Insights

A symbol of the steadfast American commitment to defending Ukrainian sovereignty, the Solidarity Bell was commissioned by the National Bell Festival and cast entirely from spent munitions, like bullet casings, recovered from the war in Ukraine. Follow along on our journey as we collect materials, design the bell, and cast the newest addition to our nation’s soundscape.
 

Founded in 1869 as the first African Methodist Episcopal church in Houston, Texas, St. Paul A.M.E. Church has been a cornerstone of faith, resilience, and community for 155 years. In 1927, that spirit of service expanded with the establishment of the Richard J. Brock Elementary School, and today it continues with the provision of daycare and after-school programs serving the children of Houston’s First Ward community.

This release from Navy Installations Command is by Stephanie Hunter, Navy Gold Star Program Analyst.

This September, Navy Installations across the fleet will be hosting the 9th Annual Bells Across America for Fallen Service Members. Bells have been used for centuries by the Navy for timekeeping, safety and communication, to sound alarms, in ceremonies and events, and to signal the presence of important persons. However, during these ceremonies, the bells rung will not signal anyone's presence, but instead will toll in their absence.

On Sunday night, shortly after U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles won gold by five-thousandths of a second in a blink-and-you-miss-it photo finish at the 100-meter dash, a clear tocsin was heard among the din of the raucous and exultant crowd: the unmissable ring of a bell. Draped in the American flag, Mr. Lyles had hustled to the edge of the field at Stade de France. He, like all track and field athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics who win gold medals or set records, was invited to sound this extraordinary bell. The ringing anointed his incredible achievement.

In a nation renowned for millennia-spanning history and world-shaping cultural heritage, the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens marked something of a homecoming for the athletic festival. Greece was the birthplace of the ancient Olympiad and served as the inaugural host of the rekindled Olympic Games in 1896. Now, taking the torch for only the second time in the modern era, Greece sought to deliver an Olympics that bridged both ancient traditions and modern achievements.

It isn’t every day that you have the opportunity to learn from someone whose expertise is backed by roughly 400 years of experience, but the business of bells is ancient. In Japan, where bell making traditions span millennia, no narrative of the country’s campanological prowess would be complete without a nod to Hideharu Motoi – 14th in a family line of bell makers dating back to the mid-Edo Period (1603-1868).

At the National Bell Festival, we pride ourselves on being a go-to resource for all things bell, and we’re delighted to field questions related to campanology from all across the United States. Recently, one such enquiry piqued our interest.

The legend begins centuries ago at the foot of Mount Hiei, half a day’s eastward walk from Imperial Kyoto, the seat of the Emperor. In the tranquil, idyllic woods overlooking serene Lake Biwa rises ancient Mii-dera, one of the four largest temples in Japan.

The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland – known as the Yard since the Revolutionary War (originating from ‘dockyard’) – is steeped in tradition and brimming with historical artifacts. Astride the steps of Bancroft Hall, the largest dormitory in the United States, sit two such relics in pride of place. These are the Enterprise Bell and the Japanese Bell, and they ring to life toward the end of each semester to celebrate sporting victories over Army.

On April 5, 2005, a great fire raged across the mountainous, forested Gangwon province in northeast South Korea. Sparked late the night before and fanned by dry woods and strong winds, the devastation was widespread and catastrophic. At Naksansa Temple, a renowned Korean Buddhist temple complex in the Jogye order with 1,300 years of history and a handsome view overlooking the East Sea, little was spared. Of the 20 ritual halls that dotted the picturesque mountainside, 13 were completely destroyed. So, too, was the temple’s sacred bronze bell.