Source: Global Times
The carillon of the Washington National Cathedral in the United States
On February 22, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., rang its bells 500 times, and the bells drifted into the distance for 50 minutes. Each bell represents 1,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19. On the same day, the death toll of COVID-19 in the United States crossed the 500,000 mark. Although the Washington National Cathedral was closed to the public during the epidemic, many people still came to the lawn next to the church and looked at the church. When the bells rang, some people hugged each other in front of the cathedral to comfort each other. According to the Washington National Cathedral, the bell-ringing ceremony was held to mourn the deceased, but also to bless people's lives and bring hope for recovery.
In fact, every time the Washington National Cathedral holds a funeral, it rings the 12-ton bronze bell called "Bourdon", so the bell is also known as the "death knell". "Bordon" is actually part of the famous carillon of the Washington National Cathedral. This carillon was built by the John Taylor Bell Foundry in Loughborough, England, and consists of 53 bells with a total weight of 64 tons, making it the third heaviest carillon in the world. The heaviest of the carillons is the Bordon, which is up to 8 feet 8 inches (about 2.6 meters) in diameter; the lightest is only 17 pounds (about 7.7 kilograms). Each clock is inscribed with bible excerpts. The celestine was a young woman in the United States named Betsy M. J. Kibby's lady, donated to the cathedral in 1963 in honor of her grandparents, was installed in the cathedral's tower.
How do you make this behemoth play beautiful music? It turns out that each bell is connected to a piano-like instrument by means of taut steel cables and levers and pulleys. However, it is not the fingers that are used to play this "piano", but the fists. Each time the player hits the key, the key drives the "bell tongue" inside the bell through the steel cable to play the song. In this process, the bell body is not moving, and what is moving is the "bell tongue". There are many windows on the walls of the cathedral's installed carillon room, so the bells can travel far away.
When the number of deaths from covid-19 in the United States exceeded 200,000, 300,000 and 400,000, the Washington National Cathedral rang "Bordon" 200, 300 and 400 times, respectively, but the interval between bells was getting shorter and shorter. For cathedrals, the "death knell" is sounded not only to mourn the dead, but also to remember American history on important days. At 3 p.m. on August 25, 2019, bells echoed near the cathedral to commemorate the first African slaves who arrived in North America in 1619. In April 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, was suddenly hit by a fire, and the roof and spire were burned. To show friendship with this "sister church," the Washington National Cathedral rings the "Bordon" bell. On October 3 of the same year, in honor of the victims of the Las Vegas shooting, the "Polton" bell sounded again.
Washington National Cathedral, USA
In addition to the bells, the Washington National Cathedral commemorates with a light projection. Last April, the church projected blue lights onto the church every night for a week and wrote "thank you" in white light to thank the health care workers who have worked hard during the epidemic. These actions have given encouragement and hope to people in the midst of the epidemic.
Washington National Cathedral is located northwest of Washington, D.C. The church, officially known as st. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral, was built in 1907 and construction work lasted 83 years until it was fully completed in 1990, attended by former U.S. President George H. Bush. This Gothic building features elaborate arches, towering towers, intricate statues, and ornate stained windows. One of them is a "space window" studded with a small piece of lunar rock collected by the Apollo mission to the moon. Surrounded by open lawns and shaded trees, this white façade church has been named one of the most beautiful churches in the United States. The church is the second largest in the United States, the sixth in the world, and the fourth tallest building in Washington, D.C.
Although the U.S. Constitution explicitly calls for "separation of church and state," the Washington National Cathedral has a very important symbolic significance in American political life. The church has hosted the state funerals of four U.S. presidents and the mourning ceremonies of many dignitaries and celebrities. Randolph Holleris, the church's abbot, said: "The bells ring whenever we hold a funeral here, it's a deep resonance that symbolizes mourning and grief. ”
Today, the Washington National Cathedral is still not open to the public. But before the pandemic, the church was free to visit. The cathedral welcomes between 700,000 and 800,000 visitors each year, many of whom come here not only for religious experiences, but also to admire the artworks that dot the cathedral. Many people go to shops located on the ground floor, which sell church-themed ties, books and other souvenirs.
However, the church's tower with the carillon is charged, and people need to pay $40 to get in. It's chargeable but it's good value for money. To get to the bell ringing room, you need to climb 333 steps, and the spiral staircase is narrow and steep, but after climbing the bell tower, the scenery is suddenly open. Standing here, one can enjoy the beauty of the Potomac River and other areas.