Carillon Bells Return to CU

Soon, students will have a melodic backdrop to their day that has been missing from Concord University for quite a few years. In the near future, the university’s carillon will be up and running, ringing to let students know the time, and for the community to enjoy with concerts by Dr. Kipp Cortez, assistant professor of music. 

    Cortez is an international musician, playing on both the organ and the carillon, which he frequently demonstrates through classes and recitals on campus. In May, he was named one of Diapason Magazine’s “20 under 30” for his prowess on the carillon. 

    Unfortunately, many students on Concord’s campus may have never heard the carillon play in their time at the university. “It’s been here on Concord’s campus since 1997, and for some time it has been unplayable,” Cortez explained. 

    Fortunately, the carillon will soon be re-debuting on campus for the students and community to enjoy. It hasn’t been a swift process, but Cortez is happy to report that the instrument will be back in working order very soon. In celebration, Cortez will be performing the bells’ inaugural program. “There will be a major first recital where I will play a variety of music,” he said. Unfortunately, students will have to wait just a little bit longer to finally hear the bells ring throughout the Campus Beautiful.

    “I want to wait until the instrument is complete, I have a chance to get to know it a little bit so I know how it feels, what sounds good on it, and also what the best places to listen to it are,” he explained. Cortez promised that the event will be well-publicized and open to everyone.

    The bells will also function in the same vein as a kind of grandfather clock, chiming at certain times of the day. “They will sound probably on the hour, maybe some short melodies here and there, like maybe once at noon or five, or something like that. Other than that, I plan to use it as it was meant to be used with the keyboard, with a human being playing,” Cortez said. 

Cortez is excited for the carillon to make its big debut, and thinks their reemergence will be a great addition to campus life. “They’re some of the most beautiful bells I’ve ever heard, so it’ll really add a new dimension to Concord, to Athens, to all of Southern West Virginia,” he said. The carillon being back in commission will also return Concord University to its prestigious position of being the only place in the entire state of West Virginia to house a carillon. 

    “It’s the only one of its kind in the state of West Virginia. There are 181 carillons in North America, but we have the only one in the state of West Virginia,” Cortez explained. This unique part of the campus has regrettably been kept out of the spotlight for a few years, but once it returns, it will add a certain ambiance to campus that will remind students of all the different experiences the small university offers. “It’s one of the things that everyone on the campus can share. This is the voice of this campus.”

    Cortez encourages everyone to be excited for the bells to start chiming in the very near future, and urges students to “listen for awesome melodious bell sounds coming soon.”