Yodelling really is an art form

As participants arrived from Ramallah and Edinburgh, from Vancouver and Beirut, from Dar es Salaam and the Hague they gathered at the back of the Heiliggeist Church in Bern and mingled over drinks and tasting Swiss cheese before the official welcoming speeches began.
Christine Lauterburg, a musician specialising in yodelling, encouraged people to move from the buffet to the pews by singing and playing her hand accordion, moving amongst the people. Her singing, accompanied on various instruments, punctuated the welcome speeches and led participants back to the buffet table at the end of the official greetings. It was glorious, unexpected and great fun adding just the right lightness of touch to the proceedings. Yodelling like this really show the human voice off like a musical instrument, it made us smile and lifted our spirits proving once more that folk music is great art.