Hello, all. I found this board about a month ago after having purchased my first whistle - a Howard Low D. I know from my reading here that many advise against such a low whistle for a first foray, but I’m sort of a glutton for punishment this year. I just wrapped up my first year of med school at age 37 after a prior career in public broadcasting.
I like the whistle a lot, and after about 3 weeks am finally getting to the point where I no longer hold it in a death grip that makes my thumbs ache. I guess that counts as progress.
I’ve enjoyed reading all of the posts on this board and am impressed by the depth and breadth of the posters’ knowledge. I’m hoping to get there some day. In the meantime, I do have a question. I’m looking for a low, slow, mournful sounding air. One that really makes the most of the Low D’s sound. I’ve found the ABC Tune Finder, and read a thread in the archives about people’s favorite airs. I like The Song of the Books, but am wondering if there is one air that really sticks in your mind as haunting?
Thanks for all the information I’ve gleaned here.
Bill
Hi!
There’s an air I call “The Blue Hills of Antrim”. Properly, that’s a song as applied to the melody, I forget the Gaelic. Sorry. It’s very haunting, and would sound great on a low whistle, I think. I know there are folks here who would know the air’s regular name from the name I use.
If you can get ahold of the “Ceól Aduaidh” CD featuring Mairead ní Mhaonaigh and the late Frankie Kennedy (both of Altán), Mairead plays it unaccompanied in, I believe, the key of A, followed by “An Cloch na Ceithre Mhíle” (so why do I remember that one?). You can transpose it if you think of it in terms of an Em tune.
Best,
N
In my humble opinion, Anach Chuin is the very best for being haunting. It was written after a bunch of folks drowned in an accident in the early 1800’s.
But you’ll get many other opinions here that differ.
OK, that would be “Méiltí Cheann Dubhrann”. John Wynne also covers it on his “With every Breath” CD. I have a taste for how Mairead plays it, myself. 
Hi W,
I still work in public broadcasting, at WMUK in Kalamazoo, MI. It’s nice to have you here! What did you do in your public radio career?
My nominee for slow air is “St. Martin’s Churchyard,” by James Oswald, as played by David Greenberg on the CD, “Return of the Wanderer.” I also learned a great one off the tinwhistletunes.com site, played on pipes by Teri Kessler ( http://nwparalegal.com/music/McRun.mp3 ).
Cara
Hi, Cara. I was at WGTE in Toledo - so same general neck of the woods. I was actually station manager for the TV side, but we were colocated with an FM station. My main duty for radio was get on mic and do what we in the biz like to call “making the case for public broadcasting,” but everyone else seems to call “begging!”
Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. Time to do some hunting…
Bill
Bill,
Minstrel Boy sounds really great when played slowly on a low D.
Also, it isn’t Irish but, Stephen Foster’s Hard Times (Come Again no More) is also good.
Chuck, I’m given to understand that the Irish have “adopted” that tune (Hard Times)! In fact, somebody told me a story once of an Irish person who assumed that the tune was Irish and was surprised to find out otherwise! Talk about things coming full circle… 
You can hear Hard Times on one of the DeDannan cd’s. Sorry I can’t remember which and am too tired/sorry to go look.
When the term “Haunting” is used to describe a tune the most haunting one I know is on The Chieftans Long Black Veil cd- their version of Dunmore Lasses played with Ry Cooder on slide guitar is as “haunting” as it gets.
An EXTREMELY EASY tune to play that sounds rather haunting (at first) would be Dunmore Lassies as played by the Chieftains on their Long Black Veil album. The reason I say at first is because they steadily increase the tempo until it’s almost a craze! I did a somewhat poor recording of it myself a long time ago when I was just learning to get the stretch on a low whistle, on one of my own Low D’s and it even sounded decent!
Nowadays, if I really draw out the right notes, something about it does have a nifty haunting sound to it if you’re looking for a super easy tune.
Aside from all that… everyone else above has REALLY good choices for the ‘originally composed as’ haunting tunes.
Take care,
John