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Yodelling fans sing its praises at national festival

Yodellers
Keystone

Over 100,000 visitors flocked to the sound-filled Federal Yodelling Festival held in Davos, canton Graubunden. The organisers had their expectations surpassed, as they had only expected 80,000 people to turn out for the four-day event, which ended on Sunday.

Aside from an abundance of the traditional Swiss form of singing, numerous musicians performed on the alphorn and elaborate flag throwing displays were staged.

Over 360 yodelling groups, more than 300 yodelling formations such as quartets or duets and nearly 30 young yodelling collectives performed.

Alain Berset, the Swiss interior minister, speaking in the closing ceremony said that it would be good for the country “if more people yodelled”. Berset added that it was sometimes better to be “yodelling than googling”.

On Sunday, the festival’s final day, 5500 yodelling fans filled the outdoor arena to watch the last events.

9000 people actively participated in the festival, including groups from abroad, some coming from as far afield as Japan.

In 2014 the large national celebration of yodelling was held for the 29th time.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR