Yep, it’s called the Pipers Gathering but there’s lots to interest whistle folk also. There are two whistle instructors, Jerry Freeman will be there as a vendor with his complete line of tweaked instruments, there are usually a couple of other whistle makers around including for this year Chuck Whitney, and there’s lots to listen to as far as ITM goes. Pipers Brian McNamara, Benedict Koehler and Chris Gray, whistle players Laura MacKenzie and, again, Chris Gray, guitar/banjo/mandolin player Owen Marshall, and fiddler Dan Foster.
Benedict and his wife Hilari Farrington will offer a workshop on “Repertoire for Irish Sessions” and Will Woodson on “The Musical Legacy of Donegal Piping.” There are sessions galore, including slow sessions for beginners.
And speaking of beginners, the Gathering web site advertises, “Our ‘Observer’ status has changed a little bit. We still define them as a non-musician, or someone truly coming to observe and not to play. We’ll be upfront, though – we’d love to think you might come back next year as a fully registered musician! So Observers have the option of attending … a beginners’ whistle class. If we have a whistle vendor in attendance [Jerry Freeman is advertised as a vendor] , we will provide a $5 discount certificate towards the purchase of a penny whistle.”
So whistlers, consider the Pipers Gathering this summer. More info at http://www.pipersgathering.org
Best wishes.
Steve