A question has been growing in my mind for quite some time: I have read several different places how nineteenth-century flutes found their way into Irish traditional music as they were picked up second-hand as the new Boehm-system flute gained in popularity.
Was this actually the first introduction of the transverse flute into Ireland? Were flutes played in Ireland during the age of the Baroque traverso? If not, how were the Irish trad musicians of the day familiar enough with their sound to know they would work with the music? What was their motivation for buying the flutes in the first place?
My understanding is that in the Nineteenth century in England the flute was at the greatest level of popularity it has ever enjoyed, but even so it doesn’t seem likely that the farmers and workers in Ireland playing dance music would have been overly exposed to the pastimes of the English gentry?
I’ve seen a picture of an 18th century Irish advertisement for Dublin-made “German Flutes”. The fellow in the ad’s illustration was attired according to the respectably-dressed tastes of the day, knee breeches, waistcoat, cocked hat, wig and all.
I’ll see if I can Google it or its like; I believe the one I saw was in Fintan Vallely’s Timber.
It’s an uneducated guess, but I’m suspecting that things like transverse flutes - and citterns - were more likely to be found at that time within the Pale, and not normally a part of the traditional national and folk musics of Ireland - or, at least, outside the Pale, they would have been found typically among the upper levels of society. But again, it’s just a guess.
I’ll bet that if a farmer could lay his hands on one, sure enough he’d use it, though.
Nano, I’ve seen that same picture; I have the Timber tutor around here somewhere. I’ll see if I can turn it up. Thanks for reminding me of that!
I have also directed this inquiry towards the woodenflute mailing list; if good answers are posted on one, I will endeavor to make sure the information is also posted on the other.
Well, it seemed more about the history than the instrument…but I see your point.
I’ll make the topic there, too, and perhaps that will get the question in front of more folks who may have pieces of the puzzle to contribute towards an answer.
Folks, an interesting development…Hammy Hamilton has posted an article in Pan, the journal of the British Flute Society, and it’s online for any who care to read it:
Excellent article. It’s great to have someone of Hammy’s standard of writing putting together well-researched articles on ITM. Thanks for posting James.
That’s a fascinating picture of the Flute player, from 1842.
Although the caption says that the musician with him is playing a Bodhran, it actually looks more like a Tambourine & I remember reading somewhere that the Salvation Army had a lot to do with introducing the Tambourine to musicians in Ireland around this time.
However, I note that he is playing it with his hand, which is probably how the Sally Ann players played them.
So the next questions must be, when did they start removing the bells from the Tamborines, i.e. making them without bells & secondly, when did they start beating the bejayzus out of them with sticks, instead of their hands?