Baylor’s McLane Carillon to Honor Veterans Day with Nov. 11 Recital, Tolling of the Bells of Peace
Baylor will join nationwide tolling of the bells commemorating the 105th anniversary of the end of World War I
Image credit: Doughboy Foundation
WACO, Texas (Nov. 9, 2023) - In remembrance of all American veterans who have served their nation, Baylor University’s McLane Carillon, located in the tower of Pat Neff Hall, will ring in honor of Veterans Day during a special recital beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, on the Baylor campus. The recital also will commemorate the 105th anniversary of the end of World War I with a concluding tolling of the bells as part of the national Bells of Peace remembrance.
The Veterans Day recital, performed by University Carillonneur Lynnette Geary, will begin with Geneva Psalter’s “Doxology,” followed by “The Star-Spangled Banner” and William Croft’s “Saint Anne.” The recital will continue with songs representing five branches of the U.S. military - Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard – followed by Geert D’hollander’s “Da Pacem Domine” (“Give Peace, O Lord”).
The recital will conclude with Geary’s 21-stroke tolling of the bells to salute all Americans who served their nation in both conflict and times of peace.
The Baylor recital’s time and date commemorate the signing of the Armistice to end World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month in 1918. As the clock hands pointed to the 11th hour, the ceaseless roar of shells and rata-tat-tat of gunfire that had shaken the western front for four relentless years just stopped.
In that poignant moment, the battlefields slowly began to fill with the tentative sweet songs of birds carrying a hint of freedom and promise. From the heart of every town to the soul of every village, church bells began to toll. Their harmonious ringing celebrating not victory, but peace, resounding with a promise of a brighter tomorrow after so many years of darkness and devastation.
The Bells of Peace remembrance began on Nov. 11, 2018, commemorating the centennial of the end of WWI. Since then, tens of thousands of Bells of Peace have rung across the country on Veterans Day.
The Veterans Day recital is free and open to the public and will last about 25 minutes. Founders Mall, in front of Pat Neff Hall, and the covered walkway along the Draper Academic Building, facing Founders Mall, are the best locations to listen to the McLane Carillon.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.