We all have that ‘favorite’ whistle… or more than likely, those ‘favorite’ whistle(s).
I love my O’Riordan Concert Whistles, my Sindt High E Flat Whistle, my Humphrey Stealth
Whistles, my Burke High D Session Whistle. It came to my mind today as I played them, how
grateful I feel towards the makers of these beautiful instruments.
I want to express my appreciation to the those makers that I mentioned. I want them to know
how much I value their work and that their instruments have helped me through some very
tough times in my life.
Perhaps some of you feel the same way about your whistles and the makers of your instruments
When one thinks about it, there really are not very many men and women out there, who make
that beautiful instrument that we all love to play, The Irish Whistle.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE MAKERS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL INSTRUMENT
Second that! My favorite whistle is my Oz Vambrace. What an incredible whistle. I’ve communicated with Mitch several times. There is a Vambrace C (and maybe another D) in my future. His craftsmanship is superb!
This is true of all the whistle makers… Without their work, where would we be?
To add to the list: Thank you Mitch. Thank you, Carey Parks, Thank you to the Kelischek’s at Susato. Thank you, Mr. O’Brien. Thank you, Jerry Freeman. And… for all the many hours of pleasure from my Feadogs, my Generations, my Dixons, my Clarkes… thank you to all of the folks that make those whistles happen, too.
Thanks as well to the original Mr. Clarke who pioneered mass produced whistles and made them availible to humble folks to play popular music.
Whistle are still the great value music instrument of all time.
God bless and keep you all.
I second all those mentioned, and add Tony Dixon as well.
An especially big thanks, as Maki said, to Robert Clarke, whose original design is still astounding for its simplicity, not only of the whistle itself, but in the type of low-tech tools that could be used to make it, and for its lovely distinctive sound. Of all whistles, it seems the most like an elemental, living thing, a friend and familiar.
uh… sorry for waxing what may be overly poetic.
nah, I’m not sorry for that, really; it’s what I do.
I’d like to thank the cavemen who made the original bone flutes, using nothing more than sharp pieces of flint. And the animals who so generously donated the bones. And let’s not forget God, who made it all possible. Thank you!
I’d like to add my thanks to Guido Gonzato, for promoting the idea that each of us can make a musical instrument that becomes our own personal favourite.
[quote=“killthemessenger”]I’d like to thank the cavemen who made the original bone flutes, using nothing more than sharp pieces of flint. And the animals who so generously donated the bones. And let’s not forget God, who made it all possible. Thank you!
For all the extra effort and goodwill he’s put into my DX203s (which now number four at two Ds and two Cs), I just have to join you in thanking Tony!
An especially big thanks, as Maki said, to Robert Clarke, whose original design is still astounding for its simplicity, not only of the whistle itself, but in the type of low-tech tools that could be used to make it, and for its lovely distinctive sound.
But afraid you can keep Robert Clarke…
Of all whistles, it seems the most like an elemental, living thing, a friend and familiar.
Four?! Yikes, you’re pulling ahead of me. I only have one D and the one C that I added since starting that thread about getting the D. [I got a 005, too, that plastic one with the brass tuning slide. Same head, pretty much, as the 203. Sounds some different but good, a bit more puff required in the second octave.]
As to your lack of resonance with the Clarke Originals, well, we all have our own resonant frequencies. Just the way it is.
Special thanks to Michael Copeland: I am still in awe of the fine High D I received earlier this year, and to Colin Goldie: someone must have sprinkled magic dust in your new workshop, my new Low and High D’s are amazing.
since we are spreading love and admiration to all the makers, I would like to give a warm thank you to John Sindt. His whistles are, by far, the best , sweetest, most “traditional” whistles out there. They are probably the most affordable for the “high end professional type of whistle”. I have his D/Eb set, his C and his A/Bb set. I could not endorse these whistles enough. I have either sold or loaned out all my other whistles, Shultz, Abell, Copeland. I don’t suffer from WHAO. I was lucky to have found John early in his whistle making career and didn’t have to wait long for him to make mine. I sent a couple of sets over to Ireland,around 10/12 years ago. One set to an all Ireland winner, and I would like to boast that I, in some small way, helped to contribute to it’s current popularity in Ireland today. There was certainly A LOT of in mine at the time when I was there. Just look at all the people playing them. Mary Bergin switched to them after years and years of playing a generation. Paddy Maloney, instructors at the OIAM, many, many, Fleadh competitors etc…I would venture to say that his whistles are probably played by more “purist” whistlers than any other.
