*Location:

   O.L.Vrouwetoren (Grote Kerk)
   Torenstraat at Reigerstraat
   Breda, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
   LL: N 51.58914, E 4.77491

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page

*Carillonist:

   Paul Maassen
   E: p_maassen/@/hotmail DOTcom
      info/@/paulmaassen DOTcom

   1975-2012 Jacques Maassen   (d.2013)

*Contact:

   (unknown)

*Schedule:

   Tuesdays & Fridays, 1030-1130

*Remarks:

   44 G&J bells installed by Eijsbouts,
   apparently with an old bass bell;
   some stolen in WW II.  Keyboard of 1965
   replaced before 2006, and again in
   2016.  Drum by Addicks (1908).
   Currently has 2 bells by Melliaert
   (1695), 4 by Witlockx (1728), 9 by G&J,
   40 by Eijsbouts.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 55 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is A# in the bass octave
   Keyboard range:     C G   /    A#--  
   Transposition is down 2 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 2016
     with bells made by Eijsbouts    
   Prior history:
     In 1965, the instrument was enlarged to 49 bells
       by Eijsbouts   
       (35 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     A#C   /    A#G   
       Transposition was nil (concert pitch)
     In 1929, the instrument was enlarged to 45 bells
       by Gillett & Johnston
       (9 bells were added in and/or remain from that work.)
       Keyboard range was:     A#A   /    ----  
     In 1723, the instrument was begun with 40 bells
       by an unknown maker
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was unknown
   Auxiliary mechanisms: M     
   Tower details: 
     Height of console:                 65 meters above ground
     Height of lowest level of bells:   40 meters above ground
     Height of highest level of bells:  70 meters above ground
     Belfry openness:    %
   Year of latest technical information source is 2023

The church Website has a carillon page.

Video from July 2016, showing the new cabin, with Paul Maassen playing.  A short bit of 2012 video spliced in at 00:50 shows the previous clavier (note varnished keys vs. clean new ones in 2016) and Paul's father Jacques, who retired in December 2012 after 37 years, and died of cancer in September 2013.  Paul took over, fourth generation.  So the clavier shown in the short 2012 clip has now also been replaced.

The carillonneur's Website

The tower Website has much information about special events but little about the carillon itself.

The Dutch Wikipedia article on this church has two photos of the tower.

Where the initial phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of unknown bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the second phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Gillett & Johnston bellfoundry, 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.

Index to all traditional carillons in Netherlands.

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

   This page was built from the database on 14-Oct-24
   based on textual data last updated on 2023/09/07
   and on technical data last updated on 2024/02/09