Carillon News

Profile: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Situated amongst the picturesque canals in the heart of Utrecht, the freestanding Dom Tower was connected with the Dom Church until a storm destroyed the church on the first of August, 1674. The tower was built in the years 1321-1382 in gothic style and was restored in the beginning of the 20th century. It has served as an example for many other Dutch towers. Of the three sections, the first two are square and of brick construction, the third is octagonal and built with natural stone. The ornate tower reaches the vertiginous height of 112 meters (367 feet)--the highest of all Dutch church towers.

In 1663 the city council of Utrecht ordered a 35-bell carillon from François and Pieter Hemony. This carillon, one of their last instruments, had as its bourdon a B(0) weighing 6056 pounds. The famous Hemony brothers were from Lorraine and worked as itinerant bellfounders until establishing themselves in the Dutch city of Zutphen in 1641. It was there in the year 1644 that, with the help of Utrecht Dom carillonneur Jacob van Eyck, they succeeded in tuning a series of carillon bells. They tuned in meantone.

Before the major tower restoration in 1902 there were a few modifications to the carillon. In 1695 seven bells made by Melchior de Haze were added. In 1888 Severinus van Aerschodt replaced one of the Hemony bells. During the period of the tower restoration which went from 1900 through 1930, considerable modifications were made to the carillon between 1902 and 1907. A modern steel frame was made to support the bells. The founder Van Bergen of Heiligerlee supplied C-sharp and E-flat bells for the bass octave in 1906; these were removed in 1951. In 1928 and 1929 the Van Aerschodt bell and one of the De Haze bells were replaced by Taylor bells. A rather extensive renovation was done in 1951. The Eijsbouts foundry replaced the De Haze bells, one of the Taylor bells, as well as a broken Hemony bell. The carillon was also extended to four octaves (47 bells) at this point.

In 1965 it became evident that rust was affecting the 1906 frame A thorough restoration, not only of the technical installation but also the bells, was deemed necessary. Between 1972 and 1974 the steel frame was replaced by a wooden frame. The Hemony bells were retuned in order to level out the effect of three centuries of corrosion. All of the non-Hemony bells were replaced by new (1972) Eijsbouts bells. Furthermore, three new bass bells were provided, the largest of which weighs upwards of 15,000 pounds.

There are now 34 Hemony bells and 16 Eijsbouts bells. The keyboard range is G, B-flat, c1, d1, then chromatic through c5. The carillon transposes down one half-step, hence the bourdon sounds F-sharp. This transposition is the result of the historical phenomenon of "c-orgeltoon" which was a B, when a¢ was 415 Hz rather than the standard present day pitch of a'=440 Hz. The Hemonys cast a total of seven carillons based on a B, three of which no longer exist.

The original automatic playing mechanism built by master clock maker Jurriaan Spraeckel of Zutphen is still in use in the Utrecht Dom Tower and plays the lowest three octaves of the carillon. The F-sharp bourdon sounds the hours, and the B(0) sounds the half-hours.

The following dactylic verse by A. den Besten appears on the bourdon:

DAGELIJKS ROEP IK U TOE,

DAG EN NACHT SPEL IK U HOE LAAT HET IS, HOE VER GIJ ZIJT: LEEF EN HEB  LIEF, HET IS TIJD!

[Daily I call out to you

Day and night I play you what

Time it is, how far you are:

Live and let live, it is time!]

Arie Abbenes is Municipal Carillonneur not only of Utrecht but also in Eindhoven, Oirschot, and Asten. He teaches at the Dutch Carillon School in  Amersfoort. Abbenes studied carillon with Peter Bakker in Hilversum and with Piet van den Broek in Mechelen, and he received the final diploma of the Royal Belgian Carillon School in 1968 with great distinction.

The carillon of the Dom Tower is played every Saturday from 11 am to noon. There is a summer series of evening recitals, Mondays at 8 pm during July and August. Additionally, Utrecht hosts a yearly Holland Early Music Festival at the end of August and beginning of September in which the carillon plays a part.

The Utrecht Dom Tower is also known for its impressive set of 14 tolling bells. While the carillon bells hang at a height of about 230 feet, this peal is at 165 feet. The six heaviest and one of the lighter bells were cast in 1505/1506 by Geert van Wou of Kampen. Van Wou originally cast a diatonic series of 13 bells for the Dom Tower, but in 1664 the smallest seven were sold and melted to finance the new carillon. In 1982 these were replaced by new bells cast by the Eijsbouts Bellfoundry of Asten. The 14th bell is of unknown origin. In this day and age, most tolling bells are swung electrically, but the bells in the Utrecht Dom are rung by hand. This means that some 70,000 pounds of bronze must be brought into motion manually. It takes four people to ring Salvator, the largest bell, which weighs 18,000 pounds. This task has been performed by members of the Utrecht Bell Tollers' Guild since 1979.

Also worthy of mention in Utrecht is the National Museum "Van Speelklok tot Pierement" where all manner of automatic music instruments--from violins and musical clocks to street organs, orchestrions, and dance-hall organs--are displayed and demonstrated.

Profile: St. Thomas' Church, Whitemarsh, PA

The Protestant Episcopal Parish of St. Thomas' Church in Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania--20 miles from Philadelphia--was established in 1690. Bells became a part of this church's tradition in 1913 when a ten-bell chime, cast by the McShane Bell Foundry of Baltimore, Maryland, was installed.

At a memorial service for a devoted parishioner of St. Thomas', the chime-master found it impossible to play certain requested music due to the limited range of the chime. Charles Dickey, the husband of the deceased, was prompted to "do something for the bells at St. Thomas'." The Dickey family soon provided for a 48-bell carillon.

The bells were cast and tuned by the Petit & Fritsen Bellfoundry in Aarle-Rixtel, the Netherlands, and the Verdin Company of Cincinnati made the console, frame, and transmission system and was responsible for the installation. The bourdon weighs 3,223 pounds, sounds D, and is keyed to C. The keyboard compass is C, D, then chromatic through c3.

A service and recital of dedication were held on September 29, 1974. Officiating was the Rt. Rev. Lyman C. Ogilby, Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. He is the son of Dr. Remson Ogilby, the former President of Trinity College, Hartford, who was the convener of the first meeting of carillonneurs in North American, in September 1934.

Janet S. Dundore has been the carillonneur of St. Thomas' Church ever since the instrument's installation. She plays before and after all church services. A carillon prelude replaces the organ prelude on the first Sunday of every month. The carillon is also heard at weddings and funerals at St. Thomas'. Guest recitalists are invited to perform in the summer concert series on Tuesday evenings at 7 pm during July and August. A closed circuit television monitor is provided for observation of the carillonneur at work. These recitals are often followed by 8 pm concerts in the church which feature organists, choirs, brass ensembles, dance groups, Swiss Alphornists, and other instrumentalists.

The tower, built of local red sandstone, is 70 feet high. The site of St. Thomas' Church is ideal for a carillon: surrounded by 60 acres of landscaped grounds and removed from traffic noise, homes, and tall buildings.

Call for papers

From August 9 through 13, 1998, the biennial congress of the World Carillon Federation will take place in Mechelen and Louvain, Belgium. As part of this event, the Catholic University of Louvain will sponsor a congress on campanology. Since campanology is an interdisciplinary field of scholarship, papers from various areas of research are welcome, including but not limited to musicology, history, sociology, psychology, theology, law, physics, and environmental science. Topics will be organized in the following categories:

1) The use of bells as public signaling devices in Europe from the 12th to the end of the 18th century (secular and religious forms or aspects, musical applications)

2) Determinants of the sound quality of bells (material, bell profile, bell chamber, environmental influences, etc.) and of the perception of bells (ideology, customization, conditioning, etc)

3) The state of carillon art between 1800 and 1900

Papers on other topics will be considered. Abstracts are due on June 30, 1997. Direct questions, suggestions, and abstracts to: Luc Rombouts, Congress Coordinator, University Hall, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; e-mail: [email protected]

Profile: Amsterdam's Westertoren

The West Church (Westerkerk) was officially opened on Whitsunday 1631. It is one of the oldest churches especially built for Protestant services, and the largest such church in The Netherlands. Hendrick de Keyser, the city architect, built the church in Dutch Renaissance style, which is characterized by a combination of brick and stone. The famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn was buried inside the church in a rental grave in 1669. In 1966 Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus were married in the church. From 1985–1990 the church was completely restored.

Not until 1686, when organ accompaniment to singing had become customary, was the Westerkerk organ built by the father and son team of Duyschot. In 1727 it was considerably extended by the father, and it was further enlarged in the 19th century. Between 1988 and 1991 Flentrop of Zaandam restored the organ as nearly as possible to its original condition of 1686/1727.

In the medieval tradition, the 280-foot tower stands projecting from the center of the west facade. The base of the tower, up to the first gallery, is of brick, while the section above this is constructed mainly of wood with a facing of sandstone. The uppermost sections are also of wood, with an outer covering of lead. It was completed in 1638. The tower, which occupies a unique place in the affections of the people of Amsterdam, bears the symbol of the imperial crown of Maximilian of Austria, which was his gift to the city in gratitude for the support given to the Austro-Burgundian princes. The tower has inspired many songs and poems and remains a symbol of the city for Amsterdammers abroad. In her famous diary, Anne Frank makes fond references to the bells of the Westertoren ("I loved it from the start, and especially in the night it's like a faithful friend.").

The hour bell is the heaviest in Amsterdam and weighs more than 16,500 pounds; the hammer alone weighs some 450 pounds. In 1658 the famous Amsterdam bellfounder François Hemony delivered a 32-bell carillon based on a 4500-pound bourdon sounding D-flat. To complete three octaves, Claude Fremy was commissioned to found an additional three bells, but due to his death in 1699, his widow passed the contract on to Fremy's foreman, Claes Noorden. An extensive renovation of the carillon was undertaken in 1959. The 14 brass bells made by Hemony were retained while the treble range was replaced and extended by the Eijsbouts bellfoundry of Asten, The Netherlands. Presently, the carillon has 50 bells and is tuned in meantone temperament.

Boudewijn Zwart of Schoonhoven is the carillonneur of the Westertoren. He plays weekly, Tuesdays from noon to 1:00. The carillon can be heard to its best advantage from the courtyard of the Pulitzer Hotel or from the north side of the church. Four of the Amsterdam carillons are featured in a special series of summer recitals at 7:00 in the evening. Recitals at the West Tower are on Wednesdays, at the Old Church on Tuesdays,  and Saturday recitals are at the South Tower or the Mint Tower. Performers include guest carillonneurs from The Netherlands and abroad, as well as the Amsterdam municipal carillonneurs: Boudewijn Zwart, Todd Fair, Gideon Bodden, and Bernhard Winsemius.

Profile: Barneveld, The Netherlands

West of the Veluwe forest in the province of Gelderland is the city of Barneveld. The 160-foot tower of the St. Adolf Church (Oude or Sint Odulphuskerk) in Barneveld dates from the 13th century. Ravaged by fire and struck by lightning on numerous occasions, it is always restored to its old splendor. Until 1927 it was topped with a pear-shaped cone spire. As part of the restoration in that year, this was replaced with an open lantern topped by an onion-shaped crown.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Baron van Nagell as Mayor of Barneveld in 1927, a two-octave carillon was placed in the upper tolling chamber of the tower. The bells were made by the English firm Gillett & Johnston and were installed by the Dutch firm Eijsbouts. Placement was not optimal; the bells were audible only from near the tower. A few bells were added in 1948 and 1949. During a tower renovation in 1961 the carillon was moved into the lantern and expanded to four octaves. Finally, four bass bells made by Eijsbouts were added in 1977 and 1992. The current ensemble of 51 bells includes 17 made by Gillett & Johnston, one by Petit & Fritsen, two by Van Bergen, and 31 by Eijsbouts. The keyboard compass is B-flat, C, D, then chromatic through D. The bourdon sounds D-flat, hence the instrument transposes up a minor third. It is tuned in equal temperament.

Henry Groen is the municipal carillonneur. He plays on Thursdays at 10 am and Fridays from May through September at 7:00 pm. During the Old Veluwe Market--Thursdays in July and August--the carillon is played at 9:30 am. A special summer series on Tuesday evenings from 8:00 to 9:00 during June, July, and August features Groen as well as guest carillonneurs from The Netherlands and abroad.

Bok Tower Festival

The 16th International Carillon Festival, February 3–11, 2001, will feature guest carillonneurs Stéfano Colletti (France), Liesbeth Janssens (Belgium), John Courter (Berea College, Kentucky), George Matthew Jr. (Middlebury College & Norwich University, Vermont), and Bok Tower Gardens' Milford Myhre and William De Turk. Events will include daily recitals at 3 pm, a moonlight recital at 8 pm on Tuesday, February 6, carillon exhibits, and non-carillon concerts. For further information, contact Bill De Turk, 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL 33853-3412; ph 863/676-1154; fax 863/676-6770; e-mail: <[email protected]>;

web page: <boktowergardens.org>.

Paris carillon project

A new carillon for the city of Paris, France, is in the planning stages. The site is the Parc de La Villette. An architectural study has confirmed the possibility of installing a carillon in a contemporary structure that already exists in the park: la Folie Belvédère. The proposal is for a carillon of 51/2 octaves, 66 bells, from G2 to C8, with a total of 35 tons of bronze. The bells would hang on five levels in a conical cage of open construction without a roof. The performer in the playing cabin will be visible to the public.

Situated in the center of the park, the Folie Belvédère seems an ideal place for the resounding of bells, amidst the Cité des Sciences and the Cité de la Musique. There is ample green space for listening at an appropriate distance.  In contrast to the mystery plays that were enacted on church squares in front of cathedrals and churches in the Middle Ages, the Folie and its carillon envision popular theatrical productions such as circus, street theater, and all sorts of musical and artistic expression.

Major Dutch treat

The National Carillon Museum in Asten, The Netherlands, is expanding its facilities. The tower will be an attractive feature. It goes without saying that a carillon will be hung in the tower. Furthermore, this special tower deserves a special carillon. The choice was made for a carillon with bells that have a major-third overtone instead of the traditional minor third. These sound significantly different than classic bells and carillons. This modern type of carillon seemed to be a logical choice for the hpyermodern tower. Hence, with bells from ca. 1500 B.C. to the most contemporary specimens, the museum's collection will span 3500 years of bell history. The design for these major-third bells was developed a few years ago by Drs. André Lehr and Bert Schoofs (Technical University Eindhoven). This design was used for a carillon made by Eijsbouts for the Academy Tower of the University of Groningen. The Asten carillon will be relatively small, with 25 bells covering two octaves. The largest bell will weigh 236 kg., the smallest 10 kg., total weight 468 kg.

The museum is seeking sponsors to cover the cost of the bells which will be purchased at a significant discount from the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry in Asten. Contact Dr. André Lehr at [email protected] or Ostaderstraat 23, 5721 WC Asten, The Netherlands.

An American in Peer

When a carillon committee was formed in 1989 in the city of Peer, Belgium, there were three tolling bells in the tower of the St. Trudo Church. At that time there were no carillons in the whole province of North Limburg that were playable manually. The 14th-century brick tower of Peer had a huge bellchamber capable of accommodating a heavy carillon. Financial resources were limited such that a choice was made for a medium weight carillon of 51 bells with a bourdon sounding D.

In 1992 the new Petit & Fritsen instrument was dedicated. After the festivities the carillon committee began its quest to expand the instrument as soon as possible to a heavy carillon. The project was completed in 1999 exceeding all expectations. The 17th-century bell frame was restored, the bell chamber got a new oak floor, and the electrical components were updated.

The carillon was completely dismantled and reinstalled, and a deluxe new playing cabin was built. Thirteen new bells were cast. Most significantly, an American standard playing console was chosen over the current European standard. The instrument now boasts 64 bells covering five octaves with a bourdon sounding B-flat. The keyboard compass is B-flat, C, then chromatic through D. Erik Vandevoort is the carillonneur of Peer.

Miscellanea from abroad

The Olsen Nauen Bellfoundry in Tønsberg, Norway, made a new four-octave carillon for the Oslo Town Hall in December 1999. The 49 bells replace a 38-bell carillon of inferior quality which dated from 1952. The new instrument can be played manually from a traditional baton-type console, electrically by means of an electric keyboard, and automatically by a computer. It is the largest carillon in all of the Nordic countries.

                  There are 80 carillons in Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland. Of these, 21 are concert carillons operated manually from a baton-type playing console. The remaining 59 are automatic carillons, and 29 of them can be operated from an electric piano-style keyboard. Most of the carillons were fabricated in The Netherlands (27% Petit & Fritsen, 45% Eijsbouts) with a few from France (7% Paccard) and England (4% Taylor).

Sculptor Eric Andersen created the Campana degli Umori for the Fairy Tale Gardens in Odense, Denmark. A ten-ton bell is suspended on a steel frame at street level. Also hanging on this frame are nine clubs or hammers for striking the bell in nine different areas. Campana degli Umori means "the bell of humors"—humors in the sense of moods. The nine striking areas on the bell are color coded and symbolize different moods such as black for pain and sorrow, red for love, etc. Consequently the bell can be used as a means of expression communicating to others the mood of the person who strikes the bell. Eric Andersen, who is both a visual artist and a composer, is fascinated with the bell as the carrier of a new language, and as a musical and poetical instrument the bell can be the tongue of the soul.

The 25th anniversary of the City Hall carillon in Magdeburg, Germany, was celebrated in 1999. In contrast with other concert performances, the carillon usually has the disadvantage that its players have no immediate contact with their listeners. The carillonneur sits in a  tower cabin, high above the ground, often remaining anonymous. Recognizing this situation, the city of Magdeburg rented a four-octave mobile carillon from the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry in The Netherlands. Several concerts at various locations in the city were presented. Plentiful audiences comprising both locals and tourists witnessed the carillonneur hard at work (at play).

Zvonar ("The Bell Player") is a new periodical published by the Moscow Bell Center. The Center was established about four years ago primarily to train qualified bell players. Russian church bells are typically played by hand. The art of Russian bell ringing lost popularity because of  church reform measures in the Soviet Union. Bell players who were dying out in the 70s had few new recruits. Since it began, the Moscow Bell Center has educated over 150 bell players between the ages of 11 and 64. Most were from Moscow and its environs. The Zvonar newsletter will help spread information about liturgical tolling, bell repairs, and other technical questions while the Center will serve in consultation to church congregations and monasteries.

A new 45-bell carillon was built for the monastery tower in Kiel, Germany. The bells were cast by the Karlsruhe Bellfoundry, and the playing console, the mechanical action, and the electronic automatic player mechanism were fabricated by Otto Buer Bells & Clocks of Neustadt/Holstein. The carillon was inaugurated in September 1999. It incorporates a 1367-pound tolling bell (pitch "G") that dates from 1928 as the bourdon.

Profile: Wiesbaden, Germany

The Evangelical Lutheran Market Church in Wiesbaden, Germany, was built in 1853-1862 as the "Cathedral of Hessen-Nassau." In neo-gothic style and with a three-nave basilica form, the church was built of brick with red sandstone steeples, with Schinkel's Werder church in Berlin as a model. The architect was Carl Boos. The center steeple is 300 feet high, while the side narthex steeples are 190 feet and the sanctuary steeples are 240 feet.

The Grand Organ was built in 1863 by E.F. Walcker. It was rebuilt and enlarged in 1929, 1938, 1970, and 1982 by Walcker, Sauer, Oberlinger. The Choir organ was built in 1970 by Oberlinger. Both organs can be played from one four-manual console, thereby controlling the total of 125 ranks.

The carillon in the center steeple of the Marktkirche of Wiesbaden was built by the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry in Asten, The Netherlands, in 1986. Four of the five swinging bells cast by the Rincker bellfoundry in 1962 were integrated into the new carillon which consists primarily of 45 new Eijsbouts bells. The bourdon sounds C and weighs nearly 4800 pounds; the lightest bell is 28 pounds. The Wiesbaden carillon is one of only about 30 such instruments in Germany.

Hans Uwe Hielscher is organist and carillonneur of the church, and Thomas Frank is assistant carillonneur. The carillon is played every Saturday at noon, during the weekly market. Visits to see the keyboard room and the bells may be arranged through either carillonneur at (0611) 30.34.30.

Profile: Carillon Beach

Carillon Beach is a gated community in Panama City Beach, a coastal city in Florida's panhandle. The focal point and namesake of the community is a carillon that hangs in a 50-foot tower that stands just one block from the Gulf of Mexico. The carillon, installed in 1993, is the fourth in the state of Florida, following those at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, the University of Florida in Gainesville, and the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Clearwater. Carillon Beach is still being developed and will have over 300 homes.

The 35 bells were cast by the Petit & Fritsen Bellfoundry in Aarle-Rixtel, The Netherlands. The tower and carillon were designed by Richard M. Watson of Meeks, Watson & Company of Georgetown, Ohio, following sketches prepared by Carillon Beach architect Lloyd Vogt. The clappers, bell fittings, action, electric control equipment and tower steel were fabricated by the Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. Petit & Fritsen made the electric strikers, and Meeks, Watson & Co. bouilt the manual playing console. All bells are playable from the manual playing console with batons for hands and feet. Fourteen of the bells can be programmed by an automatic playing system which also sounds the Westminster quarters and the hour strike.

With a bourdon sounding middle C and weighing only 583 pounds, the instrument transposes up an octave which results in a light, clear sound suited to the relatively low placement of the bells in a smaller, open tower. The three-octave range is chromatic with the exception of the two lowest semitones (C# and D#). The carillon is owned by the Carillon Beach Institute. Beverly Buchanan was appointed Resident Carillonneur on August 1, 1996.  She plays one or two concerts weekly and on some holidays. Tours are given following concerts and by appointment. Visitors are welcome to call 904/234-5600 to ascertain concert times and arrange for a tour.

Profile: Maastricht, The Netherlands

Capital of the province of Limburg, Maastricht lies near the Belgian and German borders in the southeastern Netherlands. It takes its name from the Maas (Meuse) river which runs through it. The Roman settlement, Trajectum ad Mosam, was founded around 50 B.C. at this strategic river crossing point. A variety of structures bear witness to its ancient past and lively present. The Milanese architect Aldo Rossi designed the modern Bonnefanten Museum building (Limburg Museum of Art and Antiquities) which houses paintings from the southern Netherlands and modern works, as well as prehistoric material and relics from Roman and early medieval graves. However, many local artifacts remain buried under modern buildings in the city. Some remnants of the first (1229) and second (mid-14th century) town walls still exist including the Helpoort (Hell Gate), the oldest town gate in The Netherlands.

The Sint Servaaskerk, founded at the end of the fourth century, is the oldest church in The Netherlands. The original building was erected over the grave of St. Servatius, the first bishop of Maastricht. The oldest part of the present church--a Romanesque cruciform basilica--dates from the year 1000.

While the present carillon of St. Servaas is relatively new, the church has a history of bells beginning in the 16th century. A tower clock was ordered in 1544 and eleven years later the bellfounder Henrick Van Trier, actually of Aachen, was commissioned to cast 19 bells. The bells did not pass inspection and were recast before being hung in the middle tower of the west section of the church. When the trio of towers was  rebuilt in baroque style, it was deemed time to replace the falsely-tuned Van Trier bells with a new instrument. Andreas Jozef van den Gheyn of Louvain was engaged in 1767 to build a new carillon of 40 bells based on a bourdon sounding F. Several legends describe how the carillon narrowly escaped plunder during the French occupation. It is said that a commission of the city warded off the danger by declaring the instrument "un chef-d'œuvre de l'art." Some contend that a plea was made claiming that the inhabitants of the area that had previously been Belgium were of the belief that a tower without a carillon was a body without a soul, and that the citizens could not be denied the pleasure of the carillon to which they were so dearly attached. More convincing is a tactic used by a number of cities in various wars: the Maastricht people told the French that the carillon should be preserved in order to play for victories of the French army and French national celebrations. The argument worked, as seizure of the carillon for its bronze content was definitively cancelled. The Maastricht carillon was not immune, however, to the general decadence that plagued the carillon world during the 19th century. Local piano builder Frederik Smulders got his hands on the instrument and installed an ivory-type keyboard. A 20th-century revival of the art was inspired by the Belgian Jef Denyn, and he served as an advisor when a new manual playing console was installed in 1935. But alas, the instrument was lost to a fire in 1955.

A brand new carillon for Maastricht was cast by the Royal Eijsbouts Bellfoundry of Asten, The Netherlands, in 1976. The 47 bells were hung in the south tower of the choir end of the church. With a 595-pound bourdon sounding C, the instrument was very lightweight--transposing up an octave. With the restoration of the church in 1984 the carillon was moved to one of the towers at the west side. It was enlarged with ten new bells and incorporating the three Petit & Fritsen swinging bells (c, d, e) which were already hanging in that tower. The carillon now spans five octaves and plays in concert pitch with a bourdon of C (4,961 lbs.). In addition to a special summer series of recitals on Thursday evenings from May through August, the instrument is played incidentally throughout the year.

A 14,112-pound bell (G) hangs in the other west tower; it was cast in 1983 by Eijsbouts as a replica of a bell by the brothers Moer which was broken in the 19th century. This bell is called "Grameer" (grandmother) which indicates its very special place in the hearts of the people of Maastricht. It is rung only a few times each year on very special occasions. The old "grameer" was placed in the church courtyard, the listening area for carillon concerts, on the spot where it was cast in 1515.

Maastricht also has a 1664 Hemony carillon (bourdon F-sharp, 1,687 lbs.) which hangs in the city hall. Recently restored, the instrument comprises one bell made by François and Pieter Hemony in 1663, sixteen by François Hemony in 1664, 26 by Eijsbouts in 1962, and six by Petit & Fritsen in 1996. It is played every Friday from 11:30 to 12:30 pm.

Frank Steijns is municipal carillonneur, not only in Maastricht but also in Weert and Heerlen. He received the Final Diploma with great distinction from the Royal Belgian Carillon School in 1991. Steijns studied violin, music theory, and orchestral conducting at the Lemmens Institute where he obtained four First Prizes, and graduated in 1994. He wrote a thesis on the Dutch composer Henk Badings. He has made numerous recordings as a carillonneur and violinist. He tours as a violinist with the Johann Strauss Orchestra of André Rieu which, in Monaco in 1996, won the "World Music Award" as the best selling Benelux artist of the world. Also, Steijns founded a commission that will organize an International Composition Competition "Henk Badings" with the purpose of stimulating composers all over the world to write carillon music.