In the recent discussion on extra whistle holes, the topic slipped into what is “traditional” and what isn’t. One qualification of traditional seems to be age–something that’s been around 500 years is more “traditional” than something that’s been around 200. (If that’s the case, I guess all us “traditional” musicians should really be hooting around the campfire and banging rocks together ).
But I digress. How long HAVE low whistles been around in the Irish tradition? I plan on using mine even if they’re “non-traditional,” but I’m just curious.
Been wondering that myself…
Followup question,
What constituted a good whistle 30 or 50 or even 100 years ago. There are quite a few high end makers now, but what were people playing before the Copelands, Sindts etc. of the world were around???
jb
[ This Message was edited by: brownja on 2001-11-24 16:56 ]
a few years ago, I read an article in some science magazine about a peice of a bone with holes drilled in it in the same pattern as a whistle or flute that was dated back to the time of the neandertals. There was a picture of it in the article, it looked pretty convincing to me…
[ This Message was edited by: TelegramSam on 2001-11-24 17:29 ]
Err… I’m not sure but I think not. I was under the impression that Finbar Furey was the first musician to request a “low whistle” made for him. The maker was Benard Overton so the very first Irish “low whistle” was an Overton. I think this was in the 70s?
In their ‘Low Whistle Book’ Stefan Hannigan and David Ledsam state that:
'In the seventies, Irish bands made sensational ground-breaking music. Experiments in instrumentation were commonplace and makers were being asked to develop new forms more suitable to the music…
'…whistle players were looking for another sound; not that of the concert flute…but a more mellow whistle, suitable for the playing of airs. The lowest whistle commonly available was the generation Bb…
‘…It was a chance meeting, ironically in the middle of England, between Finbar Furey..and one Bernard Overton..that saw the first low D cocert whistle produced.’ (Hannigan S & Ledsam D, 2000 - abridged).
Paddy Keenan was playing low whistles during the second half of the 70s and by the end of the 70s I remember seeing a whole range of low whistles by Hohner in Dublin music shops. I bought a Hohner low G in 1979 which was not all that usefull so that cured me from the low whistles for good.
Also from the late 70s is a film which I think was called ‘Traveller’ about a young travelling man doing dodgy crossborder things (can’t remember exactly). The lead role in the film was played by a very young Davy Spillane who as I remember it, played a bit on a low whistle (and pipes)in the movie.
On another note (not a low one): I also had a french made whistle I bought in an antique shop, a conical bore as I remember it, otherwise very much like a cast metal susato. That would have been end of 19th century, early 20 th maybe. It was pitched in Csharp. Unfortunately Micho Russell spotted it and started nagging me about it and by the end I let him have it. I regretted that afterwards but he could be quite persuasive when he wanted something. Ah well. Have seen the odd similar one in antique shops once or twice.
[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2001-11-25 08:59 ]
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