You have to take in account that Ennis played an early 19th century Coyne set, which in this period demanded another fingering than today, as shown in the contemporary Colclough and O’Farrel tutors. There was no modern closed fingering lower f sharp, only the open fingering version was allowed. Upper f sharp had been played as is today. So, if modern fingering is applied, the f sharp almost inevitably jumps into the octave on these old chanters with their almost equal diameters. To meet with this tendency, modern chanters have the f sharp hole mad e much more open.
Whilst I somewhat agree with the explaination of Tomcan, could I suggest that the styles of fingering had probably moved on a little from those described by Colclough and O’Farrell by the time Ennis’ chanter was made?
My Harrington chanter, which dates from a similar period (well perhaps within 10 years ) to Ennis’ Coyne , can be played totally closed, or open, with its small and almost equal sized finger holes, through both hands and both octaves. The trick with getting the low notes to stay in the low octave with ‘single hole open’ fingering is to have a well scraped (loose) reed .
Nowadays most pipers are used to a stiffer chanter reed which does usually require a greater degree of venting (larger hole) for F#.
I tend to make my new ‘flat’ chanters so that they work in the modern way thus with stiffer reed and slightly larger holes because , most,if not all, my customers have come to the Flat set after playing the concert pipes.
To gauge if you have a 'well scraped loose reed ’ in this context (with a flat chanter) try playing a Closed E (just the third finger of the lower hand raised to vent the E hole) with chanter on the knee… if you get the note then you have a loose reed that is flexible enough for playing in those old chanters with the equal sized holes.
Yes, probably 1840’s… and mine… almost definately 1850’s.
It sounds as if Seamus Ennis was using a stiffer reed than I do. Stiffer (stronger) reeds are a safer bet and easier to make. Those last few scrapes of the knife can end in disaster so most people will pull back from the brink and content themselves with a reed that is 90% ‘THERE’ and leave the rest to ‘playing-in’… which I think is a fair enough attitude.
The soft reed in a equal - holed chanter leads to the historical baroque/early classic approach of piping, for which these chanters have been built basically. “Music of the gentlemen Pipers”. Then all kind of music was softer and rather more expressive than powerful. A soft reed makes the entire exploitation of all the different chanter sound shades possible. It also doesn’t affect regulator playing as much, preventing their overblowing. The stiffer reed is the securer way and more independent from climatic influences. But it is more on the side of modern chanter playing, as is possible with any nowadays chanter, which responds better to reeds of this make usually. It is all a matter of the music given, and of taste and personal philosophy.