Good morning, George!

220 steps to heaven: high up in the church tower of St Jacobi, music is made at high altitudes. Ernst Puschmann, St. Jacob’s long-time carillonneur, who died last year, converted the tower carillon into a concert carillon with 23 bells. Like an organ, the carillon is played with hands and feet: the bells are struck by a mechanical system on a console with wooden keys and foot pedals.

In Göttingen, the one-and-a-half tonne instrument is usually played on Saturday afternoons. During the Handel Festival, Martin Begemann also plays the carillon on various days outside the regular schedule. High above the rooftops of Göttingen’s historic city centre, we would like to ring in the new day and this year’s Festival. Good morning, George! And good morning, Göttingen!