Because of the grey weather outside, I will forward an article that I translated last year, which has nothing to do with utilitary cycling, but which may produce a smile.
I have posted it before in another cycling list and therefore I add 2 clues.
I hope this article appeals to some of the music-minded among you. I found the article in the Dutch magazine 'Fietser' (formerly Vogelvrije Fietser, meaning both 'free as a bird and outlawed).
Crescendo from the Groningen village Opende is not an ordinary village- fanfare, but it is Dutch' best known bicycle-fanfare. Past October the Groninger musicians toured for the third time in Japan for a month. Cycling and blowing at the same time, that is not easy.
The village fanfare Crescendo from the Groninger Opende, founded in 1922 wanted to do something different after 50 years. In a local pub on a languid Sunday afternoon, the idea crystallized to transport themselves by bicycle, inspired by the famous 'Wielrijdersregiment' (Bicycle-regiment) from the Dutch army. Secraterian Ytsen van de Velde, who plays the sousaphone in Crescendo remembers that day as if it were yesterday ;On April 1, 1973 we have just tried it on a quiet dirt road. First only with windinstruments, later we also needed a drum. On the evening of the 'night of Assen' at the start of the TT-motorraces we would have our first public event. The figures we had to ride we had already studied on the big square in Opende. However, the square in Assen was a lot smaller. A girl with a xylophone on the steer bumped into atraffic sign. Yet, it was a big success. After the first appearance, many an organizing committee said: "We want to have them here too!"
According to tenor-saxophone player 'Greetje Nieuwland her instrument is the most difficult to be played while cycling. It really took a long time before we could participate, they had to develop a special bike for us. They designed a steering wheel that has been sawed at one end, so that there is enough space for the saxophone. At the other side, where there is normally a handle, there is bow (?) leading up in which I put my elbow. By pulling and pushing I can steer. It's only possible to go round counterclockwise. If there are very small squares, you really have to be careful that the steer doesn't collapse. Brigitta Willemse plays the 'bugel'. That is a lot easier than the saxophone, since you only play with one hand, so steering becomes easier. In the beginning it was quite scary. You cycle a lot closer to each other than you do normally and you need to cycle and blow at the same time. When I just had joined the fanfare, I almost bumped into a wall. I could jump off my bike just in time.
Crescendo employs a choreographer for the shows. He invents the figures that are ridden. Ytsen van de Velde: We sometimes have to cross in 4 rows at the same time and play too. That is really spectacular and not entirely without any danger. The acrobatic musicians regularly have accidents: a conductor fell, a female saxophone player flew over her steer and fell in the sand. In a German hilly area a fanfare-member flew down with a defect brake. And this year we had a performance during the carnival in Du"sseldorf. Peter de Vries, hornplayer and the youngest member at only 14 years: That was really tough because all those tramtracks on the road over which we had to cycle obliquely. Furthermore a lot of people were standing on the street. Some of them even threw beertins. Then you got another beertin on your head or just besides you. The beertins were really flying around your ears!"
There are more young boys and girls from Peters secondary school that are members of the show-orchestra They all wanted to go to the Dutch Nagasaki Village in Japan, where the bicycle-fanfare orchestra performed in October for the 3rd time during a month. This was no fun-trip: we had to perform 4 to 6 ttimes a day, and that for 6 days in a week. Greetje Nieuwland: "It is a lot of organizing before you can leave for a month. Our employers support us, that is really unique. I'm working as a nurse. Because of the music I don't fuss about irregular work-duties. If I need some extra days, I can ask for them. It is a hobby that takes a lot of time. But somebody who is making music while cycling, that is a touch of genius, isn't it!
I hope you enjoyed this...
Yvonne van den Hork
Wageningen, Nederland