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Video duration: 5 min
Belgium: a school of bell ringers trains the carillonneurs of tomorrow
The city of Mechelen, Belgium, is the capital of the carillon. A rare instrument, the very first carillonneur school in the world was founded in this Flemish city.
(France 2)
The city of Mechelen, Belgium, is the capital of the carillon. A rare instrument, the very first carillonneur school in the world was founded in this Flemish city.
In the past, in a small Flemish town in Belgium, the carillon only sounded on religious holidays and market days. Today, residents of Mechelen hear it more often.
Anne, a 24-year-old Canadian, took a sabbatical year to come to Belgium to improve her skills on the carillon. The course is given on a keyboard connected to 49 bells by Eddy, a professional carillonneur. “You have to be very precise, know how to play with the notes and accentuate them so that it doesn’t become too cacophonous”explains Eddy Marien, professor at the royal carillon school in Mechelen.
A pleasure for all
Most carillon lessons take place at the bottom of the bell tower in the city, as the top only has two places. Last year the school celebrated its hundredth anniversary. Every year, 85 students from all over the world come to study there. For the youngest, learning takes place on a chime without a bell, suitable for children. In Mechelen, students are allowed to play in the belfry for a maximum of four hours a day, so that the sound of the bells remains a pleasure for everyone.
