7.Kim Hong-chul, the father of the Korean yodel

8.the Birth of 한국 에델바이스 요델 클럽the Korea Edelweiss Yodel Club

Kim Hong-chul, who go and return from Switzerland in '68, was the first Switzerland Yodeling-student in Korea. This unfamiliar but exciting music has attracted many Korean's attention, and the home of Kim Hong-chul  located in 응암동Eungam-dong, Seoul, had been full of people coming to learn yodel.

In such an atmosphere, Kim Hong-chul and 10 other people will make first Korean yodel club named Edelweiss at YMCA[1] Jongno 2, Seoul.

[1]The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) is a Christian civil society formed in 1844 by evangelicals in the United Kingdom. There are more than 10,000 organizations in 120 countries around the world. In Korea, the Korea Christian Youth Association, founded in 1903, was the start of the Korea YMCA

the Edelweiss was first created by 김장길Kim Jang-gil who worked in ad-agency, 이무일Lee Moo-il who was a KBS PD, and 현인송Hyun In-song who was a primary school teacher, 남궁예Nam Gung-ye, 박찬임Park Chan-im who were a pharmacist and 김인숙Kim In-suk who worked at the Bank of the Korea. All of them were young early-30s person, they were also active worked in church choir as soloists.

The 2nd presentation of the Korea Edelweiss Yodel Club(1971)
/ Photo courtesy  Choi Gyu-chul

After the birth of the club, 김홍경Kim Hong-kyung, the big brother of the Kim Hong-chul, conducted the chorus. At the time, Kim Hong-kyung was a music-teacher of the 배재 고등학교Pai Chai high school.

He had been also the conductor of 오라토리오 합창단the Oratorio-choir, one of the famous Christian choir in Korea. It was the natural that some of the Edelweiss members had been recruited from the Oratorio-choir.

From the start, the Edelweiss club had been in a little bit stately atmosphere and served as the big-brother to the all Korean yodel clubs.
Since the birth of the club, the members of the Edelweiss club had a lot of professional workers who had relatively afford economic. So they endeavoring to advise and support the following yodel clubs established by another local cities.
Even now, the members who the local clubs worked come to Seoul, they naturally become members of the Edelweiss. From the fact, we can be guessed the mutual emotional-bond to the Edelweiss and the local yodel clubs.

The Edelweiss's early yodel style was said to be Swiss yodeling, but not only Swiss, but also Austrian and Western genres were mixed. And the 가곡Gagok[2], 캐롤Carols and 성가Sacred-song became the musical character of the club.

[2] Gagok (song, German: Lied) is a song derived from Western classical music. The close combination of poetry and music influenced the development of romantic lyric poetry (Goethe, Heine, Mueller, etc.) that contained very personal feelings in the form of music that appeared in the 19th century romantic era. With the development of the piano, art songs have the form of songs and duets.Typical composers are Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann. Korean Gagok have appeared since the 1920s. This overall stately yodel style of that club has evolved into a full-fledged study of Swiss yodels[Jodellied] since the 1980s.

The 2nd yodel-class of the Edelweiss Yodel Club (1984) / Photo courtesy  Choi Gyu-chul

In the early days, the two-thirds of the Edelweiss members emigrated to the United States, most of them were settled in LA.

In 1977, the members of Edelweiss, 이흥열Lee Heung-ryul and 이상욱Lee Sang-wook, founded the Los Angeles Edelweiss Yodel Club.

This monumental gathering, remembered as the first Yodel Club not only in Korea but also in the western society, was suddenly abandoned as the accident of a woman member who had been robbed at the underground parking lot in their class room.

▶ The Birth of the 한국 알핀로제 요델클럽Korean Alpinrose Yodel Club

At the time, the YMCA was the mecca of the Korean club culture, the Edelweiss was growing pivotal, and the need for the University yodel-club emerged.

Thanks to Edelweiss's active performance, a consensus has been formed about the formation of the University yodel club. Also beginning with Kim Hong - chul 's yodeling class, the first University yodel club named the Korean Alpinrose Yodel Club.

the Edelweiss, the first Yodel club in Korea, dispatched 백도구Baik Do-goo and 오혜숙Oh Hae-sook to help develop the new Yodel club. They conveyed the club's know-how for six months.

And Cheong Joon was newly elected as their president, and Alpinrise begins to grow in earnest.

Cheong Joon, the first president of the Alpinrose yodel club, had been active as the head of the first president of the Korea Yodel Federation, which was founded later. However, Alpinrose left the "Korea Yodel Federation in 1980, and since then, the Alpinrose has developed independently without interaction with existing another Korean yodelers.

The 1st presentation of the Korean Alpinrose yodel club(1972) / Photo courtesy  Son Sung-gi

▶ The Birth of the 인천 엔지안 요들클럽Incheon Enzian yodel club

Following to the Edelweiss and Alpinrose, another Yodel club was born in Incheon, beyond Seoul. 최규철Choi Kyu Chul, who was a member of the the Edelweiss in the middle of 1971, worked in the Christian community hall of Incheon. He started yodeling class as one of the cultural programs in that hall, Since then, he has met 김지원Kim Ji-won, who was from Alpinrose, and cooperated with her to make a yodel club in Incheon.

Since then, 이영훈Lee Young-hoon and 이양일Lee Yang-il have been recruited, On April 1, 1972, Incheon's first Yodel club was officially established with the blessing of existing Yodel Club members including Kim Hong-chul.

The name of this club became an Enzian, it's the Kim Hong-chul's suggestion. He suggested that all Korean Yodel clubs should use their names of the three major flowers of the Alps : Edelweiss, Alpinrose, and Enzian.

Since this naming principle has become an unspoken-laws for all the new Korean yodel clubs that were born until the early 2000s.

The commemorative photo of the Incheon Enzian Yodel Club(1972)  / Photo courtesy: Choi Gyu-chul

The 2nd presenter of Incheon Enzian Yodel Club(1975) / Photo courtesy: Choi Gyu-chul

The 2nd presenter of Incheon Enzian Yodel Club(1975) / Photo courtesy: Choi Gyu-chul

▶ The birth of the local yodel club

Except for the metropolitan area, the movement of the first Yodel club seems to have started in Daegu. The club was founded in March of the year 73. In the 1970s, the YMCA was the leading association of the Korean youth culture. YMCA Daegu/Gyeongbuk branch was one of the most active branches of the NUSA(National University Song Association) led by 전석환Jeon Seok-hwan.

The early days logo of the Daegu Alpinrose Yodel Club

the Daegu YMCA's leaders : 문홍주Moon Hong-joo, 이건춘Lee Kun-chun, 허식Hur Sik, and 8 other members were want to make yodel club so they invited Kim Hong-chul as the yodel lecturer. First it was founded YMCA adult club, but in 1976 Daegu Alpinrose Yodel Club has been became a federation club of six universities in Daegu.

대구 알핀로제 요델클럽The Daegu Alpinrose Yodel Club has pursued Swiss traditional yodels from the very beginning of the club and has achieved considerable success. 문홍제Moon Hong-jea worked both the yodeling lecture in this club and YMCA assistant administrator from the years 75 to the end of the 80's.

'Ul-lim', The Newsletter of the Daegu Alpinrose Yodel Club Newsletter (1978)  / Photo courtesy: Hong Sung-won

Daegu Alpinrose's presentation pamphlet (1982) /  Photo courtesy: Hong Sung-won

In Busan, a group of six people from the Central Church, led by 박호문Park Ho-moon, who was the student of the music school, did their self yodel class on November 1973 did their yodel class. July 1974 they invited Kim Hong-chul as their yodel lecturer, and then they founded the Yodel Club in Busan.

Afterwards, including Park Ho-moon and a lot of founders left for Seoul, the club became difficult to operate, but 부산 알핀로제 요델클럽the Busan Alpinrose Yodel Club overcame that obstacles and that started to develop with steady activities to spread the culture of Yodel in Busan.

The first concert of the Busan Alpinrose Yodel Club(1978) / Photo courtesy of Busan Alpinrose Yodel Club

The first concert of the Busan Alpinrose Yodel Club(1978) / Photo courtesy of Busan Alpinrose Yodel Club

In 1977, the Kim Hong-chul's yodel class was held at the Masan YMCA in Gyeongnam Province. After the class, 권경춘Gwon gyeong-chun was the first president of 마산 알핀로제 요델클럽the Masan Alpinerose Yodel Club.

The Yodel Club in Masan was a YMCA youth club in the early twenties. 장광천Jang Gwang-cheon, who was a middle school student at the time, participated in the Kim Hong-chul yodel class with 전성용Jeon Sung-yong who was a friend of the same class.

The early days logo of the Masan Alpinrose Yodel Club

Masan Alpinrose Yodel Club YMCA confirmation ceremony(1977) / Photo courtesy: Jeon Sung-yong

The first anniversary special issue of the Masan Alpinrose Yodel Club(1980) / Photo courtesy : Jeon Sung-yong

In 1977, a yodeling class was held at the YMCA in Gwangju, Jeolla-nam Province. Kim Hong-chul, who was a teacher of yodel, proposed to make a yodel club and invited 김용주Kim Yong-joo, who was active in Namwon, to start a meeting every Tuesday.

박명선Park Myeong-sun, who was a middle school teacher at the time, made a great contribution to the birth and development of the club as the first president.

Since then, 광주 엔시안 요델클럽the Gwangju Enzian Yodel Club has produced outstanding Yodeler 장승일Jang Seung-il, who still works as a professional yodeler.

Later, Gwangju Enzian yodel club had produced many female yodelers of distinguished talent such as 김순덕Kim Soon-duk and 송미진Song Mi-jin.

"The Night of the Yodel", the first Presentation of Gwangju Enzian yodel club (1978) / Photo courtesy: Cho Tai-ik

the first Presentation pamphlet of Gwangju Enzian yodel club (1978) / Photo courtesy: Cho Tai-ik

▶ The Birth of the Korea Basel Yodel Club

In 1975, after finishing the yodel class of the 한국 알핀로제 요들클럽Korean Alpinrose Yodel Club, some member's joining was refused. Because the Alpinrose was the only university yodel club in Seoul, their member required only freshman. Then the members who could not join the Alpinrose Yodel Club and the members who had resistance of the stubborn policy were created the new yodel club.

In those days, that club was the first Yodel clubs that did not go through Kim Hong-chul's yodel class in Korea, and although they were not 'intentional', they appeared in the Korean Yodel societies with a name that is not related to the existing Yodel club naming method based on the three major flowers of the Alps rules.

Their name, Basel, is the name of the city of Switzerland. Founding the yodel club, they sent a letters the major cities of Switzerland as like Zurich, Bern, Luzern, Geneva and Basel. The Basel was the only cities response to their letter. So Basel became the name of the new yodel club[3]

한국 바젤 요들클럽The Korea Basel Yodel Club, which was the unique from the start, has since developed somewhat independent of the existing Yodel clubs and also have been unique achievements in the later.

[3]However, there is no evidence yet for this letter from Basel.

'Yodel Festival in Alps', the first concert of Basel club(1978) / Photo courtesy: Seo Dong-wook

The pamphlet of the first concert of Basel club(1978) /  Photo courtesy: Seo Dong-wook

▶ From the late 70's to the early 80's

In 1978, the 안양 엔시안 요들클럽Ananyang Enzian Yodel Club was created in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, and the Yodel Club of 울산 알핀로제 요델클럽Ulsan Alpinrose was created in Ulsan, Kyungnam in 1981.

Anyang Enzian Yodel Club was founded by 25 members, including 도용환Doh Yong-hwan(the founding members of the Basel Yodel Club in Seoul) and his cousins 도대환Doh Dea-hwan, 도기원Doh ki-won. Later Doh Yong-hwan, Doh Dea-hwan, 이정선Lee Jung-seon, 이혜봉Lee Hye-bong, 서동욱Seo Dong-wook and 김흥배Kim Heung-bae who as the member of the steering committee.

The first anniversary ceremony of Anyang Enzian yodel club (1979) From the left, Shin Hae-sook of and Kim Seong-gap, the members of Basel club. The right side of is Seo Dong-wook, the member of both Basel club and the founding member of Anyang Enzian yodel club. /  Photo courtesy: Seo Dong-wook

The Yodel Club of Ulsan was also founded through the YMCA.

최상현Choi Sang-hyun,the member of the Korean Alpinrose Yodel Club, served as the first leader in the Ulsan yodel club, because he worked defense industry service in Ulsan. 나태수Nah Tae-su from Incheon yodel club, who lived in Ulsan for work, so he also contributed to the development of the Ulsan Club.

Like this, the Korean- nationwide distribution of the amateur yodelers were having a very strong roots.

The first concert of the Ulsan alpinrose yodel club(1983) / Photo courtesy of Ulsan Alpinrose yodel club

In the 1970s the Yodel Club was full in Korea. the full-fledged economic growth began and it's the time when the nation's aspirations to live well were gathered to produce enormous synergies.

It was the time when whoever could get a good job even if they did not go to University, if someone did not have a good license, if they did not have a good foreign language ability.

Those days, all Koreans had a lot of faith that everyone could be live well. It was the time when social integration was better than any other period since since the beginning of history. This dynamic seventies was also the decisive time in the history of the Korean yodel.

During this period, Kim Hong-chul was active worked, more than half of the amateur yodel clubs in Korea were born, and more than 80% of the popular yodel songs, still popular today, were made at this time.

Long haired, jeans and draft beer, still symbolized by youth culture in the 1970s ... And the contemporary folk song with guitar ... And the yodel, which was also a part of the folk song ... It certainly fits very well with the social scene of the 1970s in Korea.

The diligent shepherd' of the Alps replaced 'the diligent manual laborer', 'the beautiful Swiss lady' became 'the loyal wife who raise two kids' , and 'the beautiful Berner Valley' will be the 'great country' have to established by Koreans. Finally, the last yodel refrains will be the clear and pure joys for the brilliant future!