Celebrate New Year's Eve at home with a recording of Naperville's Carillon

This year, Naperville Park District will not be hosting the traditional "Countdown at the Carillon" event at the Millennium Carillon in Moser Tower, due to the pandemic.

However, City Carillonneur Tim Sleep recorded a video of the carillon bell, Big Joe, striking midnight, followed by the bells playing "Auld Lang Syne" so that anyone can add this special element to their celebration of the New Year at home.

"We want to provide a way for people to continue the community tradition of marking the New Year with the carillon bells, even when they cannot gather in a large crowd," Sleep said.

The 2020 New Year's Eve video begins with the Westminster announcement, then Big Joe strikes midnight, followed by a "Royal Peal" and "Auld Lang Syne."

The video is available on Naperville Park District's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/NaperParks. It also will be posted on the NaperParks and Millennium Carillon Facebook pages.

Another Millennium Carillon tradition is to play a live concert immediately after midnight.

This year, Tim Sleep will play a concert including tunes such as "Try to Remember," "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Sunrise, Sunset," along with some Scott Joplin "Piano Rags" and a few Viennese waltzes.

"Since the carillon can be heard on both sides of the river and in the adjacent parking lots there is plenty of room for people to responsibly social distance if they want to come to the carillon at midnight," Sleep said. "Usually Sue Bergren and I have done a program of duets, but we aren't able to distance from each other sitting on the same bench. So this year we decided that I should do a solo program at midnight."

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