Frank Steijns Offers 5000 Euros Reward For The BellsWednesday, January 6, 2010
Reward: 5000 Euros For The BellsFrank Steijns: "This bronze is difficult to sell, it has 'Signatures' of the maker."
Frank Steijns, the City Carillon Player, has offered a reward of 5000 Euros to the person who returns the stolen bells of his carillon. On December 22, the 41 bronze bells from the mobile carillon of Frank Steijns were stolen from a storage shed of the company Shurgard in Maastricht. The theft attracted a lot of media attention, but there are still no results.
"I've lost hope that the thieves would have a change of heart and return the bells," says Steijns. "At least I would like to know where the bells are". He now knows that the thieves encountered the carillon by chance, because that day ten other storage boxes were broken into, confirmed the police, but, they would not make any further comment. Steijns says that the Justice Department still has the camera images of Shurgard's and will not release them, all in the interest of the investigation.
The carillon player has heard from reliable sources that the bronze of the bells is very traceable. "It almost contains like a true signature of the maker. Aside from the copper and tin, there are also other metals mixed throughout. Because of that, the bells are difficult to sell without running a risk."
To date not one smelting house has reported that the bells were offered to them. "Therefore I have offered a Reward of 5000 Euros to the person who returns the bells and hammers intact.That is the maximum value of the molten bells. "The bronze bells when molten are only worth 500 euros to Steijns.
Amongst other things, Steijns made concert tours with André Rieu and the Water Procession on the River Mass with the Mobile Carillon.
Will there be a new Mobile Carillon? "Several people have indicated they want to help, but there is nothing concrete yet." For now Steijns had to cancel twenty concerts. "Even if I get new bells, I cannot perform before May. This is a significant revenue loss, but that I find not to be too important. Most of all I want to know what happened to the bells. That, in the meantime has become the primary question for me."
Thanks to John for finding and Translating this for us!
3 comments:
I so hope someone comes forward with some information about the location of the bells. What a terrible thing to happen to such a nice guy. Thanks for keeping us updated John.
Kay
It is so sad to hear of this loss. I had the great pleasure of sitting in the front row at Andre's concert in Cleveland in 2006 with those bells directly in front of me. I was facinated watching how they worked as Frank played. I sincerely hope he is able to get them back.
Eileen
I also sat in the front row at several concerts where Frank played the portable carillon.
My husband often tells people about the "duel" between Frank on the bells and Marcel Falize on the xylophone playing "Cirkus Renz" -- faster and faster. His very favorite number of them all.
Last April in Reading, PA, Frank was at the hotel desk arranging a limo to the Philly Airport to fly home a day early to perform with those wonderful bells at a concert in Holland.
Makes me ill thinking and hearing about it. Did you read that he has had to cancel 20 concerts? So sad!
Laurie
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