This Church's website (
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"In 1660 the Amsterdam bell-founder Hemony, commissioned by the city council, put a series of bells both in the tower of the Laurenskerk and in the tower of the townhall. Just as in other towns of the Republic, these carillons were the city’s property. Nowadays, such a set of chimes is usually called carillon. The player is called carilloneur. The first bell of the Laurenskerk, by the way, was already placed in 1461 and bore the name of ‘Laurencius’. The tower then did only count two sections and therefore was lower than the current tower.
The carillon installed in the Laurenskerk in the 17th century consisted of 36 bells with a range of 3 octaves tuned in the meantone. Because of a restoration of the tower, the bells were removed in 1934. The set was reinstalled in 1939. The bells were hung in a new bell cage. During the bombing on 14 May 1940, the tower was hit by fire. Fortunately, the old ‘speeltrommel’ (rotating drum) and the carillon were saved.
Still, the chiming bells that used to hang in another room below the carillon were destroyed during the fire.
After the tower restoration, the instrument was restored in 1962 by bell-founders Eijsbouts in Asten and extended to 49 bells. In 1991 the mechanism of the instrument was once again restored by Eijsbouts.
In the Laurenskerk tower, three new bells have been installed after the Second World War in a floor under the carillon, which bells can be used as chiming bells. The two larger bells can also be played through the carillon. The early 17th century ‘speeltrommel’ (rotating drum) is still being used.
The city carilloneur
Rotterdam has a long tradition as a city of bells. As early as the 16th century there is a music playing chiming man on the townhall’s carillon. This bells man had to play this instrument at fixed times and also had the task to ‘repin’ (set the pins on the drum) the Laurens tower, i.e. to program new tunes on it, so that every quarter of an hour, a brief tune sounded over the city.
Nowadays, Rotterdam has two city carilloneurs: Gerard de Waardt & Geert Bierling.
They play three city carillons:
• the 17th century carillon in the tower of the Grote of Sint Laurenskerk
• the big, romantic carillon of the townhall on the Coolsingel,
• and the small, graceful carillon in the tower of the Oude of Pelgrimvaderskerk on the Aelbrechtskolk in Rotterdam-Delfshaven.
The music they perform often consists of transcriptions of repertoire from the 18th and 19th centuries; keyboard music, chamber music and orchestral music. They also perform modern repertoire, which they transcript for the carillon; popsongs and medleys from musicals. The carilloneur is expected to be good at improvisation.
Besides, the carilloneurs also perform new pieces, which have been especially composed for the carillon.
The melodies that Gerard de Waardt and Geert Bierling make for the ‘speeltrommel’ are first written down (at home) and get new chords. It takes a whole day before the old ‘speeltrommel” of the Laurenskerk tower is provided with new tunes. Through pins that protrude from the rotating drum, the playing mechanism of the automatic play is activated.
The carillon in the tower of the townhall does not have a ‘speeltrommel’ that is repinned in the way of the Laurenskerk tower; here, a permanent tune sounds year after year: it is the famous Big-Ben tune."
The website also lists all the City carilloneurs since 1539!
Construction of this church occurred between 1449 and 1525 with the tower being completed in 1655. Unlike many other European cities, this Gothic church is unique here. Especally in this neighborhood, the architecture is dominated by modern and abstract-appearing buildings. The interior of the Church is also different...no particular alterplaxce. A gigantic organ dominates the center. Two alcoves have ancient gravesites. One alcove has statues of many different saints. There is also an abstract sculpture inside representing many of the more notable sights in Rotterdam.
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