Does anyone have one of these? Curious to hear what they’re like.
thanks.
Listen to some June McCormack, as she has this setup.
http://homepage.tinet.ie/~michaelandjune/1024_768/index.htm
Kevin Krell
there is a blurb about the “corps-derechange” flutes in oldflutes.com kind of a precurser to the tuning slide, except in better tune…
http://www.oldflutes.com/classical.htm
Hey Bloomfield, as Kevin mentioned June McCormack has an Olwell D flute with interchangeable C middle piece, and I believe she used it on quite a few tracks on her recordings with her husband Michael Rooney. (But check the sleeve notes carefully, since she also has some Grinter flutes.) I took June’s class at East Durham a couple of years ago and had the chance to play a bit on her Olwell with the C piece in, and I think that’s what pushed me over the edge toward getting a C flute of my own.
If you’re going to the East Durham week this July, or if you’re anywhere near there and could pop in one day, June is teaching there again this year and would probably be glad to let you have a look at her flutes if you ask her.
I played a friends ‘Meduim-holed’ (nach Nicholson); D flute with an Eb midsection for a few months last year before it was sold (I beleive Dave Levine owns it now) which was awesome. All the brilliance of an Olwell was there in both flutes; the D was as nice a D as I’ve played, responsive, articulate, perfect tuning, and the Eb was all of that only addictively more-responsive, and with a smaller air-requirement. Did I mention it was in Cocus? Man, it was a nice setup!
The convenience and cost savings is what attracted my friend (2 flutes at a great cost savings over two, complete flutes). Patrick’s custom design lends itself well to a corps de rechange set-up in terms of very good tuning and proportion (as opposed to a maker who more exactly replicates a specific antiuqe where a new barrell and\or Foot may need to be fitted to get the tuning right).
Cheers,
- Ryan
I’ll be there for a day, I hope, probably come on Thursday night and stay Friday. I’ll try to track down June. 
Will you be there, too?
Very interesting, just what I was looking for, thanks.
It seems like it’s an usual set up these day…
Yep. I’ll be in Catherine McEvoy’s flute class in the mornings and Gearoid O hAllmhurain’s concertina class in the afternoons. Thursday night I will most likely be wherever they have Catherine listed to play, assuming she’s in one of the sessions or the Listening Room that night. I’m staying at the Fern Cliff House.
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to have a lesson and see them up close, but John Skelton got Olwell C and Eb bodies (I’m pretty sure those were the keys) that work on his Olwell D head over the winter. I heard him play them a little a couple of months ago, and yeah. They’re great.
If you’ve got the patience and the money, it seems like the sensible way to go, especially if you’re used to the D head you play all the time …
I got my c-middle section from Patrick yesterday, after about 18 months. It turns my Olwell blackwood Pratten D into a C flute. The middle section comes in two parts. Patrick called me a couple of weeks ago to ask me whether I wanted the holes spaced more acoustically correct or more ergonomically. This afftects the third and sixth hole and will result in some notes being stronger or weaker, particularly the E. I opted for he acoustic hole placement. It’s not hard for me to fill the flute or reach the holes.
Let me just say: The C set up is just gorgeous. Beautiful sound. It’s all I can do to keep from fainting with delight while I play it.
Oh, Bloo, just when I thought I was through ordering flutes, you have to post this! I have a D with an Eflat section, which I absolutely love. I had a Burns A-Bb-C flute but had to part with it due to hand problems. I loved the C section of that and have been mulling over getting Patrick to make me a C section. Mine is a small-holed model; I can’t decide whether the smaller bore will make the C mellower since the volume of the lower octave will be down a little, or whether it will make it edgier since it is likely to have more harmonic structure.
C flutes are the best. All the response of a D flute, with the darkness and mellowness of tone of a Bb. Josh had better finish his recording and get mine back to me soon, or I may get cranky…
On the subject of C flutes in general,
I have a CB all-wood boxwood C flute that is
phenomenally beautiful. Also
a Sweetheart cherry wood C flute
that is sort of amazingly good.
It seems to be a key that brings out
the best in flutes.
I’d have to agree. I much prefer C to Bb.
I’ve had the pleasure of many Olwells…quite glorious and very consistent.
Pat is among the nicest people in the world.
Doc
I’m envious, I talked to Kara at East Durham in 2006 about getting a C body for my Pratten but haven’t had the spare cash to order one.
Damn you galvanized pipe!
Maybe when my name comes up for a keyed flute I’ll slip an order in for a C body too.
Congratulations.