The Alphorn through the Eyes of the Classical Composer
Published by Vernon Press, 2020. Hardback, 336 pages, 192 illustrations: full colour photos, reproductions of artwork, music and music facsimiles.
The culmination of ten years of meticulous exploration of this unique, extensive and ground-breaking subject, via a PhD, reflecting how and why dozens of famous composers chose to incorporate references to the mountains with an alphorn call in their works.
"The music history books need to be rewritten"
"Painstaking methodology, sensitively conveyed"
"One of the most fascinating and thought-provoking musical publications of the decade"
£60 Through Vernon Press or through Amazon.
Uncle Ruedi's Alphorn
Softback, 39 pages, A4 landscape, bi-lingual English / German, large print. 17 beautiful full page original paintings by Swiss artist Silvia von Allmen: each painting illustrates one page of text.
A timeless story in English and German. A book for children, for the young at heart, and all who want to enjoy the simple story of the use of the alphorn in the mountains in times gone by. A young boy is finally allowed to go up into the mountains with his uncle to help look after the cows for the summer. There he discovers how the alphorn is part of the way of life there.
"Enchanting, beautifully crafted"
"Why has no-one written this book before? A real treasure"
"Sheer delight. I don't often feel homesick, but..."
"Oh, I love it! Especially the ending"
£10 + postage and packing - Please contact Frances
Adventures with my Alphorn
Soft cover, A4, 204 gloss pages, full of amusing, unexpected and extraordinary experiences, illustrated with copious photos, drawings and other artwork
Not an everyday instrument or an everyday musician, be prepared for something completely different! In "Adventures with my Alphorn" Frances takes you on an exciting, unique and ever-changing journey over 20 years with her alphorn. It all began with hearing a CD of alphorn music. She fell in love with the sound, taught herself to play the instrument and has invitations to perform with orchestras, groups of 100 other alphorn players in the middle of Swiss mountains, and events all over Britain and Europe, to Taiwan and even South America! Engagements include the Glastonbury Festival, the Olympics, the Chelsea Flower Show and the Lord Mayor’s Show, and appearances on TV and radio both in the UK and in Switzerland.
"Frances's enthusiasm for the alphorn never diminishes. A beautifully written and illustrated book, full of energy, joy and humour. What will she do next?"
£20 + postage and packing - Please contact Frances
Articles
Brahms Symphony No. 1: the Alphorn Melody
The Horn Player, Journal of the British Horn Society, Spring 2025 © Frances Jones 2024
Nature and the Alphorn
Analytic Approaches to Music Music and Nature, Volume 2, August 2023, pp.11–29 © Frances Jones 2023
Berlioz and the Alphorn
The Berlioz Society Bulletin, No. 216, August 2022, pp.19–30 © Frances Jones 2022
The Influence of the Christmas Pastorella on Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony
The Consort, Journal of the Dolmetsch Foundation, Volume 72, Summer 2016, pp.90–108 © Frances Jones 2016
The Alphorn and the Arts
Swiss Review, The Magazine for the Swiss Abroad, April 2016, Issue No.2 UK Page 3 © Frances Jones 2016
The Call of Nature: why do we respond when a composer uses an alphorn motif?
Double Reed News, Journal of the British Double Reed Society, No.113, Spring 2016, pp.22–25 © Frances Jones 2016
The Call of Nature: why do we respond when a composer uses an alphorn motif? (2)
The Horn Player, Journal of the British Horn Society, Volume 12 No.2, Autumn 2015, pp.31–34 © Frances Jones 2015
The Call of Nature: why do we respond when a composer uses an alphorn motif? (3)
The Horn Call, Journal of the International Horn Society, Volume 46 No.1, October 2015, pp.58–61 © Frances Jones 2015
Liszt and the Alphorn
The Liszt Society Journal, Volume 40, 2015, pp.19–32 © Frances Jones 2015
The Herdsman’s Horn in the Czech Pastorella
The Consort, Journal of The Dolmetsch Foundation, Volume 71, Summer 2015, pp.74–92 © Frances Jones 2015
From Alphorn to English Horn
Double Reed News, Journal of the British Double Reed Society, No.112, Autumn/Winter 2015, pp.12–17 © Frances Jones 2015
My day with the Bernese Mountain Dogs
Swiss review, The Magazine for the Swiss Abroad, April 2009, Issue No.2 UK Pages 4–5 © Frances Jones 2009
Leopold Mozart’s Alphorn Sinfonia and The Pastorella
The Consort, Journal of The Dolmetsch Foundation, Volume 65, Summer 2009, pp.78–94 © Frances Jones 2009
The Legacy of the Alphorn Part 1 (2)
The Horn Call, Journal of the International Horn Society, Volume 40 No.2, February 2010, pp.41–46 © Frances Jones 2010
The Legacy of the Alphorn Part 1
The Horn Player, Journal of the British Horn Society, Volume 6 No.2, Autumn 2009, pp.29–37 © Frances Jones 2009
The Legacy of the Alphorn Part 2
The Horn Player, Journal of the British Horn Society, Volume 6 No.1, Spring 2009, pp.24–31 © Frances Jones 2009
A Day in the Life of an Alphorn Player
Bernfax, Journal of the Southern Bernese Mountain Dog Club, Issue No.67, October 2008, pp.12–13 © Frances Jones 2008
The Day the Cows Came Alive … to the Sound of Moo-sic
Swiss Review, The Magazine for the Swiss Abroad, April 2007, Issue No.2, UK Pages 4–5 © Frances Jones 2007
The Alphorn: Revival of an Ancient Instrument
The Consort, Journal of The Dolmetsch Foundation, Volume 62, Summer 2006, pp.40–62 © Frances Jones 2006
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Talks & Workshops
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