This album is an ethnomusicological document of rare value: because who among all those urban dwellers would even begin to imagine that in a small East Tyrolean village, still to this day musicians turn out in their dozens whenever a procession is scheduled, to march across pastures and fields, playing their brass and woodwind instruments and beating their drums? The earliest evidence of “music for walking at a solemn pace” in Southern Germany, Austria and South Tyrol dates back to the second half of the 19th century; as a rule, a procession march is centred around a popular hymn (as the titles indicate). The Musikkapelle Innervillgraten, after their widely acclaimed compilation of funeral marches (“Nachklänge”, COL20429) released ten years ago, now present a recording that documents their repertoire of this form of “utility music” – which also owes much to two local musical directors, Josef Steidl the Elder and the Younger respectively, who between them guided the affairs of the brass band in this high alpine valley for more than eight decades.

So – open your ears to music that, however distant it may appear, is still capable of awakening our collective memory of images.

The Innervillgraten brass band was founded in 1831. There is clear documentary evidence of a brass band turning out for a welcoming procession that year (record of investiture dated 10 February 1831).

The two “Högger farmers”, Josef Steidl the Elder (1864–1945) and his son, Josef Steidl the Younger (1905–1979), were among the most remarkable personalities of the Innervillgraten music scene. Between them they account for more than eight decades as musical directors, church choirmasters and organists, and were true pioneers in their field. Josef Steidl the Elder joined the Innervillgraten brass band at the age of 14, as E flat clarinettist. In 1892, when he was 28, he took over as musical director, a post he held until 1934; during his final years he worked closely together with his son and successor. His contributions to the church music repertoire include arrangements for brass band and own compositions. To this day, his oeuvre, own pieces as well as arrangements of works by master composers such as W. A. Mozart, is a treasured source of material and inspiration for the Innervillgraten brass band.

Josef Steidl the Younger also was a busy composer and arranger, as is evidenced by the manuscripts found among his estate. His works, which are still popular with the Innervillgraten brass band, include two funeral hymns, a funeral march and the procession marches recorded for this album. Whether all musical motifs were actually composed, or rather arranged, by Steidl himself, is not always easy to determine from today’s perspective.

In the course of the 194 years since its formation in 1831, the Innervillgraten brass band has played under the baton of 17 different musical directors.

The musicians of the Innervillgraten brass band share an enthusiasm for keeping alive the old marches and tunes that were composed right here in the village, and have been performed on festive occasions for many decades.