Cathedral Carillon Concert returns for July 4 celebration

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist will host its annual Independence Day carillon concert Friday (July 4), offering free patriotic music and prime fireworks viewing from the South Hill.

The outdoor concert begins before dusk on the cathedral’s south lawn at 127 E. 12th Ave., where attendees can bring lawn chairs or blankets to listen to music from Washington’s only carillon while waiting for downtown Spokane’s fireworks display.

A guest carillonneur will perform patriotic selections from the 167-foot Bishop Cross Tower, striking the keyboard with fists and pressing pedals to ring the 49 cast bells. The rare instrument, housed in the Gothic cathedral’s limestone tower, creates music that echoes across the South Hill neighborhood.

The cathedral’s carillon is one of the few in the Pacific Northwest, with the nearest located in Missoula, Montana.

The Episcopal cathedral, designed in 1925 by architect Harold C. Whitehouse, opens its doors year-round for musical and cultural events beyond regular worship services. The building features a 4,000-pipe Aeolian-Skinner organ and ornate stained glass windows.

For information about the concert or other cathedral events, call (509) 838-4277 or visit stjohns-cathedral.org.