A new carillon in the Church of the Holy Spirit
The Church of the Holy Spirit in Copenhagen has a new carillon, or “song work”, as it is also called. With its 49 bells we are talking about a fully chromatic built carillon, which means that it’s an instrument of bells containing all half notes in the four octaves of range. It is the first of its kind in Denmark. When the bell and carillon consultant Erik Kure from the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs had heard the bells at Eijsbouts in Holland, where they were cast, he wrote to the church council: "The sound of the bells is very beautiful with a warm and clear musical tone."
Each bell has the ornamentation of a dove flying downwards as a symbol for the Holy Spirit and carries the inscription: "Nu bede vi den Helligaand/ at sammenknytte os ved troens baand".(We pray the Holy Spirit to unite us by the ties of the Faith)
The first carillon of the Church of the Holy Spirit (with 19 singing bells) was donated by King Christian IV but it didn’t come in use until 1655. It was destroyed during the fire of Copenhagen in 1728. The previous carillon sounded for the first time in 1947. Because of the bad situation just after WW2 the 41 bells were unfortunately cast of such poor materials that they have been defect and out of order during the last 10 years.
The new carillon is donated by A. P. Møller and his wife Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond for general Purposes. The renovation of the inside of the tower, in order to carry the 14 tons that the bells weigh, was paid for by the head administration of churches in Copenhagen.

The installation was made by Thubalka in Vejle.
The new carillon was inaugurated by the Bishop of Copenhagen, Erik Normann Svendsen, at a Sunday service 26 January 2003. From then on it can be heard in connection with services and at special carillon recitals. Furthermore the automatic carillon will play chosen hymn melodies at full and half hours during the daytime. The tower also has new beautiful and more visible dials.
After the service on 26 January the church council held a reception in Helligaandshuset. Everyone was welcome to the service and the reception. It was a musically historic day for this church and for Strøget.

Niels Jørgen Cappelørn,
head of the carillon committee.

Translation by Ulla Laage