ST. GEORGE — The bells will be ringing at the St. George Tabernacle on Saturday to mark the 235th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution.
But the sounds won’t just be chimes in an event that will mark the start of Constitution Week. Emanating from inside the Tabernacle will be an 80-member choir and other singers as well as local leaders portraying many of the Founding Fathers.
The Saturday event, which begins at 1:30 p.m., is free to the public.
Susan Dransfield, regent for the Color County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, said while July Fourth is traditionally thought of as the day when Americans celebrate their patriotism and freedom, the Constitution shouldn’t be short-changed.
“We need to support and protect the Constitution and keep it strong,” Dransfield said. “That’s what this week is for.”
With a musical called “Ring the Bells of Freedom Across America,” the 80-member Lieto Voices will provide much of the soundtrack, accompanied by drums and bagpipes.
Several locals will read portions of the Constitution in the guise of those who helped create it. For instance, Lex Howard, CEO of Balance of Nature and United We Pledge, will portray Benjamin Franklin.
Proclamations will also be read from 14 local cities, which have all declared next week Constitution Week.
At the end of the event, the Tabernacle’s bells will ring for 10 minutes in coordination with other bells being rung across the country,
Dransfield said the purpose of the event is to teach the community about the signing of the Constitution and to increase the love of country.
“This is a huge, big thing,” she said.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.