Cornell Chimes ring out again on campus from McGraw Tower

Ring in the new! After a year of silence, the Cornell Chimes again are serenading East Hill.

Beginning Friday, Sept. 29, the campus and community again were graced with the traditional, three-times-daily concerts: a 7:45 a.m. wake-up call with the "Jennie McGraw Rag"; a midday playing of the Cornell alma mater; and a 6 p.m. "Evening Song" serenade.

As a taste of Friday's full return of the campus' signature sound, several Cornell chimesmasters played a few scales and short melodies from the new playing stand in McGraw Tower Thursday, Sept. 28, as final adjustments were made to the connections and tension on the instrument's bell cables. And all the chimesmasters gathered for the first full concert on the restored chime that evening, wrapping up the yearlong chimes installation and refurbishment project.

In June 1998, the set of bells was removed from the tower and shipped to Meeks, Watson & Co., a bell foundry in Ohio. At the foundry, two new bells were cast, a third was added and the entire set of 21 bells was tuned together for the first time in its history.

The newly tuned set returned to campus in May of this year, and chimesmasters performed for graduation and reunion from a temporary stand outside of Sage Chapel.

Earlier this month, the bells were reinstalled in the tower, complete with a new playing clavier, linkages and a new configuration designed to improve sound projection across the campus.

"I am thrilled that the chimes refurbishment project has come to such a successful conclusion," said Marisa Piliero, projects coordinator in the office of the vice president for student and academic services. "Since the bells' removal over a year ago, I continue to discover how they have impacted the lives of so many Cornellians. The improvements from the bell tuning were better than Rick Watson [the bell tuner] had originally thought were achievable. I hope that the music of the bells will continue to touch Cornellians for another 131 years."

Performing on the chimes this year, under the direction of chimesmaster and adviser Robert Feldman '66, Ph.D. '75, are chimesmasters Erwin Chan '00, Christy Henzler '00, Grace Jean '00 (head chimesmaster), Keith Jenkins '93, Courtney Kimball '01, Victor Lin '01 and Jennifer Lory-Moran '96, M.A.T. '97.