Bells of Cape Town Will Ring Again at André Rieu's Concert

FORGOTTEN BELLS OF CAPE TOWN WILL RING AGAIN, thanks to Steijns

The city of Weert and its committee of carillon players "adopts" the carillon of the South African Town.
In the city of Weert (Limburg town) restoration is in full swing on the Cape Town carillon. Carillon player Steijns intends to play the bells when Rieu performs in Cape Town in March 2011.
"The Cape Town bells will be played during Rieu's concert" according to the the South African newspaper "Die Burger" of last May. During that month the Carillon player from Weert along with André Rieu and other staff members visited Cape Town in preparation for an open air concert in March 2011. And during that visit Steijns "discovered" the forgotten bells in the Town Hall. "The carillon had been neglected for many years. By improvising and using some wires, I was able to connect the clappers to the keyboard and was able to play the instrument". During the concert clapper wires broke again, so a complete restoration is needed to make the instrument playable. The carillon with its 39 bells was constructed in 1923 as a tribute to the South African soldiers who died during the First World War (1914-1918). "It might be because of this association that people on the square were crying when they heard the bells being played again", said Steijns.
"During our performance with Rieu next year March, I would love to play the bells, the way I did a few years ago as carillon player on the Vrijthof".
Once back in Weert, Steijns managed to get the carillon committee enthusiastic about his plans. "We have experience in Weert in repairing carillons with dyneema rope, a tough polyethylene from DSM, a strong kind of fiberglass. With that we can most likely restore the Cape Town Carillon. But the costs are high, about 15,000 Euros.
Hub Kremers, member the church council, and on behalf of the carillon committee thinks that the Weert support for Cape Town could evolve into a city bond. "That could be a nice promotion for the city of Weert".

Thanks to Ineke for translating and sending this to us