[1] The lower brick-built part was erected by the Edam mill maker (Master carpenter) Dirck Janzn.

The design for the lantern was made by Philips Vingboons, which may have originally been intended for the Town hall now the Royal Palace of Amsterdam.

During the first years, these Hemony bells were located in the Tower of the Kamper Town Hall, as the Nieuwe Toren hadn’t been finished yet.

As the town hall tower was unable to provide room for the largest bells, these were only added when the instrument finally was installed in the Nieuwe Toren, in 1663.

The added bass bells included three by Hemony, four by Geert van Wou (1481/’83) and one by Kiliaen Wegewaert (1627).

This addition of very large bass bells made the instrument an exceptionally heavy and low-sounding carillon.

About this brass drum in particular is known that the carillonneurs in the past have notated many opera melodies with names like Rossini, etc., even in the 19th century.

The entire oak structure needed to be replaced as the original beams had been severely damaged by the Death watch beetle.

Today the carillon of the Nieuwe Toren consists of 48 bells, on which music is performed twice a week by the current City Carillonneur Frans Haagen.