The NJ Alphorn Ensemble performed at the international bike race in Basking Ridge, NJ which was sponsored by Ricola. Check out the video of this unusual event of a combination of Alphorn music and bike racing. The racers cycled for 40 laps around the town, and every time they raced by, we played a song on the Alphorn. We were as exhausted as the racers and we also counted the laps! We play Amazing Grace on the video.

Alphorn performance at bike race

or on YouTube

This is the season of street festivals. If you play the Alphorn solo or in a group, try to register to perform at a streetfestival. This is a lot of fun, and people are curious what in the world we are playing. This will make the Alphorn more familiar with Americans, and for some it is their heritage.

We will post soon some photographs here from streetfestivals in New Jersey where the New Jersey Alphorn Ensemble is performing.

The Alphorn Society performed for Dr. Ruth’s 80 birthday in July 2008. Dr. Ruth Westheimer loves the Alphorn, and invited two Alphorn players to perform at her celebration. She loves Alphorn music, and she had a special wish for a song: ‘es Buurebuebli’. An arrangement was done for this song on Alphorn, all in high notes, and the Alphorn players really went to their limits to fullfill her wish. And she was happy! See the newspaper article.

Members of the International Alphorn Society in New Jersey, USA performed at a street fair in Westfield, NJ and played the song “Kein schoener Land”. Please listen to the recording of this song played on four Alphorns at that street fair.

Kein Schoener Land

For more Alphorn music and CDs visit
Alphorn music on CDs

Last Wednesday we started to play our holiday music arrangements for Alphorns so that we will be prepared for the holiday season when we go out to perform these Funny Christmas Songs. Our repertoire includes songs like Christmas Jingle Bells or Christmas Silent Night. Yes, we play it on Alphorns, the longest horns in the world! We have a lot of fun! Please  watch us rehearse the Christmas jingle bells song, it is not yet perfect, but we still have some time.

Four Alphorn players from the NJWA Alphorn Ensemble went on a tour to Switzerland three years ago. We visited Zurich, Oensingen, Bern, Gruyere, Montreux, Lausanne, Gstaad, Luzern, and Wohlhusen, and were invited to perform at three concerts in Oensingen, Gstaad and Wohlhusen.

Enclosed is a picture from the concert in Oensingen:

Welcome to the American Alphorn Society. This is a sub-society of the International Alphorn Society founded on Oct 1, 2003 in New Jersey, USA. We are a group 6 Alphorn players in New Jersey who fell in love with this instrument. Please visist www.alphorninternational.com and www.alphornusa.com for more information.

We would like to hear from all fellow Alphorn players in the US. Please send us your post.