The Germans took off with the heaviest bells during the war, but the Roman Catholic Raalte did not allow itself to be belittled. At the top of the Basilica of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a mighty carillon has been standing for decades now. Carillonneur Henk Veldman plays ABBA’s ‘Happy new year’. “This brings joy in the corona time.”
Energetic and smiling, carillonneur Henk Veldman climbs the 79 meter high tower of the Raalter basilica for the first time in the new year. “Always a special feeling,” he says as he enters his own world via the stairwell. “And now very special, because it is the first game of the year.”
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cheerful mood
He translates his cheerful mood into cheerful sounds that spread from the tower over Raalte and part of Salland. So with ABBA, but also the Radetzky Marsch by Johann Strauss. “This is wonderfully light”, he says between playing. “I’m always so happy it’s oliebollen time again. Then I can play this again.”
Veldman gets a lot of response to his cheerful notes. Vicar Ronald Cornelissen of the vicariate Deventer listens under the tower and beams. “This brings joy and cheerfulness, especially in the corona time. ABBA and happy new year, that is very appropriate. I think it is very beautiful.”
In fact, we carillonneurs have been quarantined for centuries.
In this time of corona, carillonneur Veldman notices that he is being called upon more often. “We are the only artists who can safely do our work high in the tower. There is a great demand for culture that can continue. In fact, we carillonneurs have been quarantined for centuries. With a safe playing, because the public is on the ground.”
For the new year, Veldman has the heartfelt wish that his game will be able to link up more with events in the village of Raalte. He mentions Ribs en Blues and Stöppelhaene as examples: “The best thing is to play when the village is moving. It’s great to join in. I call it crossovers. Let’s see that it continues again this year.”
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