A long tradition at Lowell House, this "pick-up" performance of the 1812 Overture in the Lowell House Courtyard has been open to the whole community and drawn many eager fans over the years. It involves a corps of student and affiliate musicians from Lowell House and a host of stalwart volunteers interested in participating in one of the most brazen, fun, and Olympian interpretations of this famous piece ever heard in Cambridge. Key players are the Cannoneer who recreates cannon fire explosions, a central motif for the 1812, by torching (at the conductor’s cue) sets of helium-inflated balloons; the Klappermeisters (bell-ringers of Lowell House) who ring our famous Russian bells to dramatic perfection throughout; and the stoic Conductor who shepherds this teeming, racing chariot of a performance across the finish line to great artistic victory.

The energy shared by the various participants in this open-air extravaganza is palpable: it draws many people in from Mount Auburn Street and has become a picnic favorite for many neighborhood people. It also serves as a showcase for our unusual set of bells. This tradition is unique to Lowell House and to Harvard University.