Holding their instruments in gloved-hands, a group of "Neujahrsblasen" musicians go door to door in the Bavarian town of Rothenbach, wishing residents a happy new year, unperturbed by the freezing conditions. "Since I was 15, I think, I've been part of the music association and I play for the Neujahrsblasen," says Hans-Peter Rapp, the group leader. The tradition falls between Christmas and New Year's Eve in the German region's villages and small towns, but enthusiasts are keen to bring it to Munich. "We have discovered for two hours that the city is ready for this kind of music," says Alois Schmelz, co-head of the folk music department at the Bavarian Land Protection Association. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES N°36RN7DH