Old Testament wore golden bells around the robe hem. The jingle signaled entrance into the Holy Place before the Lord (Exodus 28: 33-35 NIV).
Music has a way of transporting us to new realms and lifting us above immediate cares. An example of this is the Ars Sonora, a unique bell tower. In this 105-foot-tall structure, modern technology fuses with century-old foundry craft. This architectural feature stands as a sentinel in the University of Tampa’s plaza.
A small electronic keyboard controls the tower’s 63 hand-crafted bells. The metal architecture was constructed by the Paccard family foundry in France, then shipped to the United States in 2022.
While notes dance in the air, the faithful are reminded of a Divine presence chiming comfort.
(Thank you to Joshua Cessna, staff pianist, and the University of Tampa for the December performance.)
YouTube musical “Carol of the Bells (original) Lyrics”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7nSKqfBk6k
History about bells:
https://www.bells.org/bell-history
Information about the Ars Sonora at Tampa
