teacherCanada

This is my first time on Fodor's.
I am escorting 31 students aged 15-18 through Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, Venice, Lucerne and Koblenz from March 9 - 23, 2006. We travel by coach. We spend 2 nights in Lucerne. I promised the group we would try to get yodelling lessons while in Lucerne. We do a day trip to Interlaken and Grindewald. Our itinerary is arranged. Any suggestions for a tolerant, understanding yodelling instructor for a 30 minute lesson?

kleeblatt

Hello Teacher,

What a wonderful idea! Since you have 31 students, your 30 minute jodelling lesson will really have to be basic. What I would do is contact Stadtkeller in Lucerne and see if one of the folklore entertainers can give you a 30 min. lesson before or after seeing a show. Here's the address: http://www.stadtkeller.ch/folklore_home/index.php

Good luck with your trip! Tschüss!

kappa

Better keep in mind Stadtkeller is pretty expensive. CHF 50 - 60 for 3-course lunch menu and their drink show is about CHF 35 pp. Perhaps not the budget for students' travel. Still worth a try. The husky voiced lady Claire might be able to help you. Will you do Interlaken/Grindelwald excursion by motorcoach? If it is still to be arranged, perhaps you want to consider Motorcoach company Grindelwald bus. It has this unique "Yodel Singing Driver", Hans or Tom, I forget his name. If you can arrange a coach with them, specifically with this singing driver, this might work. However if you are using a through coach from Czech or Austria (usually much cheaper than Swiss coaches), Oh, well...

http://www.grindelwaldbus.ch/
Their site is only in German but you can send e-mail to them in English.

kappa

Oh, I just noticed the dates of your travel. Stadtkeller does not do Swiss folk show untill the end of March. Funny but they usually play jazz from end of October to end of March.

kleeblatt

Sorry Teacher, I didn't realize that Stadtkeller only had folklore evenings during the summer months.

In that case, why don't you contact the Lucerne tourist board and ask them if they can recommend someone? I know jodelers in my area but that is about 40 min. away from Lucerne.

I would also ask the tourist board if they know of any local folklore concerts. This would encompass jodeling and swiss music, maybe even dancing! There are also sometimes jodel masses at the local churches. I get tears in my eyes whenever I go to one.

I personally don't understand why the tourist board doesn't advertise these kind of concerts more. They represent the true culture of Switzerland.

P.S. Alphorn Stocker makes alphorns in Kriens, a town near Lucerne.

teacherCanada

Wow! What a great response. Fodor's may become my main source of really useful information. We will have the same coach for 15 days. It is from CZ and we will have a Czech driver (who likely won't be a yodeller). Thanks for the notion about the singing driver. The Stadkeller option sounds good. I will contact them. You never know who is available. We do have a 2 hour walking tour of Lucerne already arranged. I will contact that company and see if they know of anyone with a golden throat. I will also check out the location of Kriens to see if we can visit that alphorn factory.

Pegontheroad

Schuler,

Yodeling Masses in Switzerland! That is so fabulous! I have attended a couple of Masses in Hawaii where there was wonderful hula dancing (very beautiful, no grass skirts or anything corny!), but I never imagined there could be a yodeling Mass.

Pegontheroad

Schuler,

Now that I've posted the above response, it has occurred to me that since I'll be in Mittel Europa this summer I may be able to attend a yodeling Mass. You said that you've attended them in your area. Where would that be?

teacherCanada

Thanks to all, especially schuler for the good leads. I have emailed Stadtkeller with questions about a yodeller. I have also emailed Alphorn Stocker to see if we can visit their factory and workshop. I am sure to have more questions.