FLY had the exciting opportunity to climb the steps of Harkness Tower, and see how the bells that ring out over campus are played. A student member of the Yale University Guild of Carillonneurs gave us a tour of the 54-bell Yale Memorial Carillon. She described how students become members of the group, the different kinds of music they play, and then gave us a demonstration of the carillon in action. It was quite amazing to be inside the tower as the bells were playing, although some of the larger ones are quite loud. The view from the tower was fantastic, especially because Old Campus was being set up for graduation at the time and you could see rows and rows of chairs. Seeing the clock face with the minute hand moving from the inside was also really cool! Click here for the photos.
We plan on organizing additional tours of Harkness Tower, so if you are interested in joining us next time, please stay tuned!