Gallons of Gargling

I was in the Isle of Man last week for work, but had a bit of spare time to see the sights of Douglas. That didn't take long, so I popped into an excellent old school ramshackle charity shop - Manx Mencap in case you're in the area - and happily browsed their wonderfully odd selection of books and CDs instead.

My prize acquisition was "50 Jahre Jodlerklub Bärgfriede, Gstaad". Released in 1993, as the title says it was recorded to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the aforementioned Jodlerklub. The lads - and they are all lads - had to trek over to far distant Oberbottigen to record it, but it was well worth the effort.

Half of the tracks are instrumental versions of what I assume are Swiss folk tunes, performed by the club's stalwart band, which comprises three accordion players, two clarinettists and a man on the double bass. The other half of the record is devoted to choral yodelling. It is an acquired taste, and I think I am unlikely to acquire it, but it is probably the most peculiar sound I've heard since I got that Mongolian throat-singing pop album - a track from which I have included for comparison's sake.

"Staldejutz" - Jodlerklub Bärgfriede

"Four Mountains" - N. Naranbadrakh

If you are a yodelling fan - and who isn't? - then like me I am sure you were cheering on the Romanian entry in yesterday's Eurovision Song Contest. I find it frankly inexplicable that it didn't sweep to victory.