Carillon Concerts
Weekly on Saturday afternoons at 2 pm.
Carillonneur Ludo Geloen plays songs of the past and present. Very often the concert is linked to an event, an artist in the spotlight or a certain theme.
The carillon of Ypres is a dynamic instrument that moves with the times.
See the overview of the carillon concerts
Visit the carillon
You can always visit the carillon through the In Flanders Fields Museum. With a charge of 2 euro per person you can visit the belfry tower.
On closing days of the In Flanders Fields Museum, you cannot visit the carillon.
From the top of the belfry you have a panoramic view of Ypres and the Westhoek.
History of the carillon
Medieval bells
The Ypres Carillon has a long history behind it.
In 1230, the construction of the Cloth Halls with a Belfry began in Ypres. Fifty years later, at least two bells hang in the tower: a town bell and a "werckclocke. The latter chimes the beginning and end of the working day. In 1609, the Belfry received a manual carillon as we know it today: bells connected to a baton keyboard. Augustyn de Saint-Obert from the northern French town of Cambrai is the very first Ypres city carillonneur. In subsequent centuries, the carillon receives additional bells and a playing drum that allows the chimes to play automatically.
Restoration of the carillon
In 1909, the carillon is in need of restoration. The Ypres city council orders a carillon of 35 bells. The new carillon does not last long. In November 1914 the Cloth Hall and the Belfry go up in flames. During the rebuilding of the Belfry, city architect Jules Coomans takes into account the installation of a carillon. The official inauguration follows on July 29, 1934, in the presence of King Leopold III.For the millennium celebration of Ypres in 1962, the City Council decides to move the carillon to the third floor of the Belfry and build it into a full instrument with 49 bells. The solemn inauguration of the renewed carillon takes place on July 14, 1963.
The bells in the belfry tower gave the hourly chime, preceded by a melody. The number of bells increased steadily over the centuries but the quality left much to be desired.
As recently as 2012, the carillon was completely restored.
In addition to the live sounds of the Ypres carillon, you can hear recordings of five other peace carillons from around the world.
- Loughborough Carillon & War Memorial (Queen's Park, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK)
- The War Memorial Carillon Cape Town (City Hall, Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, South Africa)
- The Peace Tower Carillon (Parliament, Ottawa, Canada) ,
- The University of Sydney War Memorial Carillon (Sydney, Australia), Carillon of the Central Library Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Mgr.Ladeuzeplein, Leuven)
- The Wellington War Memorial and Carillon (Wellington, New Zealand) Bathurst's War Memorial Carillon (Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia)
Carillonneur Ludo Geloen
He received his musical training in the 1980s at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent and obtained first prizes for organ and writing.
As a composer , he received several prizes: Utrecht, National Choral Composition Competition in Leuven, BAP Prize in Ghent. His works are performed and published at home and abroad (last year in Paris, London and New York...).
As an organist and carillonneur , he performs at home and abroad (the Netherlands, France, Germany, Luxembourg, England, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Ireland and Russia).
In 1997 he founded the Orgelkring 'Organum Yprense' vzw and was artistic director of the 'Diksmuidse Orgelkring' vzw from 2001 to 2022.
At the Royal Carillon School 'Jef Denyn' in Mechelen he obtained the Laureate Diploma for carillon playing in 1998.
He made 3 organ CDs and participated in recordings for radio (RTBF 3 & Klara, Radio Flevoland) and television (TV 1 & New Zealand). In 2009 he was awarded the Culture Prize in Ypres.
