The bells on the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) campus will ring in honor of America on Saturday in conjunction with a carillon concert set for 9 a.m.
UNO carilloneur James Johnson will perform a 30-minute concert of patriotic melodies. The event is free and open to the public.
The Henningson Memorial Campanile, rising 168 feet over the UNO campus, is one of only 180 such structures in the United States. It was donated to UNO in 1989 by Margre Henningson Durham and her husband, Chuck, as a standing memorial to Margre’s father, mother and sister. Margre Durham passed away in 1999; Chuck Durham passed away in 2008.
“The July 4th concert is a great way to start the holiday. The event annually recognizes Chuck and Margre’s love for their country and desire to share their blessings with the Omaha community,” said Gail Baker, dean of the UNO College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media. “It’s become a tradition for our college and the city.”
The carillon is a four-octave, acoustically balanced instrument. It consists of 47 bronze bells cast by the bellfoundry of Paccard-Fonderie de Cloches in Annecy, France. The largest of the bells weighs 4,397 pounds and measures five feet in diameter by four feet in height. The combined weight of the 47 bells is 24,408 pounds.
Johnson, UNO professor of music, performs regularly scheduled carillon concerts each year. He has earned a distinguished international reputation through his piano recordings and performances with the Royal Philharmonic in London, the Leningrad Philharmonic, the Prague Chamber Soloists, the Slovenian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony and the Boston Pops.
For more information about the July 4 concert, call (402) 554-3502.