The Washington Peace Carillon

An impassioned plea to transform seized artillery and war bells into carillons celebrating peace, proposing a monumental memorial and 200-foot bell tower in the national capital. The piece surveys historical instances of bells cast from cannon, criticizes triumphal inscriptions, and imagines towers housing recast bells and stones from ruined cathedrals to symbolize reconciliation. It envisions carillons marking civic rites—such as inaugurations, memorials, and festivals—as a moral and aesthetic counterpoint to militarism, arguing for architecture and music to perpetuate remembrance and foster international amity.