*Location:

   Norbertijner Abdij
   (St.Servaas Basilica)
   Kerkplein
   Grimbergen (Grimberghe),
     Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium
   LL: N 50.93355, E 4.37180

Site locator map
City locator maps and gazetteer page

*Carillonist:

   Twan Bearda
   Nimfenstraat 30
   2800 Mechelen
   T: (0)15 436 382  - or - (0)499 407 329
   E: twan.bearda@gmail.com
      twan.bearda/@/skynet DOTbe

   1929-44 Louis Mergaerts
   1945-93 Pater Jan Feyen  (1920-93)
   19??-2011 Rien Aarssen

*Contact:

   Gemeente Grimbergen
   Dienst Cultuur
   Prinsenstraat 22
   1850 Grimbergen
   T: (0)2 260 12 99
   - or -
   Beiaardvrienden Grimbergen
   E: info/@/beiaardvriendengrimbergen
        DOTbe

*Schedule:

   Sunday 1630-1730 from Easter to end
   of September;
   also Jul-Aug Friday 2000-2100

*Remarks:

   Carillon of 1715, by Willem Witlockx
   of Antwerp, replaced an older carillon
   of unknown size and origin.  Later
   enlarged by others, it was
   destroyed in the French Revolution.
   Next carillon by Marcel Michiels of
   Doornik, with keyboard by Prosper
   Michiels of Mechelen.
   Present bells by Horacantus-Eijsbouts.
   Enlargement of 1998 also replaced
   a broken bell.

*Technical data:

   Traditional carillon of 49 bells
   Pitch of heaviest bell is D# in the middle octave
   Transposition is up  5 semitone(s)
   Keyboard range:     G C 42/    A#G   
   There are two missing bass semitones
   The presence or absence of a practice console is unknown
   The instrument was enlarged in 1998
     with  2 bells made by Eijsbouts    
   Prior history:
     In 1964, the instrument was begun with 48 bells
       by Eijsbouts   
       Pitch of heaviest bell was F  in the middle octave
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    C G   
       There was one missing bass semitone
     In 1928, a complete instrument of 35 bells was installed
       with bells made by Michiels    
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was A# in the middle octave
       Transposition was up 10 semitone(s)
       Keyboard range was:     C C   /    C F   
       There were two missing bass semitones
     In 17__, the instrument was enlarged to 41 bells
       by unknown makers
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
       Pitch of heaviest bell was unknown
     In 1715, the instrument was begun with 37 bells
       by the maker cited in Remarks above
       (0 bells remain from that work.)
   Auxiliary mechanisms: E     
   Tower details not available
   Year of latest technical information source is 2014

The Website for this carillon is in Dutch; there is a detailed history, photos, etc.

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 unknown bellfoundries, in this region and in the world.
Where the third phase of this work lies in the sequence of output of the Michiels bellfoundry, in this region and in the world.
Where the fourth 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.

Index to all traditional carillons in BE.

Index to all tower bell instruments in BE/Vlaams-Brabant.

   This page was built from the database on  5-Nov-23
   based on textual data last updated on 2014/02/24
   and on technical data last updated on 2014/04/24