Concerts at Naperville's carillon

Those looking for an interesting and beautiful instrument need look no further than a carillon. Those looking for concerts featuring nontraditional music on a carillon need look no further than Naperville's own Millennium Carillon.

Naperville City Carillonneur Tim Sleep will perform two concerts this summer featuring nontraditional music on the bell instrument at the Millennium Carillon, on the Naperville Riverwalk near Rotary Hill.

"Broadway Bells" is the theme for Sleep's show at 7 p.m. Saturday. He'll follow up with "Island Bells" at 7 p.m. Aug. 9. Both hourlong concerts are free.

"Instead of just random songs chosen by the carillonneur, we're trying to pick two things that are kind of unique," Sleep said.

One such unique theme is musical comedies, giving Sleep his "Broadway Bells" idea. The performance will feature songs by the likes of Cole Porter and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

"A lot of people know those songs," said Sleep, who thought people out for a stroll along the Riverwalk would recognize and appreciate those types of songs.

With August being a hot month, Sleep wanted to pick a theme that people would hear in a tropical setting. For "Island Bells," he's planning songs you'd hear played with a steel drum.

On Tuesday nights, carillonneurs from around the world visit Naperville to play more traditional music. However, the sounds that will be heard on July 26 and August 8 will be anything but traditional.

"This is sort of a dry run to see if people will enjoy nontraditional carillon music," Sleep said.

Sleep, a former Indian Prairie Unit District 204 principal, began studying the carillon in 2002 when he was close to retirement and thought learning to play would be a nice way to spend his extra time. He took about two and a half years to pass the carillonneur exam. Sleep also had been involved in getting a carillon built in Naperville.

"It's an amazing instrument in a beautiful location, and we're very fortunate to have it," Sleep said.

If you go

What: "Broadway Bells" carillon concert featuring Broadway show tunes

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

Where: Naperville Millennium Carillon, on the Riverwalk west of Eagle Street at the foot of Rotary Hill

Cost: Free

Info: naperville-carillon.org