Carillon

In 1660, the New Church received its first chimes. It started with a series of thirty-six bells divided into three octaves. The heaviest one weighed as much as 3410 kilos. Bell-founder Francois Hemony cast them from the remains (the 'bell paste') of the chimes from the town hall. It was badly damaged in a fire in 1618.

Several additions to Francois Hemony's chimes followed later, including by his brother Pieter. The brothers were known for the pure tuning of their carillons. It was only after three hundred years that the first twenty impure bells had to be replaced. The world's largest bell foundry Royal Eijsbouts cast the bells in the old profile, and also made ten more. After this, the number stood at 48, with a range of four octaves. The old bells are on display in the tower.

Besides a series of summer evening concerts and on request at weddings in the city hall, the city carillonneur plays the carillon on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 11am to 12pm. At the same time, he also plays on Thursdays; market day, as it already happened when the bells still hung in the town hall.