The Amazing Alphorn – Its History and Music will be presented from 1:30-3 pm Saturday, July 8, at the Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures. Dennis Edwards, a Fort Collins resident who lived in Germany for 30 years, will chronicle the history of the instrument as well as play excerpts from Swiss and German composers.
“The alphorn is an ancient instrument from the Swiss and German music tradition,” said Edwards. “My alphorn, made entirely of wood, was handcrafted by Herr Fritz Schuselle near the Black Forest region in southwest Germany.”
Prior to moving to Fort Collins in 2019, Edwards taught high school physics at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. He played the Waldhorn (French horn) in his town band, Mackenbach Musikverein 1883, and he performed with the Hofgassler Alphorn Ensemble of Homburg. During his college years, Edwards played the French horn with the University of Notre Dame Band.
Edwards has also performed in Switzerland and Colorado. As a member of the Estes Park Village Band, Edwards performed last August at the outdoor Performance Park in Estes Park. He was the featured alphorn soloist in the performance of Romantic Alphorn, a composition for alphorn and brass band by German composer Lothar Pelz.
Admission to the program is $5 per person, and reservations are required at globalvillagemuseum.org. The presentation is in conjunction with Deutschland Through Students’ Eyes in the Museum’s Main Gallery. The exhibit, which runs through July 22, is curated by German language students at Fort Collins High School.
The Global Village Museum is located at 200 West Mountain Avenue, and Museum hours are 11 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Regular admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, $1 for ages 4-15, and free for children three and under. Adult tours receive discounted admission of $3/person. For more information, visit globalvillagemuseum.org or call 970-221-4600.
The Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Our mission is to foster and celebrate international connections between Northern Colorado and the world through exhibits of folk art, fine arts, and artifacts from around the globe; and to provide international resources and educational opportunities