As previously announced J.K. Rowling will be giving the commencement address at Harvard University, Thursday June 5. While tickets to the event were limited, fans everywhere will be able to watch this event live via this link, with the text and video reposted immediately following on this link to Harvard Magazine. Jo is scheduled to be speaking sometime between 2:15 and 4:00pm ET. TLC also has a crew attending the graduation ceremony, and will be posting complete coverage of this event on Thursday.
On a fun related note, in anticipation of Jo speaking at Harvard, you can hear Hedwig’s theme being played on 17 Russian church bells at the fabled campus of Harvard, here via the Boston Globe. Quotage: ” According to Jeremy Lin, a Harvard senior and resident bell-ringer at Lowell House, the Klappermeisters have been practicing “Hedwig’s Theme,” the signature Harry Potter tune, for some time in anticipation of Rowling’s visit.”We do a ring every year for Halloween, and one of the things that started after Halloween is that somebody figured out how to play the Harry Potter theme,” Lin said. “That person has since graduated, but we knew that it was possible, so we kind of worked up our own version and we thought that it would be nice to play for her.”
Wow – that bell song is amazing, especially the part towards the end. I didn’t cringe in the least – I know what the bells look like and it’s amazing that anything can be played on them at all (I live in a town right next to Cambridge, my house is about 2 1/2 miles from Harvard – maybe I’ll be able to hear the bells).
My younger daughter graduated from Harvard (‘98, Quincy House) and got former gov Weld delivering the commencement address. ‘Twas not amusing. I would much rather it had been JKR!
Harvard does do graduation well. Two actually, One for everybody, and one at the respective ‘house’. The second is much more intimate.
I hope someone captures the speach. I’d like to hear it.
I’m going! I know someone who works there and she got me two tickets!! She says its totally standing room only now, you cant get anything anymore! I’m sooooo excited!
There’s a video of the bells (making a similar set, I believe) at that website or http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/01/russian_bells/
Seeing what these bells look like, I’m impressed how close they were able to duplicate “Hedwig’s Theme”! For some reason I had initially thought of hand bells, which would probably produce a sound much more familiar (and easier to achieve/duplicate) instead of these very large church bells.
Not to be picky (but we are pretty picky here in Massachusetts) – for all of those that are going to “Boston” to see JKR, you’ll be on the wrong side of the river – Harvard is in Cambridge. The two are not to be confused.
Yay! I’m going to be there; so excited!
OMT: If you’re daughter went there, you should be able to get tix – that’s how I got tix (my mom went there.) although it might be too late now. good luck!
Wig’s theme on those chimes suck!! i guess since i am a musician i am a little more sensitive to pitches than the average person but still, it make me cringe…..
To all those who are dissatisfied with the bells…I just listened and, although there is one spot that is “odd”, I was very moved. I could almost think of it as another “farewell”...The Bells will be retired after the Graduation Ceremony, and it is a fitting homage to another farewell.. They did a wonderful job with such huge bells. They are to be commended!
I quite agree, Confederate Lady. I got all choked-up listening to Hedwig’s Theme on the bells and thinking about Jo being in Cambridge (and me on the other coast totally unable to even think of trying to attend.)
Cannot wait to hear/read what Jo has to say. I frankly van;t even remember who my uni commencement speaker was.
And hats off to Harvard for relinquishing the bells and allowing them to return to Moscow. I know Rowling would approve!
"...you will raise your wand -- thus -- and cry [i]'Riddikulus'[/i] -- and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handb
Wow – that bell song is amazing, especially the part towards the end. I didn’t cringe in the least – I know what the bells look like and it’s amazing that anything can be played on them at all (I live in a town right next to Cambridge, my house is about 2 1/2 miles from Harvard – maybe I’ll be able to hear the bells).