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DUQUESNE CHAPEL BELL
By Nina Day
Chapel Bell (Nina): Image
Every hour on campus we hear chimes but do you know their source? You might think of Old Main, but did you know that at different times of the day and year, there are different chimes? Those bells tell us important information about the history and culture of Duquesne today. From this location, you can hear the chapel chimes of Old Main and all of its different bell chimes that play during the day.
Chapel Bell (Nina): Text
Bell chimes have served important functions throughout history. Churches and town halls have bells that strike on the hour to alert people of the time. Bells are also used as an acoustic calendar, announcing festivals, births, deaths, marriages, fires, and revolts. No two bell chimes sound alike – each are crafted to serve the surrounding town and area. Because bell chimes were first used to tell time and announce events, they had to use specific sounds so people would know what each meant. A sound that is unique or possesses qualities which make it specifically regarded or noticed by the people in that community is described by music historian Murray Schafer as a soundmark.
Did you know that there is a specific pattern played for the chimes at Old Main? Every fifteen minutes you will hear the bells ring a melody called the Westminister Quarters, a chime composed in 1793 by William Crotch for the Great St. Mary Church at Cambridge University. It only consists of four notes (E-D-C-G) and the melody is broken up into four parts. At 3:15, a quarter of the melody is played. 15 minutes later, another quarter is added and so on. Until we again reach the full hour.
Chapel Bell (Nina): Text
Chapel Bells at 4pm
Chapel Bell (Nina): Video
This is what it sounds like:
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Chapel Bell (Nina): Text
Along with the quarterly bells we hear, there are two more chimes we can hear on the campus. At 8:30am and at 4:30pm, we hear a song/hymn played instead of the Westminster Quarter chimes. These happen on Monday through Friday to signify the beginning and ending of the day of classes on our campus. Generally, most of our classes fit between these two times. This changes seasonally depending on the calendar of the church, reminding us of the Spiritan roots of the university.
At 6:15 we hear the last bell of the day which is unlike the previous ones - it is a recording of the Westminster quarters. It is played at Old Main and several other locations, such as on top of the garage, to test the loud overhead speakers. These loudspeakers are tested daily to make sure they work in case of an emergency, such as extreme changes in weather, shootings, or any other events that can be considered life threatening. Using the melody heard every quarter hour, this emergency test blends in as a daily occurrence and does not cause panic. This reinforces the idea that the Old Main bells are a familiar soundmark on our campus.
Chapel Bell (Nina): Text
Do you think the Chapel Bells are a soundmark of Duquesne's campus?
Yes?
No?
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Chapel Bell (Nina): HTML Embed
The fact that the chimes of Old Main are elaborate and sophisticated is no accident. Their melodiousness matches the prominence of the structure on our campus. Old Main is the oldest building we have on our campus hitting its 125th anniversary a couple of years ago. It is considered the one of the first buildings of the university serving many students as it does today.
The chapel chimes also serve as a memorial for certain traumatic events that has impacted the student body. On 9/11 every year, the Old Main bells ring at the four specific times that the planes have crashed. Each chime lasts two minutes and the specific chime that is played is called the “funeral tone” to honor those that we have lost on that traumatic day.
These soundmarks are what makes a specific location have a unique sound compared to others. For example, would you hear our chapel bells somewhere else? The answer is probably no. The sound features on campus - wind, traffic from the city and the Old Main Chapel Bells - create the sound environment of Duquesne. Sounds that are elevated in volume in the soundscape are what Schafer calls is also referred to as Sacred Noise. It is a sound only heard from that region in that area and the people in its region holds this sound as important. We ignore mMost sounds we hear on a daily, gets diminished as a daily activity. For example, like the traffic and the wind we hear on campus. On the other handHowever, the chapel chimes rings and it cuts through all of this sound as it is aare prominent sound we hear on campus. It They haveolds more sonic and cultural power of over than the other sounds on our campus as it tells us the time and creates musical hymns at the end of the day. We take the chapel bells for granted as we get used to the campus, but we should take into notice how important it is to our history, and to our campus. It They rings uniquely to Duquesne and it has been part of have chimed on this campus for 125 years. When it’s nice out take a breather , get some coffee and listen to the chapel bells, unique to only to Duquesne and Pittsburgh.
Chapel Bell (Nina): Text
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