Come blow your horn
Why did several hundred spectators make the cable car trip or trek up the mountainside to sit amongst the wildflowers 7200 feet above sea level and hear 100 folks blowing their horns? It was the perfect opportunity for another weekend getaway filled with alphorns, this time to the village of Nendaz. Nationalities represented in the alphorn competition included France, Austria, Italy, Germany, Canada and the USA, as well as Switzerland. Alphorn players bring the same love of Swiss traditions as are associated with Switzerland’s famed cheese and watch makers. There are 4,000 estimated alphorn players in Switzerland, When July rolls around, they host more than 150 alphorn instrumentalists: some compete, but all come to the festival ready to share their love of the mountains.
But wait there is more! solo and group alphorn performances were supplemented by folk dancers, yodelers, wrestlers, bell ringers and more. The soft sounds of hundreds of wooden Swiss alpine horns filled the valley below Switzerland’s as the world’s largest festival of its kind concluded after three days. The traditional instruments, “Alphorn” in German look like supersized smoking pipes. Over three meters long (9 feet) and built in several connecting pieces to make transport manageable, they are beloved by many Swiss for whom the somber tones conjure images of snow-topped mountain peaks swirling in the clouds. The horns have been used by mountain dwellers are commonly associated with the traditional Swiss agrarian culture that dominates the country’s Alpine hinterlands. They were used historically by herders in the evening, when their resonating sounds that carry for miles seem to usher in the falling dusk. “It is magic because the sound of the alphorn is really catching, it deeply moves you, it gives you chills and when we are this many players, it is just beautiful,” said Jean-Yves Roulet, a participant.
Competitors, solo and in ensembles, vie for the rights to call themselves among the best alpine horn blowers in the world. About 200 men and women dressed in folk costumes blow fiercely into their instruments unite for the grand finale. The youngest participant was 11, while a third of the players were women See the video below. In neutral Switzerland, fairness is paramount, so the Nendaz judges are sequestered inside a tent where they cannot see who is playing, allowing them to score with impartiality. “It’s my hobby and it’s my passion. I’ve been playing since I was 12. My father passed it on to me.” “It’s a special, natural instrument and it’s important to play it with feeling. For me it’s really important that you are one: the instrument and yourself. “It’s the sound of the mountains.”
The hills are alive, I can hear them breathing
Marriage is like playing the French Horn.
It looks easy until you try it.
My neighbors are listening to great music.
Whether they like it or not.
Music is like candy.
It’s all pretty sweet you just need to throw away the wrappers.
A movie studio is casting roles for a documentary about classical musicians.
Tom Cruise says, “I’ll play the part of Mozart.”
Liam Neeson says, “I’ll make a great Beethoven.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger says, “I’ll be Bach.”
July 26th Birthdays
1964 – Sandra Bullock, 1956 – Dorothy Hamill, 1906 – Gracie Allen, 1946 – Helen Mirren
1943 – Mick Jagger, 1959 – Kevin Spacey, 1894 – Aldus Huxley, 1968 – Jason Stratham