De Ronde Van Vlanderen

A lovely sunny day developed for the start of the 100th Ronde Van Vlanderen last Sunday 3rd April and the historic Markt seemed totally full of bikes, supporters, spectators and of course, cyclists. Excitement was palpable, amplified by the accordion music and perhaps a guitar plus occasional strident singing launched from the temporary stage; all overlaid by the continuous, good-humoured, noisy commentary. The Ronde is a highly-regarded gruelling cycle race for professionals, starting in Brugge and finishing in Oudenaarde, 259 kilometres away. Between the two, in addition to the daunting distance, are three major hurdles to clear. The first is Koppenberg, a steeply cobbled climb; the second is the 2,200 kilometre ascent up Oude Kwaremont, the longest, paved climb in Belgium, and the third and most challenging is Paterburg, described as an absolute killer! That, too, is a steep, narrow, cobbled incline of 360 metres with the maximum gradient of 20.3%!

Cyclists were introduced and rode in single file across the temporary stage and gangway, approaching

via Steenstraat which was also lined with spectators; I could tell when it was a local favourite who swept by from the sudden activity on Smart-phone cameras and loud partisan cheers from onlookers. Knowing nothing and understanding nothing from the commentary did not prevent me from enjoying the spectacle and especially, the happy, involved atmosphere. Cafes and restaurants in the Markt overflowed and many spectators carried their own beer supply! Children were hoisted aloft shoulders to see and cheer local favourites and the sheer good-natured presence and commitment of the thousands there, was intoxicating and life-enhancing. A tonic indeed after the atrocities in Brussels and that anti-life message.

The Ronde was one hugely public, very important occasion in Brugge and indeed, in Belgium. Another

much quieter, more private procedure had occurred during the week before Easter. Frank Deleu, Carilloneur of Bruges, worked for hours with Paul Van den Abele, to do the biennial task of changing the music of the automatic carillon which plays every quarter of an hour. From the picture one can guess at the huge effort and amount of time needed to achieve this. Frank says the drum can be compared to a huge music box with pins that lift up hammers on the outside of the bells. The drum system pictured is from 1748 and is the biggest in the world still in action; it weighs 9 tons and there are 30,500 holes in which to programme the pins. What a work of genius is man!

The music for the next two years, chosen by Frank, features two WW1 songs from 1918: 'Till we meet again' and 'After the war is over '. Every quarter of an hour, past the hour, will come the Prologo from 'L'Orfeo' by Claudio Monteverdi. In 2017 it will be 450 years since Monteverdi was born. [Sacred moment!] Every half hour, Henri Kowalski's 'It Etait Un Fois' will be played; Kowalski died in 1916. And every quarter before the hour, will come 'Bouree 11' from 'Cello Suite no. 4 in Es by Johann Sebastian Bach. Frank asks, 'Why this? Because Bach is Bach!'

The sound of the carillon is familiar to Bruggelingen and indeed to residents of many other little Belgian towns and villages which have their own Belfort. To English ears, it is charming and joyful, reminiscent of musical boxes fashionable a century ago and so unlike the glorious music of church bells in England, also beloved of many. Until I had watched Frank Deleu playing the carillon in his eyrie, I had had no notion of the physical hard work and manual dexterity needed as well as the musical knowledge and the artistry required.

The belfry is a famous landmark in Brugge and was added to the market square around 1240 when Brugge was prospering as an important centre of the Flemish cloth industry. After a devastating fire in 1280 when all the Brugge archives were lost, the tower was largely re-built. The octagonal upper stage of the belfry was added between 1483 and 1487, and capped with a short-lived wooden spire, soon reduced to ashes and subsequently replaced by another which lasted for two and a half centuries till lost in another fire in 1741. The Gothic stone parapet was added in 1822.

The bells in the tower regulated the lives of the city dwellers, announcing the time, fire alarms, work hours, and a variety of social, political, and religious events. Eventually a mechanism ensured the regular sounding of certain bells, for example indicating the hour. The carillon appeared in the 16^th century after which the bells could be played by means of a hand keyboard. The first record of the employment of a carilloneur was in the 1604 accounts and his duties were to play songs during Sundays, holidays and market days. So Frank Deleu is the latest in a long line of proud carilloneurs
in a city which holds them in high esteem.