LOTR Soundtrack: Whistle? Recorder? Joannie? Alan?

Whistle
1

Found on the Webpage of the band Grada.

The new CD, which is due for release around the end of April, is being co-produced and engineered by Trevor Hutchinson, Lunasa’s double bassist and all round musical enius. Alan explains, “It was funny how it happened. We were just going to go in and record in Trevor’s studio and then he started coming up with ideas and we really liked what he suggested, so we didn’t actually ask him to produce but that’s how it ended up.” Alan, the flute player, was asked by Howard Shaw, the music composer of ‘The Lord of the Rings’, to play on the movie’s soundtrack. He tells how it came about.


“It was Gerry’s Ma who put me in touch with the producers. They had rung her, as she is involved in the Irish Community in Wellington, New Zealand, and they asked her was there any good flute/tin whistle players around the town. I was in Australia at the time and got the phone call
there to come to Wellington to audition for the job. I had already been over there for a few months, was missing the tunes at home, and wasn’t going to do the audition. I had heard of the book but had no idea of the scale of the movie. My friend, Alan Kelly who was with me in Australia, told me I’d be mad not to do it so I went ahead with it. We recorded for four or five days with a huge orchestra for about twelve hours each day.”
Andrew takes up the story. “The whole piece was to be played in the key of ‘C’ and then they changed it to ‘D’ because Alan didn’t have a C whistle!” Alan’s contribution can be heard at the start of the movie as Gandalf the Wizard arrives in Hobbiton. Gráda are moving up the pecking order by headlining a double bill with De Jimbe in the Project Arts Centre on Friday the 15th February. Is that how the band see it? “It’s a step up
okay”, says Brendan, “but we are not under any illusions about instant success. We think it could take about three years for us to get established
and we have to make sure that every step we take is in the right direction and not a step backwards.” A sensible approach for sure but if the prophets of trad are to be believed this could be Gráda’s year. Anyone who goes to the Project on the 15th to hear the band should concur.

That would be Alan Doherty:

Alan Doherty (flute/whistles/pipes) Alan has been in huge demand since his lead role in The Lord of the Rings soundtrack. He has just returned from a lengthy playing stint in Australasia and Europe. Highlights included a lead billing at the Woodford folk festival (Australia’s largest) and support acts for Joe Cocker, Blondie and, oddly enough, Metallica.

http://www.redhatmusic.com/Grada.htm#TourDates

I have no clue or interest, but thought I’d bring this to the attention of the c&f community including whistleplayers in or near Tulsa, OK. :slight_smile:

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Can I be a musical enius too? :slight_smile:

C

3

It’s the masculine form of Enya, obviously.

4

ROFL! :smiley:

*wipes tear from eye, still chuckling.

5

I knew it was a whistle all along!

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This information may cause the faint of heart who steadfastly insisted there was no whistle involved to need emergency medical assistance… or several pints, at least! :slight_smile:

~Larry

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When first I read this odd report
I was enuinely shocked
I’m awaiting now ChrisL’s retort
In which we’ll all be mocked.

I knew ole Alan made good flutes,
And played great jazzy blues,
And here we learn his whistle toots
For Hobbits without shoes!

Oh! I see it was a different Alan!
This Alan’s Mr. Doherty,
Who was drenched with more than half a gallon,
When he called a Hobbit shorty.

And so it wasn’t Alan Mount,
For whom the Hobbits danced,
Which don’t explain just why it sount
Electrically enhanced.

8

Wow, more documented evidence that says whistle. When I first saw the movie I debated in my head whether it was whistle or recorder and could never settle it. The next question will be, for those who are settled that it’s a whistle, “what kind of whistle?”

Cheers,
Aaron

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If you look up Alan Doherty, you will see numerous references to his whistle playing in Lord of the Rings. Howard Shore even talks about Alan’s playing. He is apart of Irish group called Gráda. I think the website is ww.gradamusic.com. I’ve just sent him an e-mail asking about the
maker(s) of his whistles and what was used in the LOTR session.

Picardy

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Thanks for the links Bloomfield and Picardy. The sound samples of Grada are awesome. I hope they stick it out. They’ve got Bothy Band potential.
Cheers,
Aaron

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Oh no! That means I can’t tell the difference between whistle and recorder!!! :boggle: I think it’s time to drop this whole whistle/flute thing and take up autoharp full time… the Irish music tradition needs more of that anyways.
Chris

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Amen! Long live the Brobdingnagian Bards!

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:
Walden Rules!

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Mygawd, it’s not a FRICKIN’ RECORDER after all??!! :laughing:

(Hey, I knew that Alan D. would never play the Infernal Instrument).

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Well, I got a response from Alan Doherty’s band members. I still don’t know what kind of whisle he played on LotR though. It was still interesting. Maybe someone else can e-mail him when he gets back from holiday. Enjoy!

Picardy

Hi Nathan,

Alan’s on holiday at the moment for a month or so… the answer to your question is that he uses lots of different types of whistles. Most of the makes are fairly similar in sound. They’re made from tin, aluminium, wood and plastic. Flutes are a bit more technical. He keeps breaking them, so at the moment he’s using a plastic one (believe it or not!). He’s got a top of the line one on order from Australia, by a guy called Mike Grinter, who’s one of the top few makers in the world.

I hope that answers your question :slight_smile:

If you’re after a CD, you can get them through our website - www.gradamusic.com

All the best

Andrew Laking

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I’m with you, Isilwen. Deep down in my heart, I knew it was a whistle, too.

It has a “woodsy” quality to the sound, I think. Of course that could all be the tweaking in the studio to mellow it out. Who knows. Only Alan & Howie, I guess.