Alphorn Humor

Having a little fun.

Q: How many alphornists are killed each year by lightning?
A: Both of them.


Don't blame me if I miss a note, it's not my fault. It's the termites'.

Four horns, two keys

A rehearsal was held in the Storm Mountain Ampitheater. From left to right are: Gerald Pot, master alphorn builder from Switzerland; Bill Hopson, master alphorn builder from Vancouver, Canada; Brian Priebe, professional trombonist and alphornist from Washington, DC; and, on the far right is Tony Brazelton, retreat creator and alphornist from Salt Lake City, Utah.

The three on the left are playing alphorns in F#, while Tony is playing a horn tuned to F. You can imagine the interesting harmonies created by this combination.

Solitude?

Doesn't look like there is going to be much of it here. We are readying for a performance at the beautiful Solitude Ski Resort in Utah. The accommodations are A+, the food was extraordinary and the staff was on top of everything. I may (may, that is) take up skiing after visiting this wonderful spot.

Oh yes, the concert: we had about 25 alphorns play for an audience of about 50. It was terrific.

Brahms tribute to the Alpenhorn

While hiking the Rigi in Switzerland in 1868, Johannes Brahms heard a beautiful and haunting tune being played by a shepherd on the alpenhorn. He jotted the melody on a picture poscard and sent it to Clara Schumann from his hotel in the Tyrol. He used the melody in the last movement (finale) of his very first symphony.

Symphony No. 1 in C minor premiered in 1876.

This original postcard is on display is on display in a museum -soon as I find out where, I'll let you know.

It's Mr. Moose

Yes kiddies, I saw the Captain's friend at the Solitude resort in Utah. No, it did not rain ping pong balls.

Hey Rob!

How many alphorns can you fit into a Subaru?

Hornblast!

What a blast, literally. A gathering of twenty-three horns at the new Kenan Music building on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus Saturday. I couldn't resist hauling in the "wooden whistle" and running through a quartet with the group. Fantastic!

Thanks to Andrew McAfee and Tom Shaffer for organizing the event (and bringing quartets, octets, tentets, etc.).

Second Annual North American Alphorn Retreat

Looking forward to the Alphorn Retreat in the Rockies near Salt Lake City this week. Lots of playing and good information for the alphornist. Will get some pics and stories, and post them next week.

Am a little anxious about carrying the horn onto Delta Airlines. What the heck, playing alphorn is all about adventure!

Check it out: http://www.salzburgerecho.com/seminars.html

Welcome fellow fans of the alpenhorn

Guten Tag! Welcome and thanks for visiting my first ever blog. I'm a horn player (french horn to some) and am discovering the fun and fellowship of blowing the alphorn. The main photo was taken in the Alps near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany with my lovely and talented teacher, Elisabeth Heilmann-Reimche.