Earplugs in and with four men at the same time manually beat the clapper against the clock. The carillonneurs in Echt-Susteren took on this challenge to have all church bells ring on Sunday according to a strict script.
The Klinkend Klare Klankenfestival is a relay race along five mini-concerts in five churches.
More than hobby
It is unbelievably small, clumsy and old up there in the basilica of Susteren. Fortunately, the four carillonneurs do not have to do this every Sunday. “We only climb into the tower at special moments,” says carillonneur Sjef Spiering. The carillonneur’s profession is more than a hobby. André van de Ven: “Usually everything goes well rhythmically, but we don’t actually see each other.”
bagpipes
“This takes me back to my youth. As a young man I was already hanging in the ropes of the church bell in Wijlre,” says Ad Gijzels of the Cultural Heritage Working Group. “Because we haven’t been able to organize anything in the past two years, the festival has only gotten bigger,” he says with satisfaction.
Tradition
In addition to music from ringing bells, there were also performances in the various churches from choirs to bagpipers and African percussion groups. Ad Gijzels: “Not everyone is happy with church bells that started ringing from Sunday morning, but I think we should honor this tradition.”