A WELCOME TO THE WEBSITE OF ALMKERK INSTRUMENTS BUILDING (AIB).

As any musician a carillonneur needs to practise. There is only one problem: he can’t take his instrument home and practising in the tower might make the people crazy. This is the reason that most Dutch carillonneurs have a carillon practise keyboard at their home. In this study keyboards there are no real bells; the keys are connected to little hammers touching metal strips.

In earlier times  the carillon foundries were the only ones that made carillon study keyboards. But around 1970 Mr. Peter Bakker, Professor at the Netherlands Carillon School and town carillonneur of Nijkerk, developed the idea to build study keyboards on his own, following improved principles.On his turn Mr. Ger Menkveld from Soest (later Amersfoort) improved several elements of the so-called Bakker study keyboard, especiallly in relation to the sounds: below the sounding bars he used tone cells.

My first experiments in the field of building study keyboards has to be considered in the light of all these previous changes and improvements.   They were based on an old Van Bergen carillon keyboard, found in the attic of the Netherlands Carillon School; originally a tower keyboard, it was made by me to a study keyboard.  My basic construction principles as used in this keyboard can be seen in all my keyboards: steel and oak.

One of my carillon study keyboards functions for several years on the Netherlands Carillon School Amersfoort. It is played day in day out. Another keyboard can be found at the Heiligenkreuz cloister in the Austrian Vienna woods (advisor: Arie Abbenes).

The measurements in my keyboards are according the historic developments; they fit the newer opinions. The sound system follows Menkveld; the springs are adapted to an adjustable  environment. The result is a good working, contemporary carillon study keyboard.

Developments will go on; Please look at my site for all developments in this field!

aib@almkerk.com