I like this idea of field recording bell towers, sounds like a good way to kill time with microphones. It may be helpful to know about some bell tower history and why they roll the way they roll. it would be cool to document at various distances from the epicenter as well.
Below are some links and helpful info, using the KU bell tower as my point of reference. I hear it plays around five as kids are leaving school, but I have heard it at various times on Saturday, and at around 8pm during the week. I have made two field recordings of it (here and here), but have only recorded the hourly chimes, no one playing.
So a bell tower is really called a campanile, which is Italian for (duh) bell tower. Campanology is the study of bells. The campanile at the University of Kansas has automated and manually played melodies on it's 53 bells. The musical instrument part called a carillon (they have an MA for it at KU) and the person that plays it is a carillonneur. Scope this article to see the last article on the carillonner from KU and this article for a general overview of the tower at KU (aka my sources). This Camanile plays the "Westminster Chime" which is based off a Handel Aria. Contact info for the one at KU- carillon@ku.edu, or call (785) 864.4464.
More general links I found on Bell Ringing and Bell Towers:
Bell Ringing Etiquette- Catholics main ones are noon and 6 and before Mass.
A Historical Tour of Westport KC- This is where I heard the bell that made me want to pursue this project.
The Campanology Wiki- this is the study of bells, which I guess is what I am doing, kinda.
Below are some Church addresses to scope out other recording ideas-
WESTPORT METHODIST CHURCH, 500 West 40th Street
Cathedral of St. Peter Church- 409 N. 15th St
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