City carillon (stadsbeiaard)

*Location:

   O.L.V. Kathedraal
   Handschoenmarkt
   Antwerpen (Anvers, Antwerp),
     Antwerpen, Belgium
   LL: N 51.22056, E 4.40062

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page

*Carillonist:

   Koen van Assche
   E: beiaardierkoen@hotmail.com
   - and -
   Liesbeth Janssens
   E: jliesbeth@telenet.be

*Contact:

   VVV-Antwerpen
   Grote Markt 40
   2000 Antwerpen
   T: 03/232 01 03

*Schedule:

   Fridays 1130-1230;
   Mondays Jul-Aug 2100-2200;
   Sundays May-Sep 1500-1600

*Remarks:

   The chime of 1540 combined 5 old bells
   with 12 new ones by C.Waghavens of
   Mechelen, with clavier and drum.
   Various later additions (totalling 31
   by 1648) were replaced by F.&P. Hemony
   in 1655.  F.Hemony added 4 plus the
   old "Gabriel" storm- and hour-bell (by
   J.&W. Hoerken, 's Hertogenbosch, 1459)
   in 1658.  Bells of 1751/67 (3 added)
   by du Mery.  "Gabriel" was the bourdon
   of the 1904 carillon, and remains.
   Tower also contains 8 swinging bells
   belonging to the Cathedral; some were
   part of a church-owned carillon which
   was largely moved to Hoogstraten (q.v.)
   in 1957.  39-note keyboard is shown
   in an old photo; there was a matching
   practice keyboard, fully chromatic.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 49 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is G  in the bass octave
   Keyboard range:     --C   /    A#--  
   Transposition is down 3 semitone(s), i.e., from C to A 
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The presence or absence of a practice console is unknown
   The instrument was enlarged in 1990
     with  2 bells made by Eijsbouts    
   Prior history:
     In 1972, 10 bells were recast or replaced
       with bells made by Eijsbouts   
       (10 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was A  in the bass octave
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    ----  
     In 1951, some bells were recast or replaced
       with bells made by Michiels    
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was G  in the bass octave
     In 1904, the instrument was enlarged to 47 bells
       by vanAerschodt
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was A  in the bass octave
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    C G   
       Transposition was down 3 semitone(s), i.e., from C to A 
       There were two missing bass semitones
     In 1767, the instrument was enlarged to 40 bells
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (1 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was G  in the bass octave
     Previously, the keyboard was replaced
       by an unknown maker
       Pitch of heaviest bell was unknown
       Keyboard range was:     C E   /    C E   
       There were two missing bass semitones
     In 1658, the instrument was enlarged to 37 bells
       by Hemony      
       (4 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was G  in the bass octave
     In 1655, the instrument was enlarged to 32 bells
       by Hemony      
       (36 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
     In 1540, the instrument was begun with 17 bells
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was unknown
   Auxiliary mechanisms: M     
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 1991

Descriptive article (in Dutch, with tower photo) from the VBV (Vlaamse Beiaard Vereniging)

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of miscellaneous bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Hemony bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Hemony bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
(The keyboard replacement is not counted as a phase of foundry work.)
Where the fourth phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of miscellaneous bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the fifth phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the vanAerschodt bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the sixth phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Michiels bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the seventh phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Eijsbouts bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the final phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Eijsbouts bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.

Ranking among all Belgian traditional carillons by pitch (weight).
Ranking among all Belgian traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all Belgian traditional carillons by year of completion.

Where the bass bell of this carillon ranks among all great bells in Europe.

Index to all traditional carillons in BE.

Index to all tower bell instruments in BE/Antwerpen.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2015/08/05
   and on technical data last updated on 2012/03/09