Towards Victory

The Hague’s city carillonneur Gijsbert Kok performs on the carillon of the Grote Kerk. A concert without walls or stage lights: the historic centre of The Hague itself becomes the concert hall.

The carillon is one of the city’s oldest musical traditions. Since 1424, bells have sounded from the Haagse Toren: first as a signal marking time, and later increasingly as a concert instrument. As you walk through the city, it’s easy to let the music drift by. But if you pause for a moment and listen, you’ll hear how Kok shapes a musical narrative with timing, dynamics and a keen sense of space: every bit as compelling as a pianist at the keyboard.

For the Day of the Composer, he has curated a programme of recent works for his instrument. Alongside music by Badings, Franken and Morimoto, the programme features composers closely connected to The Hague. Gilius van Bergeijk, Cornelis de Bondt and Roel van Oosten all have strong ties to the city; Van Bergeijk and De Bondt were also leading composition teachers at the Royal Conservatoire.

Listening tip: head to the Nutstuin at the Nutshuis (entrance on Jan Hendrikstraat). Here, the city noise fades away and the carillon can be heard at its finest.