Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Ring my bell

Bell ringing is a long standing tradition in Belgium – Dan Colwell hits the high notes in Ghent’s Belfort to find out more

In Le Plat Pays, Jacques Brel sang that the only mountains in Flanders were its great towers, such as the belfries of Bruges and Ghent. But they are an essential feature of the cultural landscape as well. Originally used in medieval times to toll out the hours and, in times of danger, as alarms, by the 16th century, carillon bells had become sophisticated musical instruments in their own right, played by famous carilloneurs (carillon derives from quadrillion, a set of four bells).

This long musical tradition is kept up every Friday morning at Ghent’s magnificent Belfort. Here modern-day carilloneur Jos d’Hollander gives a one-hour concert for the inhabitants of the city. I meet him just before the performance begins and we climb up to the top of the tower. Its 54 bells are mainly operated automatically by what appears to be a huge piano roll, but the system is now switched to manual.

Entering a small cabin, Jos takes his place at the carillon keyboard, a set of wooden pegs attached to metal pulleys that make it resemble a weaver’s loom as much as a piano.

I ask why this unusual form of music making is so important to him. “It’s an exciting and dynamic instrument to play,” he responds, adding that it’s also a democratic and, with him now caressing rather than whacking the pegs, the bells suddenly become imbued with the slow, sweet tone of the blues.

I ask whether there’s a body of music written specially for the carillon. He tells me there’s original music (he composes for it himself) and transcriptions. His favourite, though, is improvisation, which puts him in a direct lineage with one of music’s greatest geniuses. “You know, Mozart played here and would have improvised too,” he says.

Young people are still learning to play the carillon. There are currently 30 students at the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen, where Jos used to teach.

His son is now a professor there as well. I find the news curiously uplifting. This centuries-old tradition is clearly safe in Jos’s – and his successors’ – leather-protected hands.

Where to hear Belgian bells…

Appropriately enough for a country where carillon bells became such an integral part of the culture, Belgium has the highest density of active belfries in the world. Currently 29 of them appear on the UN World Heritage list and many have regular performances by the best carilloneurs in the land

Ghent
Jos d’Hollander puts the historic carillon at Ghent’s 13th-century Belfort through its paces every Friday morning between 11.30am and 12.30pm, while his son Geert plays on Sundays at the same time. In the summer, an international festival featuring carillon players from Belgium and abroad has concerts taking place every Saturday night at 9pm.

Melchelen
The centre of carillon music in Belgium is in Mechelen. Apart from being the home of the renowned Royal Carillon School, it also boasts the mighty 49-bell carillon of St Rombout’s Cathedral on the Grote Markt. One-hour performances by municipal carilloneur Jo Haazen, as well as students from the school, can be heard on Saturdays at 11.30am, Sundays at 3pm and Mondays at 11.30am.

Bruges
Until summer, Bruges’s medieval Belfort has concerts on Sundays between 2pm and 3pm, played by the city’s full-time carilloneur Frank Deleu.

Antwerp
The bells at Antwerp’s splendid Gothic cathedral ring out every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from noon to 1pm.

new years resolutions

How about making some resolutions that you’ll actually keep this year? Like treating yourself to a meal at either the upmarket Danny Horseele or the Michelin- starred restaurant ‘t Zilte, knocking your skin into shape with a course of Lotte Lanxe’s treatments, or taking a well-earned Spanish city break?

Malaga Hotel Picasso
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If you’re staying on the Costa del Sol, head straight for the Malaga Hotel Picasso. Whether you’re looking for a charming little bolthole, a city hotel, or somewhere right on the beach that’s also good for business travellers, this is it. And whether it’s leisure, golf, culture, a business break or just a holiday you’re after, there’s always a good reason to come and visit us. Services include online reservations, car and bicycle hire, and a booking service for local museums, theatres, the Alhambra and the Generalife in Granada. Rooms come complete with hairdryer, Internet, satellite television, telephone, mini bar and a safe.

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Restaurant ‘t Zilte
74 Martelaerenstraat, 2400 Mol, Belgium, tel.  Influential restaurant guide Gault Millau has awarded Viki Geunes this year’s prestigious Chef of the Year title. Self-taught chef Geunes, who studied industrial sciences, is one of the brightest gastronomic stars of the low countries. In his two Michelin-starred Restaurant ‘t Zilte, Geunes is constantly seeking out new taste sensations, contrasting unexpected structures, textures and flavours, while his wife Viviane offers immaculate service. Try their inventive smaaktendens menu or subtle à la carte creations. Best of all, the restaurant is conveniently located in Mol, an hour’s drive from Brussels.

Danny Horseele
Stationsweg 45C B-8380 Lissewege, Dudzele tel. , www.dannyhorseele.be Danny Horseele pursues culinary perfection in the grand polder plain 2km from the Belgian coast between Brugge and Lissewege. In his eponymous restaurant, situated in a farmhouse, you can opt for the a-la-carte menu with its choice of contemporary creations, choose the tasting menu featuring dishes using locally-sourced fresh produce or discover the all-inclusive lunch menu at €80 per person. Gastronomes will feel right at home in this charming eatery where exquisite food, an intimate ambience and great service combine to produce a superb dining experience.

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