Here are a few pictures of an interesting Firth and Hall six keyed flute. This one belongs to one of my neighbors literally just a few doors down the street from me. I’ve known about this family heirloom for years and borrowed it this week to show Grey Larsen who was here all day Friday. The name of the original owner who purchased it in Utica NY in 1826 is known, and how it has been handed down through generations of relatives.
This flute has an intact “whistle attachment” which is interesting/ Made in Pewter which is 50% lead - nt such an ideal thing to stick in one’s mouth! The pitch length is 540mm with the tuning slide all the way in making this quite low in pitch, possibly A-415. However, the embouchure has been opened up considerably to about 13 X 15mm - way bugger than what is normal for flutes of this type. I didn’t dare blow through this as it hasn’t been played in over a century and most likely could crack if played any. Not that it could play. There were a few head joint cracks and the pads are original and have long since turned to jerky. The joints are all frozen tight and I didn’t dare trying to loosen them for fear of cracking the ivory, which was entirely intact. Given its pitch and embouchure, it is not one that I would need or want to measure anyway - there are better instruments out there including a few in the hands of players in Seattle and elsewhere on this coast.
Still it was thrilling to discover such an instrument literally a few doors down from me. The only other unusual instrument that surfaced here in Kingston was an early set of Irish pipes by William Kennedy, missing the single regulator and looking beat up to hell. Belongs to a friend who is the father of one of my daughter’s school buddies. His grandfather played these and his family history says it was purchased a few generations earlier and went with the family when they emigrated during the Potato Famine. I’ve seen old 1780ish Egan and Coyne pipes that look pristine and well cared for and my attempt at copying these resulted in frustration - there was no easy way to get them to work. The original Kennedy chanter worked with nearly every worn out reed that we stuck in it, and at A-440 too. There was a reason why it was beat to hell. Instead of sitting on a shelf for a few centuries looking pretty, it was out being played in bars every night. I have made two half sets based on this one and both were easy to reed up. I plan to make a copy for myself sometime this year.
