Throughout this coronavirus pandemic, the true heroes have turned out to be the unlikely: grocery clerks, gas station attendants, delivery drivers and others who you wouldn’t normally consider as people saving the world.
But an organist? More specifically, an organist turned carillonneur, in the person of Joey Fala, my former student?
In the March 24th, 2020 edition of the Wall Street Journal, no less, you can read this, written by Valerie Bauerlein in Raleigh, N.C.
Music
At Duke University in Durham, N.C., students and staff went home more than a week ago. Left behind are hospital workers, epidemiologists and a few other essential employees, among them Joseph Fala.
Just after 4 p.m. every weekday, the 28-year-old musician climbs the 169 steps of a circular metal staircase to a landing near the top of the Duke chapel tower. There, he sets out sheet music and sits at the bench of the carillon, in front of what resembles an organ keyboard. He uses his fists to strike oak batons that pull the clappers of 50 large bells spanning four octaves.
The carillon can be heard a half-mile away. Beginning at 5 p.m., the carillonneur rings the hour with a low G note sounded by a 2-ton bell, the largest.
For nearly 90 years, the bells have been rung for 15 minutes each weekday. Duke administrators see Mr. Fala’s work as essential to campus continuity.
Recently, Mr. Fala has been playing hymns of comfort from the top of the chapel, such as “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.” He also plays lighthearted pop fare like “My Favorite Things,” which the Von Trapp family sang to lift their spirits while hunkered down during a thunderstorm in the movie “The Sound of Music.”
“You’re up there all alone in a little room in the sky,” Mr. Fala said. “It makes me realize that I have a real responsibility to minister to this campus and give people this glimpse of hope in their day.”
The entire article can be read here.
Joey’s father-in-law, The Rev. Greg Jones, wrote this on his Facebook wall: Susan Jones and I are delighted to see our son-in-law, Joey Fala, featured in this Wall Street Journal story about “unexpected heroes” for his playing of the Carillon at Duke University every afternoon. Nice to see beauty featured alongside the crucial frontline workers we think about every day. Well done, Joey!
Yay, Joey!
[…] few days ago I wrote about my former student, Joey Fala, being named one of the coronavirus’ unlikely heroes in the present coronavirus crisis. Here’s a tour he gave of the Duke University carillon (via […]
[…] may recall that Joey was recently written up in a story by the Wall Street Journal (“Unlikely hero“) for playing the carillon as part of an “essential” service for the Duke […]