St. Thomas’ Church in Whitemarsh is, for the 45th year in a row, providing a wholly unique outdoor concert series this summer. Unlike other al fresco music presentations at this time of year, the church’s program features a very skilled set of musicians on a very large instrument.

Audience members who attend will experience the melodic and unique sounds of the congregation’s carillon, a keyboard-like instrument that uses the physical strength of the player to pound music from 23 tuned bells.

Unlike handbells, which are swung by individual players, carillon bells remain stationary. Only the clapper moves, responding to the array of pegs to which they are attached. The carillonneur sits at a bench — much like an organist — and uses his or her fist to sound each tone.

The 2022 performance schedule also features guest musicians performing in different styles. Each night begins at 7:00 p.m.:

• July 5 (tonight): “Trees, Trills & Tuesdays” — Geert D’hollander of Florida performing; tower tour and history presentation to follow
• July 12: “Bing, Bang, Boom” — Wade FitzGerald of Pa., performing; Montgomery County Concert Band music afterward
• July 19: “Cast in Bronze, The Tower Show” — Carillonneurs Lisa Lonie and Frank DellaPenna, of Pa, on the bench
• July 26: “Hats Off to Our Team” — Hillbillies of Cohesion is the opener; carillonneur Anna Kasprzycka of Poland is the closer. Audience members are invited to wear fun or festive hats

Because a presentation like this is as much a visual performance as it is an aural one, a live feed from the tower will enable audiences to watch these deft musicians at work.

The Whitemarsh instrument they’re tackling is impressive. Its 48 bronze bells were cast in The Netherlands. The largest bell weighs 3,300 pounds; the smallest only 24 pounds.

Dedicated in 1974, the carillon of St. Thomas’ Church is memorialized to Catherine Colt Dickey, the Phila. wife of a prominent New York banker who lived in Chestnut Hill.