From http://worldradio.ch

The alphorn is a traditional Swiss instrument that looks sort of like a mix between a saxophone and a didgeridoo.It has a rich history in the country. It was once used by people to communicate with each other over mountains. But now it is used for making music and entertaining the masses or at least some tourists. As World Radio Switzerland’s Alex Helmick found out when he caught some alphorn players in action.

In the mountains just outside of Fribourg, players with the Alphorn Academy are, pardon the expression, tooting their own horn. They are playing for a group of tourists at one of the mountainside hotels. The academy takes in all players. So you have some beginners and some people who know what they are doing with this massive instrument.

Francis Scherly is the director and founder of the academy.

FRANCIS SCHERLY: We are not acting on a commercial bases. We want a real interest and enthusiasm of cooperation. We want to develop also friendship, not only technical practicing of an instrument.

About 30 people are in this year’s summer alphorn class. They’ll spend four hours a day for one week learning the ins and outs of the Swiss tradition.

Today, they are on a remote mountainside showcasing their skills to tourist at an outdoor hotel restaurant.

It’s an instrument that gives me goose pimples.

ALAN ETHERINGTON: It’s an instrument that gives me goose pimples.

That’s Alan Ettherington. He’s one of the students.

HELMICK: Now wait a minute. Why does this big, intimidating instrument give you goose pimples?

ETHERINGTON: Fantastic sound. It’s a pure sound. It’s a natural sound.

And Etherington knows a bit about music. He was in the pre-Rolling Stones band Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys with Mick Jagger.

ETHERINGTON: I carried on my studies and decided to work. Whereas, he went on to make music with Keith Richards, Brian Jones, the lot.

HELMICK: They’ll never make it, those guys.

ETHERINGTON: No, no, never. Well not with the alphorn anyway.

Today, Etherington had a busted lip so he wasn’t able to play.

But not even 6,000 thousand kilometers could keep Tobi Cisin from playing. She’s been coming to Switzerland from the United States for the last five years just for the Alphorn Academy.

TOBI CISIN: I play horn in orchestra. And I am interested in other horns, and I was curious about the alphorn. And I was helped by some people in the Swiss embassy in Washington, D.C.

During the half-hour performance, academy director Scherly sits watching sort of like a proud papa, if you will. This school is one of his babies, and he wants to be clear— the alphorn is not what you might think.

HELMICK: So everybody can get involved with the alphorn? It’s not just the old man in his lederhosen on the mountain?

SCHERLY: Absolutely not. That is finished. You should absolutely cancel these traditional images I would say. No, no,no,no. It’s not a single instrument like others. It is bringing some feelings, something very special.

The show ends just as Scherly had said with cooperation and participation from the audience. Alphornists—alphorning and tourists—singing.

by Alex Helmick, World Radio Switzerland in Chatel St. Denis, just outside of Fribourg.