Bell towers across the globe will resound in unity this weekend, sending a message of peace with the playing of beloved Ukrainian melodies on bells. From Europe to Asia and from Australia to the Americas, bells will ring out in a heartfelt appeal for peace, as the sovereign people of Ukraine stand against invasion and war.
This expression of support is being organized by the Executive Committee of the World Carillon Federation and is fully supported by delegates from the Russian and Ukrainian carillon guilds. A selection of appropriate music arranged for carillon has been made available by the Federation, including Mighty Dnieper, sometimes called the second national anthem of Ukraine.
Mighty Dnieper
The Dnieper River, the fourth-longest in Europe, connects Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, flowing through the latter’s capital Kyiv before emptying into the Black Sea. The river lends its name to the popular tune with words that describe the natural wonder of the waters, taken from the poem “Prychynna” by Taras Shevchenko.
The mighty Dnieper roars and bellows,
The wind in anger howls and raves,
Down to the ground it bends the willows,
And mountain-high lifts up the waves.
The pale-faced moon picked out this moment
To peek out from behind a cloud,
Like a canoe upon the ocean
It first tips up, and then dips down.
The cocks don’t crow to wake the morning,
There’s not as yet a sound of man,
The owls in glades call out their warnings,
And ash trees creak and creak again.
Ringing for Peace
The World Carillon Federation has made sheet music for Mighty Dnieper available to those participating in the bell ringing. Carillonists across the world are invited to contribute to the tintinnabulation as they are able by playing this weekend, March 5 and 6, 2022. In recent decades, new carillons have risen in both Kyiv and Saint Petersburg, further connecting the two nations through bells. Express your support by ringing bells, too.
Cover image: The Great Belfry of the ancient cave monastery of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra is reflected in the waters of the Dnieper River in Kyiv, Ukraine.
