Folk music in times of the pandemic

Aufg'horcht in Innsbruck - folk music conquers the city' is the name of the idea for an annual 'open-air folk musicians' meeting in Innsbruck's old town. Originally the 'Klangwolke' was conceived as a part of the programme following the awarding of the renowned 'Herma Haselsteiner Prize'. Young folk musicians met there every two years to present their skills to a jury of experts. It was a unique opportunity to make a name for themselves in the scene. The idea of a subsequent 'folk music cloud' in Innsbruck's city centre was born by the chairman of the Tyrolean Folk Music Association Peter Margreiter and his wife Sonja Steusloff-Margreiter.

The fact that last year neither the Haselsteiner Prize was awarded nor a folk music sound cloud resounded in the old town is due to the pandemic. Rien ne va plus' was the motto. That Peter Margreiter would give up his idea of bringing folk music directly to the people was out of the question. His roots in folk music are too strong, as he is also a member of the now internationally renowned Stubaier Freitagsmusig. Although, as he admits, "the organization of this year's action had to take place in a super fast pass". For a long time it was not really clear whether such events were allowed to be carried out at all. And if so, how.

But anyone who knows Peter Margreiter and his wife and comrade-in-arms Sonja knows that they both have perseverance and perfection. Within a few weeks, the program was put together, music groups invited, accommodations and performance venues organized. After all, 25 music groups with around 100 musicians accepted their invitation to Innsbruck. From 22 to 24 October the time had come.

THE GREENHOUSE AS THE DRIVING FORCE

Innsbruck's Treibhaus was chosen as the opening venue for this year's folk music festival. The Treibhaus tower proved to be an ideal performance venue for the folk music groups from three countries. And so the approximately 100 young musicians celebrated their personal triumph over the pandemic together with the visitors for one evening with the finest folk music and witty conferences by Theresa Frech and Peter Margreiter.

Saturday was then dedicated entirely to playing in the squares of Innsbruck. Visitors to the old town enjoyed real folk music from 11:00 to 17:00. Performed by folk music groups that have been among the winners of the Haselsteiner Prize in the past.

The performances in front of the Goldenes Dachl were not only interesting for tourists and passers-by. Several wedding parties - the registry office in the Goldenes Dachl is very popular - enjoyed the alpine music on this beautiful Saturday.

WHAT IS A RAFFELE?

The performance of a duo in the inner courtyard of the city tower had rarity value. Not only the instrument was quasi exotic. The musician was as well. The instrument was the original version of a zither, which is affectionately called 'Raffele' in Tyrol. I had honestly never heard of such an instrument before. The musician who made the original instrument sound was no less interesting. His name: Xaver Hernandez. The English teacher, originally from Spain and now living and working in South Tyrol, masters the Raffele to perfection as a musician. Just as he masters the instrument, he speaks an incredibly flawless South Tyrolean after only a few years of living in South Tyrol. Or should I say Meranese? In any case, it is a rare pleasure to listen to him narrate and play the raffle.

Another, in the meantime already historical performance location of 'Aufg'horcht' is the Annasäule in the Maria Theresienstraße. There was also dancing to the music.

And since folk music and inns represent a kind of historical symbiosis, the conclusion of Aufg'horcht took place again this year - routinely, so to speak - at Gasthof Bierstindl. "Just as inns have helped us folk musicians through the times of the pandemic", Peter Margreiter explains. Because larger performances were not possible in the times interrupted by lockdowns, many music groups preferred with some pleasure to accept invitations from inns and to perform there on a smaller scale. The fact that this year's event was once again a complete success strengthens him in the hope that next year we will be able to return to the normality of the Haselsteiner Prize and the subsequent performances in Innsbruck's old town.