RETURN TO BELL PROJECT MAIN PAGE     HOME

HAWKEYE VALLEY BELL PROJECTS 

                
THE HAWKEYE VALLEY BELL PROJECTS ARE WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY PATRICK HAZELL UTILIZING 
THE LARGE BELLS IN EIGHT CHURCH BUILDINGS, THE OLD LINCOLN SCHOOL,AND THE 
FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN AREA OF BURLINGTON, IOWA, ALONG THE 
MISSISSIPPI RIVER. HAZELL PRESENTED HIS ORIGINAL HAWKEYE VALLEY 
BELL PROJECT ON FEBRUARY 2, 2003, AND SINCE THEN HAS PRODUCED SEVERAL MORE IN 
BURLINGTON. IN JUNE, 2004, HE BEGAN PRESENTING BELL PROJECTS IN OTHER LOCALES, 
WITH THE IZHEVSK BELL PROJECT IN IZHEVSK, THE CAPITOL CITY OF THE 
UDMURT REPUBLIC, RUSSIA; AND IN DUBUQUE, IOWA ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2004
                                
(CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO A WIUM FM, MACOMB,IL. BROADCAST OF THE MAY 1, 2003 HAWKEYE VALLEY BELL PROJECT.)

THE BELL PROJECTS ARE COMPOSITIONS FEATURING 
THE RINGING OF THE OLD BELLS IN VARIOUS 
COMBINATIONS OF CHORD PATTERNS, RHYTHMS, AND 
OVERTONES THAT MAKE FOR AN HOUR-LONG AMBIENT 
SOUND EVENT. SOUND WAVES ECHO THROUGH THE 
HILLS OF THE VALLEY LONG AGO CARVED BY HAWKEYE 
CREEK AS IT FLOWED INTO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 
IN THIS VALLEY WAS BUILT THE OLD DOWNTOWN OF 
BURLINGTON WITH ITS UNIQUE GROUPING OF MAJESTIC 
19TH CENTURY HIGH-STEEPLED CHURCHS.IT IS THE 
MOST BEAUTIFUL OF THE LARGE TOWN SETTINGS ALONG THE 
IOWA MISSISSIPPI RIVER COAST.






                                  First Congregational Church
                               looking south over Hawkeye Valley
                             towards Saint John's Catholic Church