Anyone know of any good pictures of Chris Norman’s Rudall floating around the web? (or his Cameron replica?)
I’ve seen what I think are little bits of it on the BoxWood site and what little you can see from CD liners. But I’d really like to check it out up-close…
I dream of the day when I can order a left-handed replica from Cameron myself 
Cheers,
Yeah, it is one beautiful flute, if I trusted boxwood I’d have one.
Check out Terry McGee’s site, he calls it a particularly famous Rudall, the pictures will make you drool
Spittle
You’ll find it at:
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/RR742.htm
It is a very lovely flute. I think this was perhas the peak period for charm in flutes. As we proceed through the 19th and 20th centuries, flutes became better (and they needed to!) but less charming. A Prattens is a brute compared to this Rudall. But in much better tune at the time.
Fortunately these days we can have our kayak and heat it too. A few tweaks to the model that Chris Norman plays and it can be in as good tune as any of the others. And still look as lovely!
Terry
I have a copy of that flute, Spittle. Johnny Gallagher made it. When he worked in Cammeron’s shop (or maybe after he moved to WV). He went to Baltimore MD and spent some time measuring the flute. Also Jeanie Hoover (on this forum) has one. Her’s is blackwood. Mine is cocobolo with a silver lip plate. I did not fine out that some people are alergic to cocobolo until I had it made, so I later put the lip plate on as an after-thought so people would not have to worry about playing it. Both mine and Jeanie’s are very easy players. Also Dr. Windell Dobbs has one and he plays it on a CD, “Rallying Round Our Liberty”.
I have a good flute, I have a good wife, I have a good dog, and I have a good horse. I would trade in that order.
Nelson
wow, what a great sound he gets out of that flute!
Terry, having been in the presence of both the flute and it’s owner, do you have an opinion on whether it’s this particular flute that’s special, or the player? Or some of both?
I have a Cameron ‘Chris Norman’ copy. I love it. Pics:
http://homepage.mac.com/drtrishwinter/RodCameronFlute/PhotoAlbum6.html
The flute is very nice, but I think you have to give most of the credit to the player (as usual!). And remember, Chris mostly plays his modern copy, so most of what you hear is not that flute itself, although it is closely modelled on it.
You may remember me using the expression “genetically pre-disposed to flute”. Chris is definitely one of those people.
That model of Rudall and Rose seems to have been one of the most popular in their range, although modern Irish players might find it a little underpowered compared with the larger holed Rudalls. I have found it very popular among those who wish to play classical music as well as Irish music.
Terry
I heard Chris play the Cameron copy at a workshop
he gave here in ST. Louis.
It was this alive, amazing sound,
very reedy and edgy, if that makes any sense.
Also very loud.
Obviously Chris is extraordinary.
Sort of the Rudall version of what
John Skelton gets out of his Olwell
Pratten.
The next question is about the act of copying flutes itself. How close (as in similar sound & handling, etc) is it possible to get to another flute?
I know that ships–sailing ships, especially–are each unique beings. Two ships made from the same plans, or even a replica made by copying an original can sail and handle vewry differently.
A well-known Canadian schooner, the Blue Nose, was the inspiration for a moder-day replica, the Blue Nose II. The latter, however, was an indifferent sailer, and didn’t match the celebrated original’s remarkable speed, which enabled it to win races in New England against wealthy men’s yachts, despite it being a working fishing vessel and not a ship built for racing at all.
OK, I’m digressing.
If 100% represents a copy which duplicates the sound, etc, of it’s original, can you make up a number that you think might represent how close modern-day copies (yours or anyone’s) can come?
~~
I realize that most modern copies are tweaked for modern tuning, at least for the irish market. Do you ever get requests for copies which haven’t been optimised?
Awesome replies all - thanks! MAN, that thing really is something special. Good to know about this example’s ‘charms’ and modern tunability, Terry - thank you for the pics of the original!
Nelson, I actually emailed John privately asking him this same question, knowing he’s spent time w/Chris and of course, learning the craft from Rod. My Pratten from him is a ‘lifetime’ instrument for me (unless I sell it to have him make the 8-key I shoulda ordered in the first place!)
Cheers,
Terry, on his site, says of one of his rudalls that it comes
in two versions: one a close copy of the original, another
tweaked to improve it for ITM. He says the original
comes from a period of Rudall manufacture when
the tuning problems had been worked out.
I believe Tom Aebi has something similar.
Great question, and I’d love to hear the perspective of some makers. In my (player’s) experience, no two flutes are identical, even the same model by the same maker. (This is not to say one flute is necessarily better or worse–in many cases they’re just different, but one may suit a certain player more than the other.)
I’ve never had the chance to play an original and a copy side-by-side, but if two new flutes differ, I image the original and copy must do so to some degree also.
In theory it should be possible to copy all the dimensions of the flute to make one exactly like that, but waht about the wood? I don´t think you can find to identical pieces of wood.
On the other hand it is said that material has less impact on flute that design, so I´d say you could get a copy at 99,9%.
S.