Frankenfentum

Irish Flute
1

Well, I arrived at my session tonight, and was immediately presented with this beast:

Edit: i can’t get the images to appear! They are here, anyway:

http://www.box.net/shared/na8f6hkylt

http://www.box.net/shared/ovba6lky1i

The lower-midsection is stamped “H.FENTUM STRAND LONDON”, the other body sections “FENTUM LONDON”, the head liner “F J. EA” (possibly the Eates retailer mentioned in Jem’s Fentum post?), and the barrel “WALLIS UNION ST. BOND LONDON”!

The endcap has a threaded hole, but the screw-adjuster is missing. The cork leaks a bit. The embouchure plate is dented on the blowing edge, and protrudes significantly into the embouchure on both faces. Seriously pear-shaped barrel socket. Many cracks on all sections, which have been glued, or filled. Stout bands, 2 copper & 2 brass, have been fitted to hold it together. The keys have been removed, the blocks filed mostly away, and the key holes filled with putty. All sorts of encrustations on the bore.

I gave it a blow, and once i’d adjusted my blowing around the protruding plate, it could actually be heard in a noisy pub on a bank holiday weekend! A bit breathy, though.

When I got home, i tried it with my Olwell head. Plays very nicely indeed! and decent intonation at A440. The body is a similar length to the Olwell (slightly longer though, but slightly smaller holes), but the Fentum head is shorter. The flute was made between 1840 and 1859 (thanks Terry McGee for that info!). Another example of an antique English flute that plays most in-tune with the slide a fair way out.

So, i’ve decided to fix it up. Don’t hold your breath! I can post measurements when i take them, if it’s of any interest to any of ye.

2

Looks like a real beast, Dave! But it’s clear it has the will to live, and play again. Noble of you to bring it back to life too. Amazing that it does play as well as it does, looking at the pictures and hearing your description of it! Pretty neat though! Good luck with the restoration.

Barry

3

Thanks, Barry!

I recorded a quick clip of the Fentum, with the Olwell head, today. Here it is, warts & all:

http://www.box.net/shared/hl0hs4sfuk (wav)

http://www.box.net/shared/9pg1dt1u76 (mp3 - much smaller file, worse quality)

I deliberately refrained from doing any processing to the audio - only natural kitchen reverb there!
Hopefully the intonation will improve once i get used to playing this flute.

4

Yep, it is a real beast, how about that! You’re sure getting a lot of music out of it, and it sounds very good-nice playing too. Good for ya! Must be something in those genes!

5

Well played!

Still some life in her yet. :slight_smile:

What is the name of that tune?

6

That would be The Ladies’ Pantalettes. :blush:

7

Thanks, guys!

The second tune is “The dogs among the bushes”.

I didn’t know the name of the first - thanks, MTGuru. Now that i know it’s name, the second tune seems strangely
(in)appropriate.

8

:laughing:

Some fine and fancy fluting there, BTW, with nice lift to it. Very enjoyable!

9

Lovely playing and great sound from the old beast! If there are any glaring intonation problems, please let me know what they are so I can work on improving my ear! I’ve read that the legendary dealer/collecor Paul Davis played a remarkably ugly patched-up old job and got amazing sounds from it–and him with a lock on the London market for fine old English flutes…
BW

10

thanks for the encouragement, guys!

bill, i mainly noticed the upper a & b becoming progressively sharper, esp. towards the end. the flute responds quite differently to the olwell pratten i’m used to.

barry, if there are any genes involved, they would be fentum’s, not mine - 0% irish, as far as i know! i’m a great skeptic about that sort of thing anyway.

if i post any more clips, i’ll do it in the clips sticky.

11

Well, the Fentum’s are what genes I was referring to, but you sound Irish enough to me! :wink: