Ambäck & Ad-Höckeler

The secluded Muotatal valley turns out to be one of the most interesting regions in Switzerland in terms of music. Instrumentalists with a flair for invention developed their very own type of music around the dawn of the 20th century. The third show of the «Heimatklänge» (Sounds of home) series sees two groups come together who at first sight could hardly be more contrasting. The Ad-Höckeler have been inspired by the legendary Rees Gwerder and his formations, while Trio Ambäck features three incredible Swiss folk musicians who for years now have been going down the path less trodden as far as traditional music is concerned, and also demonstrate strong musical influences from Muotatal.

The multi-award-winning Ambäck Trio, Markus Flückiger, Andi Gabriel and Pirmin Huber, have such a command of the traditional repertoire, making them best placed to push its limits and weave their way in between traditional and contemporary folk music.

The Höckeler have a totally different approach to tradition. Around 40 years ago, Erich Schmidlin, Toni Stofer, Florentin Röthlin and Franz Graf came together to form «Höckeler-Musig», with aim of following in the footsteps of the legendary «Ländlerkapelle Rundum» and other authentic Muotathal musicians. The swinging «Rundum» style and special sound of Rees Gwerder have remained unique to this day. Two of the former «Höckeler-Musig» members, Stofer and Röthlin, are joining forces here with Albert Stähelin, Werni Amacher and Alois Gabriel on an ad-hoc basis to form the «Ad-Höckeler» and revive the unforgettable music of yesteryear. This concert promises the audience an entertaining night of high-quality folk music that strives to achieve more