Today we spent the entire day at the Antwerp Zoo. Opened in 1843 it is the oldest zoo in Europe. Between meetings and concerts we had a chance to wander. It's a great zoo. The trees and gardens are all mature. The animal houses are all unique architecture.

We heard five presentations today. In the morning, the first was about the Bell Setters and Carillonists in Old Gdansk. The bells might have been lost to war, but we know who the ringers were and what they played. The research uncovered that the Bell Setter who managed the automatic clock work earned as much as the Kapelmeister. Another presentation filled in some unknowns about the bell foundry in Amsterdam in the eighteenth century and what carillons were cast.

In the afternoon we heard three short presentations. The first traced chimes and carillons installed in America between 1914 and 1918. The American foundries no longer exist, but their bells ring on. The second traced the fate of the bells of Zierikzee in the Netherlands. The last presented a biography of Geo Clement who was an active and respected carillonneur performer, composer and teacher in French-speaking Belgium during the mid twentieth century. He fell out of favor when he started promoting a Schulmerich "Americana" electronic carillon for the Brussels World's Fair. A complete edition of his compositions has just been published.

In the afternoon, we heard a unique concert on a portable carillon at the zoo. Two of our virtuosos dressed up as Mr. and Mrs Lion and performed animal related songs on the carillon along with guitar, accordion or keyboard. The children in the audience had a great time.

The second and last general meeting of the organization heard a report from the Polish guild. The guild reported that the next meeting will be in 2017 in Barcelona.

We heard a request from a member from Ireland living in Chicago. This year is the one hundredth anniversary of the Christmas eve when British and Germans left the trenches, sang Christmas carols and played football on Christmas Day. He is setting up a peace center at the St. Nicholas church near where that happened including a carillon. He is asking bellringers around the world
to note the anniversary on this Christmas eve by playing Silent Night and ringing bells at 19:14.

This is our last night in Antwerp. We heard concerts on two portable carillons the Polish brought with them. One concert was with a percussion ensemble, the other with a jazz sextet.

Time to pack Tomorrow, we're on the road. We spend the day in Leuven on our way to Bruges.