Federation Bells facts for kids
Federation Bells are a cool set of 39 bells that are turned upside down. You can find them in Birrarung Marr, a park in Melbourne, Australia. They were made in 2001 to celebrate 100 years since Australia became a federation.
These unique bells were designed by Anton Hasell and Neil McLachlan. An aerospace engineer named Behzad Keramati Nigjeh helped make sure the bells sounded just right. You can even compose music for the bells yourself on the Federation Bells website! Sometimes, during special events, you can play the bells live using a special keyboard.
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Where to Find the Bells
The Federation Bells are located in the middle part of Birrarung Marr. This is one of Melbourne's newer parks. The bells play music several times every day. You can hear them between 8 and 9 in the morning, from 12:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon, and again from 5 to 6 in the evening.
History of the Bells
The idea for the Federation Bells started in 1998. The government of Victoria wanted a special project for the Melbourne Festival. The bells were placed in Birrarung Marr, a new park right next to the Yarra River. This park is between Federation Square and Melbourne's big sports area.
Both the Federation Bells and Birrarung Marr park opened on January 26, 2002. This was a special day for Australia. When they opened, the bells played seven new songs. These songs were written just for the Federation Bells. You might notice that the cone shape of the bells is also seen around Melbourne. Many streetlights have a similar cone design!
Original Music for the Bells
When the bells first opened, these composers wrote music for them:
- Neil McLachlan – "Opening"
- Terry McDermott – "Rhyme"
- Anne Boyd – "St. Donat's Morning Bells"
- Brenton Broadstock – "Jagged Tears"
- Constantine Koukias – "Pentekostarion – Prayer Bells"
- Anne Norman – "Sylvia's Chalice"
- Garth Paine – "Klangfarben"
In 2005, the bells were updated to make sure they were strong and safe. Later, in 2006, the City of Melbourne started looking after the bells. They wanted to add more songs and have more special events. They also wanted more people to be able to enjoy the bells.
Compose Music Online
In late 2007, the City of Melbourne launched a website called FederationBells.com.au. This website lets you create your own music for the bells! You can use a simple drag-and-drop tool to arrange notes. Once you've made your song, it can be played on the actual Federation Bells in Birrarung Marr. The website was updated in 2013 with new features.
How the Bells Work Now
In 2010, a new system was built to play the bells. This new system is very clever. It can hit the bells gently or strongly, just like a human. It's also very fast and reliable. Every day, the system plays a test song. It then "listens" to how the bells sound. This helps it check if everything is working perfectly.
The improved system was launched on April 1, 2012. There were live concerts with new music written for the bells. The music included opera, acoustic songs, rock, and dance. The bells have become a very flexible musical instrument.
Design of the Bells
The Federation Bells are like a carillon, which is a set of musical bells. But instead of being hidden in a tall tower, these bells are spread out in the park. This means you can see them up close. Being able to see their different shapes and hear their sounds is a big part of the project.
The bells are a public musical instrument. Special hammers hit the bells. These hammers are controlled by a smart computer system. This system plays the music. Every day, over 200 different songs are played. You can walk among the bells for an exciting experience. Or, you can sit nearby and enjoy their clear and gentle music.
Even though bells used to be very loud, these bells are usually heard within about 100 meters. This is because the park is generally quiet. You can even download the bell sounds from www.federationbells.com.au. This lets people from all over the world write music for the bells. They can send their songs as computer files to be played.
