One of my favorite things about working at Duke University is the Duke Chapel Carillon. The city of St. Louis was home to many church bells; when we lived in university housing on Pershing Ave. near Wash U, we could often hear three different sets of bells ring the hour. But there was not, within my realms of contact, a proper carillon; and I always missed the sound of the BYU carillon exhorting us each hour.

Thus, the Duke chapel carillon somehow makes me feel at home on campus. Installed in 1932 and refurbished in 1992, the Duke chapel carillon consists of fifty fixed bells, played entirely by hand (i.e., mechanical devices move the clappers when the keys are struck, without electronic assistance). Learn more about the Duke chapel carillon here.

The Duke carillon does not, of course, play "Come, Come, Ye Saints" each hour. However, the bells are played every day at five p.m., and Duke Chapel is located quite close to my building, so I often hear the music when I emerge to go home. The sound always uplifts me. On Fridays, the carillioneur always plays the Duke Alma Mater; on holidays and days of special observance, the tunes are frequently topical. (Oh, how my heart swelled to "God Bless America" on this past Election day.) At other times, the piece might be a classical air or a hymn tune.

Today, it was "Glory to God on High". The music, known as "Italian Tune", was composed by Felice de Giardini and first published in 1769. The text, by James Allen, was published in 1761. (information here). While the hymn was apparently not included in the first LDS hymnal, it seems to be universally popular with Methodists, Presbyterians and other Protestants, and may well have been known to members of the early Church. It's a great favorite of mine.