*Location:

   Westerkerk
   Prinsengracht at Westermarkt
   Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
   LL: N 52.37461, E 4.88361

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page

*Carillonist:

   Boudewijn Zwart
   Hooglandseweg 18
   3864 PV  Nijkerkerveen
   T: (033)253 7786   C: (06)5342 5680
   E: info/@/bellmoods DOTcom

*Contact:

   Westerkerk
   Prinsengracht 281
   T: +31206247766

*Schedule:

   Tuesday 1200-1300

*Remarks:

   F.Hemony carillon replaced a 1643
   instrument by J.A.Leeghwater;
   Claes Noorden & J.A. deGrave added 3
   trebles in 1699 (since replaced).
   The Hemony trebles removed in 1959 are
   hung silent in the tower openings;
   The Hemony console (with organ-type
   pedals) remains in the tower.
   Includes one bell by C.Fremy (1700).
   Mean-tone tuning.
   Hour bell (not part of carillon) cast
   by Assueris Koster, 1636 - the
   heaviest bell in the city (7500kg).
   2023-4: major tower restoration
   included rehang of bells on new frame.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 51 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is B  in the bass octave
   Keyboard range:     A#D   /    ----  
   Transposition is up  1 semitone(s), i.e., from C to C#
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The presence or absence of a practice console is unknown
   The instrument was enlarged in 1991
     with bells made by Eijsbouts    
   Prior history:
     In 1959, the instrument was enlarged to 47 bells
       by Eijsbouts   
       Pitch of heaviest bell was C# in the middle octave
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    ----  
     In 1699, the instrument was enlarged to 35 bells
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
     In 1658, the instrument was begun with 32 bells
       by Hemony      
       (14 bells remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     C A 32/    C A 20
   Auxiliary mechanisms: M     
   Tower details: 
     Height of console:                 (unknown)
     Height of lowest level of bells:   (unknown)
     Height of highest level of bells:  (unknown)
     Belfry openness:  99%
   Year of latest technical information source is 1991

News article (5 July 2024) on the completion of the recent restoration; the carillon is now playable, though the quarters will not be heard until tower work is complete in January 2025.

The church Website (English page) has a photo of the tower as the background of the Dutch-language menu in the left margin.

An article about the church mentions that it has the heaviest bell in the city.

Boudewijn Zwart's extensively-illustrated page about this carillon (in Dutch).
The Website of Boudewijn Zwart (in Dutch/English) has a description and playing schedule (and sometimes also a photo) of each of the carillons which he plays (see Towers); Westertoren.

A Waymarking page for these bells has 26 photos, mostly of the tower.

News article (23 Apr 2024) on restoration work in the tower; rehung on new frame (in addition to masonry work).

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Hemony bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of miscellaneous bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the third 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 Netherlands traditional carillons by pitch (weight).
Ranking among all Netherlands traditional carillons by size (number of bells).
Ranking among all Netherlands traditional carillons by year of completion.

Where the hour bell in this tower ranks among all great bells in Europe.

Index to all traditional carillons in Netherlands.

Index to all tower bell instruments in NL/Noord-Holland.

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2024/07/24
   and on technical data last updated on 2019/06/06