The Baker Library Bell Tower

The Sonic Practice graduate program manages the Baker Bells. 

To make an inquiry, send an e-mail to bells@dartmouth.edu.

The Baker Bells staff accept requests from the Dartmouth community for songs to be played on specific dates / times. Choose from the list of songs below or the carilloneur can prepare new songs if your requested song is not in the list of available songs.

Requests range from "Happy Birthday" to contempory popular songs. Not all song requests can easily be prepared for the Baker bells, due to the limited range and pitch classes available. Some time and effort are required to program new songs so lead time is appreciated.

To request a song, send an e-mail to bells@dartmouth.edu.

Please include in your request the following information:

• your name,
• the full name of your requested song
• if time sensitive, the date and time to play the song
• any pertinent dedication/celebration information

The carilloneur will respond in due course to let you know the outcome of your request.

A Foggy Day
Accidentally in Love
Adoro Te Devote
Ah Vous Direz
All Through The Night
Allegro Air
Allstar - Smash Mouth
Alouette
Amazing Grace
And Can it Be
Annie Laurie
Au Clair De La Lune
Auld Lang Syne
Be Thou My Vision
Beautiful Dream
Bells of Notre Dame Hunchback of ND
Bendemeer's Stream
Better Together Jack Johnson
Blow the Man Down
Bonnie Eloise
Born Free
Born to Run
Brahms Lullaby
By the Silvery Moon
Can you Count to the Stars
Celtic Odyssey Ramble to Cashel
Celebratory Peal
Chester
Clair De Lune
Come Little Children Hocus Pocus
Come Thou Font
Country Gardens
Dancing Queen
Danny Boy
Dear Old Dartmouth
Death Note Theme
Despacito
Dominique
Don't Know Why
Double Double Toil and Trouble Harry Potter
Drink to Me Only
Dvorak Stabat Mater Fac Me Vere
Early One Morning
Edelwiess
Every Time We Touch Cascada
Flow Gently Sweet Afton
For the Longest Time
Freedom
Freres Jacques
Getting to Know You
Glory to Dartmouth
Going to the Chapel
Grim Grinning Ghosts Come Out to Socialize
Hail Mary
Halloween Minor Alma Mater
Halloween Theme
Happy Birthday
Harvey Davidson
Hedwig's Theme
Hellfire Hunchback of ND
Hells Bells
Here Comes the Sun
Here I am to Worship
Hey Jude
Home on the Range
House of the Rising Sun
How Can I Leave
How do You Solve a Problem Like Maria
I Get By with a Little Help from my Friends
Ichikawa
Imperial March
In the Good Old Summertime
Indian National Anthem
I'd Like to Teach
I'm Singing in the Rain
I'm a Barbie Girl
L O V E
Largo BWV1056
Lauridsen Lux Aeterna
Let Me Call You
Let all Mortal Flesh Keep Silent
Let it Breathe
Let it Go
Let it Shine
Let's Go Fly a Kite
Listen to our Hearts
Look for the Silver Lining
Love me Tender
Mask Off
Minuet in G
Monsieur De La Palice
Moon River
My Bonnie
My Cup Runneth
My Favorite Things
My Wild Irish Rose
Ode to Joy
Oh Susanna
Oh What a Beautiful Morning
Old Folks at Home
Over the Rainbow
Pokemon Oracion Bells
Pomp and Circumstance
Rex Caeli
Rick Roll
Salty Dog Rag
Salve Regina
Scarborough Fair
School's Out
Shenandoah
Simple Gifts
Singing in the Rain
Sloop John B
Sound of Music Procession
Stand By Me
Star Trek
Star Wars
Stars of the Summer Triangle
Stefans Theme
Sur Lu Pont D'Avignon
Swan Lake
Sweet Caroline
TLBY
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Taps
Tale as Old as Time
Tell Me Why
The Bells of St. Mary's
The Blue Bells
This is Halloween Nightmare Before Christmas
Top Gun Anthem
Top Gun Theme Extended
Try to Remember
Welcome to My Life
When Irish Eyes are Smiling
When You Believe Prince of Egypt
You Are My Sunshine
Younger than Springtime
You'll Be in My Heart â€" Tarzan
You'll Never Walk Alone

* Christmas Songs
All I Want for Christmas
Carol of the Bells
Deck the Halls
Frosty the Snowman
Here Comes Santa Claus
Here We Come a Wassailing
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Jingle Bells
Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Let There be Peace on Earth
Let it Snow
O Christmas Tree
O Come Little Children
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Silver Bells
Sing We Now of Christmas
The First Noel
The Holly and the Ivy
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
What Child is This

* Patriotic Songs
Air Force
America
America the Beautiful
American Eagle
Anchors Aweigh Marine Song
Army Song
Battle Cry of Freedom
Battle Hymn
Eternal Father
God Bless America
God of Our Father
My Liberty Bell
Semper Pratus (Always Ready) Coast Guard
The Caisson Song
The Marines Hymn
This is My Country
You're a Grand Old Flag

bells_2.jpg

Ernest Martin Hopkins, Dartmouth College President 1916-1945, Class of 1901, had visited Oxford and Cambridge and was much impressed with the bell-ringing on those campuses. When Baker Library was constructed, a trustee, Clarence B. Little, Class of 1881, donated $40,000 for a set of bells to be placed in the tower of the Library, in order to please President Hopkins.

Meneely Bell Company of Troy, New York built a bespoke 15-bell set. The bells vary in size from 200 to 5,300 pounds. They range an octave and a half on the scale, playing every note in that range, except E flat.

The bells first rang in 1928. They were rung manually for the first year. The following year, William Durrschmidt, an instrument maker and Professor of Music, invented an automation system from three machines and a clock. It was similar to the mechanism of a player piano, where holes are punched into a roll of paper and the locations of the holes triggered the bell mechanism. There was also a keyboard in the tower, so people could play "instantaneous music" on the bells.

In 1979, the bells were computerized. Two students designed a system to run the bells, as the system and the paper rolls used for the first 50 years were starting to wear out.

A 16th bell was donated in 1981 in memory of Donal F. Morse '51. Money was also provided for the maintenance of the system and to provide payment for a bell ringer.

Bells ring the time on the hour and half hour. Songs are played three times a day - the alma mater at 6pm, and varying pieces during intervals between classes. Songs can be requested by e-mailing "Bells". If you are requesting a song that is already in the song database, it takes a day or two to program it. Songs can be scheduled for any time except on the hour.

Some current favorites:

• Barbie Girl
• My Old Kentucky Home
• Pomp and Circumstance
• Tired of Being Alone
• Happy Birthday
• Hey Jude

Dartmouth College is one of the few locations that still uses real bells instead of recordings or synthesizers. Bells are turned each year so that the hammers don't wear out the same spot on each bell, and we can be guaranteed the enjoyment of these real bells for years to come.

Check out the Office of Alumni Relations For More Information: Alumni Relations Bells Information.