Music will once again ring out across Canberra with regular performances at the National Carillon.
Performances went on hiatus while instrumental improvements and repairs were undertaken on the Carillon.
At a height of 50 metres, the structure towers above Lake Burley Griffin at Queen Elizabeth II Island (formerly Aspen Island).
The music will return to Canberra’s icon with regular performances on Sundays kicking off this weekend, 15 December from 11am-noon.
A selection of well-known songs will be performed on the themes of Christmas, peace and Australia, including Jingle Bells, Scarborough Fair and I am Australian.
The Summer Sunday Sessions Series will showcase the range and repertoire of the carillon through classical and contemporary favourites, as well as music written explicitly for the Carillon.
It will also provide opportunities for carillonists to continue to test new instrumentation installed earlier this year as part of the refurbishment of the Carillon.
The best spots to listen to the music will be Queen Elizabeth II Island or vantage spots such as Kings Park and the amphitheatre outside the National Gallery of Australia.
Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Carillon in 1970.
The National Capital Authority (NCA) said the Carillon was gifted to the City of Canberra by the British Government to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the founding of the National Capital of Australia (Canberra). Canberra was founded in 1913.
It incorporates 57 bronze bells of varying octaves, with each bell weighing between seven kilograms and six tonnes.
The structure is lit at night and the sound of the bells (when in use) drifts across the lake and through Kings and Commonwealth Parks.
The NCA said carillonists played the suspended stationary bells from a keyboard of wooden batons and pedals, called a clavier.
Information on the Summer Sunday Sessions Series will be available each Tuesday at nca.gov.au.
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