Carillon music continues through December
The summer recital series at Naperville's Millennium Carillon may be over, but concerts will continue through fall for community gatherings at 443 Aurora Ave.
Carillonneur Tim Sleep will play a concert of patriotic and inspirational music at noon Friday, Sept. 11, in honor of those lost in the terrorist attacks, and Big Joe will toll from 5:30 to 5:45 p.m., immediately prior to the remembrance service at the Sept. 11/Cmdr. Dan Shanower Memorial on the Riverwalk. The bells also will play patriotic music at 4 and 7 p.m.
"The September 11 noon concert will feature the composition 'In Memoriam,' which was composed by carillonneur John Courter immediately after the attack," Sleep said. "It was freely distributed and carillons all over the world perform it on September 11."
The SCARE-illon concert returns from 7 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and will feature spooky and ethereal music of the season played by Sleep. Élan Dance Company also will perform at the event, which is free and open to the public.
The capstone event of the 2015 fall season at the carillon and Rotary Hill is the Healing Field of Honor, running Nov. 6-12, with a Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Co-hosted by Operation Support Our Troops and the Naperville Park District, the 2015 Healing Field, "Fifty Years of Healing," will honor the service of the armed forces during the Vietnam War. Those interested in sponsoring a flag may find details at www.healingfield.org/naperville. Sleep will play a special recital for the Healing Field with date and time to be determined.
The final carillon special event this fall is a Thanksgiving Day concert of early American music played at noon Thursday, Nov. 26, by Carillonneur Jim Brown.
In addition to providing a community gathering place and ringing its bells to entertain and to mark special occasions, Naperville's Millennium Carillon also helps celebrate holidays and community causes silently through its colored lighting schedule. The regular white lights shine most of the year.
This autumn, the lights will change to yellow Sept. 8-14 to highlight childhood cancer awareness and then will shine orange Sept. 15-21 to mark Hunger Action Month.
Orange lights will shine for Halloween Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 and the lights will switch to red, white and blue to honor Veterans Day Nov. 3-11.
Weekly recitals by local carillonneurs will take place at noon Saturdays through Dec. 26. Saturday afternoon recitals take place at 4 p.m. through October and 3 p.m. during November and December.
Carillon tours are available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 15. The fee is $3 per person.
For details, visit www.naperville-carillon.org.