Jacob Van Eyck

Jacob van Eyck (ca. 1590-1657)
is one of the most colourful musical personalities from the golden age of the Netherlands. The contemporary of Rembrandt was blind from birth and became, despite his handicap, one of the most internationally sought-after bell experts of his time. Van Eyck worked from 1625 until his death as a musician for carillons and flute in Utrecht. He played the bells of the churches and the town hall, and had general oversight of all the city’s bells. His services included the concerts at St. Janskerkhof. Here he enjoyed the listeners with recorder music, whose virtuosity and variability were unprecedented for his time.
Van Eyck wrote over 150 compositions for recorder, which he published in three volumes of the “Fluyten-Lusthof” in Amsterdam. These volumes contain above all variations of songs and psalms, which were popular in the Netherlands at that time.
Van Eyck died in Utrecht in 1657.