So, I went to a concert Sunday evening. No, I wasn’t rocking out in Barton. I wasn’t jamming in State Theater. I listened to the chimes at McGraw Tower. The concert didn’t feature the typical soft, classical chime music I expected; they have a 2,500 song catalogue that includes the Beatles’ “In My Life” and Coldplay’s “Clocks.” As the tower filled with concertgoers, each with different tastes — and thus different requests — Head Chimesmaster Scott Silverstein ’08 turned to me and laughed, “I’m not going to play anything I originally intended to play.”

Along with modern songs, a chunk of the collection is arrangements composed by chimesmasters themselves, including Richard Lee ’41.

Silverstein says that he likes playing the popular songs that people can recognize as long as the original sound isn’t “butchered” by the chimes arrangement. He admits that some songs were simply not built for bells. Ryan Fan ’10, who played Monday evening’s concert, pointed out that “Flight of the Bumble Bee” is not the best song to play on chimes; he thinks that “My Heart Will Go On” sounds good on the chimes.

The original set of nine bells first rang in 1868, on the ground where today’s tower now stands. According to chimes.cornell.edu, it wasn’t until 1891 that the bells made their way up all 161 steps to the top of McGraw Tower. Since then they have multiplied to 21 bells.

Chimesmasters play their instruments with two hands and a foot and by hopping from side-to-side to move from note-to-note. To ring a bell, players must push down on a wooden lever attached to the bell by a thin metal pole. Each bell has two levers attached to it: one for hands and one for feet.

Sometimes the chimemasters play with both hands and a foot at the same time, and sometimes the three are jumbled up — hands cross over each other and feet stretch across the length of the chimes.

“It’s fun,” Silverstein smiled after the concert, “putting your entire body into a piece of music.”

Glancing around the room at the concert, I saw a woman’s face light up as she recognized her favorite song. In between songs, a man excitedly asked the chimemaster for permission to record a video on his camera.

“Everyone who’s a Cornell student should come up here at least once,” exclaimed Austin George ’10, a member of Monday evening’s audience.

The privilege of ringing the bells in McGraw Tower is not a right that comes with each acceptance letter to Cornell. The head chimesmaster explained the selective ten-week process that potential chimesmasters must undergo. A group of usually thirty to forty “compets,” as the chimesmasters call those hoping to join their ranks, takes part in four weeks of rehearsal in the tower’s practice rooms. This culminates in a silent audition. At this audition, those pursuing the title of chimesmaster push the levers down only halfway — the bells cannot be disconnected, but pressing the wooden bars down just a bit will not make a sound. Five to ten compets who make it past the first four weeks begin another four-week span of trial concerts. The final two weeks of the training process leave the chimesmaster hopefuls abandoned at the top of the tower, assuming the responsibilities of a full fledged chimesmaster, playing four concerts a week, without any supervision or guidance.

A recent graduate of the compet process, Fan says that during compet he “spent more time here [in the tower] than other places. People compare it to rushing a fraternity or sorority.”

The head chimesmaster wanted to clear up a few rumors. First of all, he sticks by the party line that those affiliated with the chimes and McGraw Tower have no idea who put the pumpkin on top in 1997. Silverstein, who has been a chimesmaster since the spring of his freshman year, also wants everyone to know that real people always play the concerts — there are no computers allowed.

The chimesmasters always cater to the needs of the Cornell community — they play special concerts for weddings, Halloween, Valentine’s Day and Commencement. The October 31st bells ring for almost an hour and a half, according to the head chimesmaster.

This weekend, alumni chimesmasters are invited back to campus for the annual Chimes Advisory Council. Look for extended concerts this evening at 6:00 and tomorrow at 10:40 a.m. and 8 p.m. The chimesmasters invite all guests to come to McGraw Tower to enjoy the music of bell ringers both past and present.