Mountain Music

All is well in the valley...

Recently we were at a beautiful wedding and had the privilege to see and hear these. Do you know what they are?
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Used by mountain dwellers in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe, the Alphorn is produced to play in a specific key signature. Alphorns have no valves and are played simply by blowing into the instrument. The full range of the horn is several octaves. When they are played, the notes are produced strictly by lip control.

Collections of alpine myths and legends suggest that alphorn instruments were frequently used as signal instruments in village communities since medieval times and earlier. Long ago instruments in the mountainous regions of the Alps were used for signaling and to announce daily activities. Since ancient times the alphorn was sounded as a part of the daily activities of the shepherds and cowherds of these mountain people. The horn was used to calm the dairy cow at milking time. It was the twilight signal for the flocks of sheep to settle in for the night as the shepherds exchanged rustic melodies across the valleys. Such melodies became ritual signals for "all is well in the valley" and were passed down from generation to generation. The sound of the alphorn called people to gather for council and the men to gather for war. To this day, alphorn music is enjoyed throughout the mountainous regions of the world.*

Music is the universal language of mankind.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Alison
*this information comes from here