From the Nobel Committee: "Endowed with freshness, sensuality, and rich in inventiveness, his work provides a liberating image of the indomitable spirit and versatility of man." From The London Times Literary Supplement: "Elegant." From Choice: "Recommended for all collections of modern poetry and Czechoslavakian literature."

Written as a confessional letter to his son, an 18th century opera singer recounts how his gift for sound led him on an astonishing journey to Europe’s celebrated opera houses and reveals how he came to raise a son who by all rights he never could have sired. The celebrated opera singer Lo Svizzero was born in a belfry high in the Swiss Alps where his mother served as the keeper of the loudest and most beautiful bells in the land. Shaped by the bells’ glorious music, he possessed an extraordinary gift for sound. But when his preternatural hearing was discovered—along with its power to expose the sins of the church—young Moses Froben was cast out of his village with only his ears to guide him in a world fraught with danger. Rescued from certain death by two traveling monks, he finds refuge at the vast and powerful Abbey of St. Gall. There, he becomes the protégé of the Abbey’s brilliant yet repulsive choirmaster, Ulrich. But it is this gift that will cause Moses’ greatest misfortune: determined to preserve his brilliant pupil’s voice, Ulrich has Moses castrated. Now, he will forever sing with the exquisite voice of an angel—a musico—yet castration is an abomination in the Swiss Confederation, and so he must hide his shameful condition from his friends and even from the girl he has come to love. When his saviors are exiled and his beloved leaves St. Gall for an arranged marriage in Vienna, he decides he can deny the truth no longer and he follows her—to sumptuous Vienna, to the former monks who saved his life, to an apprenticeship at one of Europe’s greatest theaters, and to the premiere of one of history’s most beloved operas. Like the voice of Lo Svizzero, The Bells is a sublime debut novel that rings with passion, courage, and beauty.

Jill Johnston has written a magisterial biography of her father, the English bellfounder Cyril F. Johnston (1884-1950), an homage to his life and the craft of bellfounding. During his time, he developed such a passion for his vocation that, almost single-handedly, he turned it into a profession celebre. Exemplars of his triumphs are the Laura Spelman Rockefeller 72-bell Carillon at Riverside Church in New York City, and the Peace Tower 53-bell carillon in Ottawa, Canada.

THE STORY: Gillian Holroyd is one of the few modern people who can actually cast spells and perform feats of supernaturalism. She casts a spell over an unattached publisher, Shepherd Henderson, partly to keep him away from a rival and partly becaus

The age-old craft of bellfounding involves specialised techniques and equipment that have been passed down through generations and are still used today. For centuries, the large bells in churches, clocks and public buildings throughout Britain have been cast, hung, and tuned by bellfounders and this book surveys the history of bell production and the development of moulding and casting techniques. To achieve the correct pitch each bell would be hand corrected with a hammer and chisel, an extremely noisy process which continued until the nineteenth century when the mechanised lathe was introduced. This book describes the intricate tuning process and the role of the bellfounder and specially prepared photographs illustrate the production process of some of the most famous foundries in Britain, such as those at Whitechapel and Loughborough.

The teen stars of Saved by the Bell entertained global audiences for over a decade. On TV, the actors in this ground-breaking show portrayed characters of model behavior, though often indulging in a little innocent adolescent fun. But what was it like behind the scenes? What were these kids really like, and what was it like to live one's teenage years in front of the camera? Dustin Diamond, Saved by the Bell's Samuel Screech Powers, pulls back the curtains to reveal the truth about being a child star in Hollywood. Diamond shows what happens when kids grow up too fast, too rich, and too famous. Book jacket.

Imagine you play a musical instrument so rare no one knows it exists... Inspiration comes through people, not from people. It comes from another place and does not belong to you. It is meant to be shared with everyone. The Bell Man is the autobiography of Frank DellaPenna, the creator of one of the most unique musical acts ever witnessed: Cast in Bronze - combining the magical sound of a rarely seen medieval instrument of bells called a carillon with other instruments for the first time in history. He reveals secrets of his past, and walks you through his life's journey that ultimately led him to his destiny. This book will inspire anyone who has a dream...