Alphorn goes classic - festive summer concert with brass and organ

Brass instruments and organ ring out brilliantly and surge with majesty. Their combined sound carries the audience into another realm entirely. Every concert-goer knows that moment: a reverent hush, and then this divine music rises - trumpet, trombone, organ and the resonance of the church space all in perfect harmony.

The summer trumpet gala at the pilgrimage church of Weggental in Rottenburg am Neckar has become a cherished concert tradition. On Sunday, 9 August 2026 at 18:00, the programme will be shaped for the first time by the renowned Swiss trio: Prof. Claude Rippas (Zurich) on trumpet/flugelhorn, John Loretan (Winterthur) on trombone/alphorn, and Dieter Hubov (Arbon) on organ. A highlight of the evening will be John Loretan's virtuoso playing on the alphorn - an instrument he has introduced to churches and concert halls across numerous performances in recent years, drawing unanimous praise from audiences and critics alike.

About the Weggental pilgrimage church: nestled in an idyllic landscape of gardens, orchards and fields, this pilgrimage site was built in 1682 in the Weggental valley on the edge of the historic episcopal city of Rottenburg am Neckar. The early Baroque architecture and the magnificent stucco work inside the church are considered particularly worth seeing. The pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows dates back to 1517, flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries, and draws pilgrims and worshippers to this day. The first chapel was consecrated in 1521; the present church was built between 1682 and 1695. A redesign followed at the end of the 19th century, and a renovation in the 1960s. In 2014, organ builder Thomas Jann from Laberweinting-Allkofen installed a new organ, with the specification designed by the retired cathedral organist of Rottenburg, Prof. Wolfram Rehfeldt.

Photo: Konzertbüro Joachim Jung