Welcome to the new & improved Chiff & Fipple e-newsletter.  As of this issue, the new name for this publication is "6Hole Theory," or more properly "Chiff & Fipple's 6Hole Theory:  A 3Fish Productions, Uh, Production."

Why the name change?  I'll have an announcement coming on that after the first of the year, along with the details of my new economic plan.

Last week it was my sad duty to accept the forced resignations of Chiff & Fipple's Department of the Treasury and our Chief Economics Advisor.  In fairness, the Treasury Dept. Head's performance was hampered by the absence of a Chiff & Fipple treasury.   The Chief Economics Advisor had a tough row to hoe as well because yours truly, the Undisputed King of Tinwhistle Internet Journalism, (a) dropped out of Econ 101 in college and this pretty much established my level of adult interest in the subject and (b) I don't take advice all that well. 

So, I don't have any plans to replace these guys.  For the time being, their duties will be assumed by the 2003 Interns.

2003 Chiff & Fipple Interns: (Front, L-R) Elizabeth, Sara, Christine, Naomi, Shelby,Andrea, Mona, Christine, Sohayla; (Back, L-R) Kyle, Jaime, Lara, Kristi, Ariel, Ryan,  Denise, Moneah

II. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR ALLERGY SUFFERERS & CLAUSTROPHOBICS

Barry Green write:

IV. PLAY ON

Tom L. ("Blackbeer") writes on the MessageBoard."

Well, that seemed to work for me in that mother nature requires rather a strong commitment from those who would wonder in her majesty. And I was allowed little time to dwell on my rage or anything else. But in the end it was only a partial remedy and not the real answer.

A couple of weeks ago I heard a song by Dick Gaughan called "Revolution." Well....what a wake up call. Passion, rage you name it--was there. I found his web site, on it I found a news group and in that news group I found this site.

I went scurrying through all my boxes of junk I have toted around with me all these years and found my dear old Guild (still tuned in a drop D) and a gaggle of whistles. Yesterday I received a treasure box from Elderly Instruments and last night I sat down with a 3 dollar Sweetone in C and every tune that popped into my head popped out of that whistle (except "Clouds" or "Both Sides Now," what ever the name of that tune is. Couldn't figure it out) I finally had to quit playing because my cheeks were so sore from smiling. I haven't smiled in a long time. I don't know what is next on the agenda though I think I see flute in the back of my mind.

You have all been a part of this happy happenstance and I just wanted to thank you.
So THANK YOU

V.  CD REVIEW: JAMES CONWAY'S "Mouth Box"

Carol Skinner was kind enough to send me a copy of this CD and then posted this review on the message boards.  I wanted to publish the entire review here because this really is an amazingly good recording, very much unique (yes, yes, I know you're not supposed to qualify the word "unique) and I want to endorse it as strongly as can.

Here's the review:

My whistle teacher here in the Chicago area, James Conway , just completed a project dear to his heart: making a CD that demonstrates the versatility of the Irish harmonica and its “blendability” with other traditional Irish instruments. The CD—with an impressive array of guest artists—is called Mouth Box, a name the late Gwen Sale gave to James because of the way he could make his harmonica sound like an accordion. (She died shortly after the CD was completed and the project is dedicated to her.) In fact, James makes his harmonicas match the other traditional instruments as well, proving the blendability of this humble instrument beyond question. At the same time, he shows the instrument’s unique abilities and its deserving place in ITM. It’s a great CD. I want to share my impressions of it here, partly just to give it some well-deserved attention. Since I’m not a harmonica player myself, though, I’m also hoping to coax out of the woodwork any harmonica players on the board who might be interested in sharing their experiences with this instrument, which, according to Brendan Power, is “very much a new kid on the block in a style dominated by the fiddle, flute, whistle and pipes….”

Each instrumental pairing on Mouth Box showcases a slightly different side of the versatile harmonica (also called a harp) and the way it can borrow from and blend with the style and conventions of the other instruments. For example, in the robust jigs ( Young Tom Ennis, Brendan Tonra’s ) with Keiran O’Hare on uilleann pipes, James mimics the pipes’ characteristic bleat with rhythmic cuts on his harp and meets O’Hare’s finger slurring with blow bends. His harp also mimics the pipes’ drone in another set of jigs ( Tatter Jack Walsh, Knights of Saint Patrick, and Cook in the Kitchen ) played with Gwen Sale on fiddle, Dennis Cahill on guitar, and Jackie Moran on bodhran (listen for the fresh sound of the Jaw’s Harp as well). And in a set of reels ( Earl’s Chair, Humours of Ballyconnell, and Flowing Bowl ), James creates an accordion-like sound by blowing from both sides of his mouth for octave richness. “I thought he forgot to list the concertina player in the credits only to find out it's all harp,” wrote Paul Davies, member of SPAH (Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica).

But imitating other instruments, or at least picking up some stylistic conventions, is only part of the story. In a set of polkas , with nothing more than his tapping foot to accompany him, James shows the harp’s widest range, in my opinion: he becomes a whole band— complete with melody, boom-chucks, drones, and a good sense of humor—all with one diatonic harmonica in G and a block of wood to tap his foot on. In another jig set ( Humors of Ballyloughlin and Mooncoin Jig ), James picks up his bubbly whistle and turns the harmonica playing over to the incomparable Howard Levy, who leads off with a fun and bluesy introduction suggesting still more of the harmonica’s range.

In his liner notes James acknowledges that it was Chicago great Sugar Blue’s style—which to James sounded like a fiddle and accordion together—that got James “blowing Irish music on the harp,” but there’s no mistaking the traditional Irish roots of this CD. It has rhythmic bounce and swing; driving melodies “played as one” with the guest artists and enriched with the harp’s harmonic and droning possibilities; graceful, moderate ornamentation; lyrical sadness and bubbly joy. Through all the tracks, James blows a mouth-watering sound from his harps, crisp with Irish reediness yet surprisingly creamy as well. That remarkable bright sound, the satisfying couplings of the harp with other traditional instruments, and James’s virtuosity, swing, and musical bigheartedness, make Mouth Box a real treat for the ears.

CDs are available at http://www.jimmyconway.com and http://www.celticgrooves.com. For a full listing of tunes and guests, and another review, see http://celticgrooves.homestead.com/CG_Conway_James.html .

VI.  C & F MEMBERS CONTRIBUTE TO THE TRADITION

One of finest of the tinwhistle websites is that of our own Brother Steve.  I'd urge you to go by and look.  And pay special attention to some wonderful new transcriptions by C&F veterans Peter Laban, Teri Kessler, & Steve Jones.

http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/tunetoc.html

A related project is the Chiff & Fipple Irish Traditional Music Forum.  Both Steve's website and the ITM forum focus on the playing of ITM on the whistle--something that I don't do much of because I don't know much about it! 

VII. NEW MAKER:  MK WHISTLES BY MISHA SOMERVILLE

From Scotland comes Misha Somerville, who is now making whistles.  He has a fabulous and REALLY sharp website at http://www.mkmusiconline.com.  It includes the COOLEST whistle pictures I've ever seen.

An MK whistle.

These whistles look good.  We have review whistles on the way to us as we speak.  (We sent Dale Force One over to Scotland to pick them up).  See future editions of 6Hole Theory for full review and details.

How excellent is this picture?  From the MK Music Online website.

VIII.  MAYBE THIS IS A CHINESE SCALE

Our dear friend Norman Dannatt of the Clarke company writes:

What do I think, Norman?  I think I MUST own one. It will be mine.  Oh, yes, it WILL be mine.

IX. CHIFF & FIPPLE DEFCON

Last week, the server which contains the Chiff & Fipple Forums had a little problem.  For three days or so, Chiff & Fipple's most hardcore obsessive network was done, its members unable to communicate with each other.  This led to the first use of the new Chiff & Fipple Emergency Response System.  For historical/archival purposes, we are publishing this alert below.  To avoid some kind of Orson Welles Martian invasion panic, we'll include special notices that this is no longer an emergency situation.

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NOTE:  THE EMERGENCY IS OVER.  THIS IS ONLY A HISTORICAL RE-ENACTMENT.

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http://www.hotboards.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=dalewisely

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a logo based on a drawing by Norman Dannatt.