You haven’t heard heavy metal until it’s literally played on heavy metal and the Carillon’s six-tonne bell plays some awesome AC/DC but this Sunday (May the Fourth be with you) it’s Star Wars.

This is so appropriate because there’s a Corellian starship (spelt differently but just go with it) inStar Wars (Han Solo comes from planet Corellia), so come on wookies, get to planet Carillon for a Star Wars soundtrack on 57 bronze bells.  

Carillonist Peter Bray, 25, said that when the Carillon is played at its loudest, the volume is equivalent to that of a jet engine (if you’re right next to the bells).

“It’s very powerful, our largest bell is six tons so there’s quite a bit of volume from that when it’s played loudly,” Peter said. “When it’s played at its loudest, it’s that jet engine level of decibels.”

Wait until you hear the Imperial March ring out full boar, it’ll blow your Darth Vader helmet off.

This performance is a slight departure from the Carillon’s usual sedate Sunday program of Bach and Beethoven but according to Peter, no music’s off-limits (he’s even played the Thomas the Tank Engine theme and music from Nintendo Wii games).

“We try to cater to the diverse audience that we have,” Peter said. “It’s a unique location, there’s not much else around and we get a lot of foot traffic. We take that into account when we’re programming concerts so it’s a range — Bach to Star Wars. There’s obviously the classical music, folk music, movie music, pop music, you can play heavy metal on heavy metal bells.”

Peter’s preference is for old jazz classics, but he also plays some pop tunes by Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Katy Perry for the younger crowd.

“I prefer some of the old jazzy classics like Louis Armstrong or Ella Fitzgerald, those sort of nostalgic things that most people connect with,” he said. “It’s not like any other instrument so you can arrange just about anything.”

While Peter doesn’t play heavy metal, some of his colleagues do indulge in a bit of KISS (I Was Made For Loving You), AC/DC (Thunderstruck), to shake up the nearby bin chickens.

“[My colleagues play] Hypnotize by System of a Down, music by Deep Purple, 9-Inch Nails and Nickelback and I’ve also seen Hells Bells done overseas,” he said. “The sky is the limit when it comes to music at the Carillon.”

So, does the Carillon take requests like our local radio station? Perhaps carillonists could become DJs in an ivory tower.

“We have had requests and I’m looking at how we can accommodate that,” Peter said. “One of my ideas is doing a Carillion jukebox, so we present a list of potential music that we could play and then work out the logistics of getting the public to pick their piece. We’re definitely keen.”

There are also plans underway to use the microphone inside the Carillon to allow the “faceless” carillonists to connect with their audience outside.

“I’m encouraging the Carillionists to open the concert, say hello introduce their program and talk about the pieces they’ll play,” Peter said. “Because there is that challenge of connecting with an audience that you can’t see and that can’t see you. It’s unique in that way.”

On the flipside, the benefit of an audience not being able to see you is that you can dress casually.

“We do come outside eventually, so you do have to wear appropriate clothes,” Peter said.

“I have spent some time overseas studying at a Carillon school — some carillonists tell stories of not wearing much at all while they were playing. I guess you can get away with that when you are performing from inside a tower but it’s not something that happens in Canberra.”

Episode V: Carillon Strikes Back concert is on 4 May at midday. Registrations essential: nca.gov.au/events/heritage-festival-2025-episode-v-carillon-strikes-back-concert

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