Tower City is my first piece written for the carillon. I wanted to evoke the majestic quality of an instrument people often take for granted. It is a wonder to stand in a public square and hear the bells of the church tower perform either known or unfamiliar music and to imagine the mechanisms that are in play to create these sonic happenings. Whenever the carillonneur takes his or her place and hits their first note, they attract attention from the (at most times) accidental listener. I wanted to write a piece based on my impression of the instrument that calls our attention whether we are ready for it or not. Our collective conscious lends an ear to its command. Even in the most bustling cities, we can be delightfully stunned, and perhaps reshaped or relieved, by a sudden call from the Tower.

—Jessie Montgomery