This piece featured in an episode of Star Trek the Next Generation with captain Picard playing a Bressiken Flute as he calls it (played on an Ocarina here). It’s a lovely piece but is it based on a traditional Irish song?
There’s elements of Danny Boy in there but I’m not sure.
It’s a Ressikan flute.
Indeed. But quite obviously a tin whistle. But what about the music?
I’ve always assumed that it was written specifically for the programme. It certainly doesn’t sound traditional. I must admit, I’d be surprised if it was. Let’s have a Google and see what we can find …
From this site:
> Jay Chattaway composed the music for this episode, including the Ressikan flute solo played by Kamin and Picard. Chattaway later expanded this piece into a six-minute orchestral suite for The Best of Star Trek, Volume One. The Ressikan melody has similarities to the Scottish tune Skye Boat Song, also known as Speed Bonny Boat. (citation needed)
Indeed. But quite obviously a tin whistle.
This has been discussed on the whistle forum (why is this on the Irish Music Forum now , I wonder?). I don’t see the particular interest but that’s probably just me. The Ressikan flute used in the tv series was sold at auction some years ago (do a forum search), it was not a whistle, it was a stage prop, not intended to make any sound at all.
I don’t think it’s just you. It would be much better on the whistle forum, so I’ll move it there now.
There! Done. 
On the whole, TV and movie producers tend to prefer to pay a composer for a piece of original music rather than hope that a “trad” piece really is traditional, and not a more recent composition that’s circulating anonymously but for which a valid, and expensive, copyright claim might one day appear.
I did post it to ITMF but it appears its been moved here!
I dont understand how this ended up in here! I coukd have sworn I posted it in ITMF!
It’s because The Powers That Be, well, Be. And sometimes, Do. Look above a few posts and you’ll see one of the Moderators (and contributors) moved the thread over here. You’re lucky, it could have been moved into the Poststructural Pub.
Word.
I dont mind it being here but the funny thing is people on here are surprised its here too!
Judging by the evidence, so far I think you’re actually the only one.
The reason it got moved was that the tune isn’t Trad, so it doesn’t go in the ITM Forum. You’ll note that discussion on this thread led to the confirmation that it isn’t a Trad tune at all, and Ben saw fit to correct the error. This is part of a moderator’s job, and moving topics isn’t all that unusual even if it’s not often that we have to do it. Strictly speaking, it could just as well go in the World/Folk Winds Forum because not only is the tune not Trad, she’s playing an ocarina, not a whistle - but maybe Ben was tired, or he felt that the fictional Ressikan Flute concept made the ocarina irrelevant.
It was the latter.
Meanwhile …
Earlier in the thread:
I apologise if I broke the rules, I’ll delete the post if it causes upset.
You haven’t broken any rules, and you haven’t caused upset, so far as I know, and nobody has suggested that you have. Ben - Mod*
\
- NB: Since you are new round here, to explain, my post above is in red because I am writing it in my capacity as a Moderator.
Good to hear
Plus in this particular case it’s doubtful they had access to any trad Kataan tunes!
Also,from “Fandom” site-"Morgan Gendel revealed that the episode’s title is an in-joke. “‘The Inner Light’ was the B-side of ‘Lady Madonna.’ I thought it would be fun to give every Star Trek episode I wrote a title that’s from a different, obscure Beatles song.”
So we go from a name of a song,to a name of a TV show episode,to the name of a (different) tune.
Curioser and curioser.
More importantly, anyone have sheet music scored for the whistle?