Who plays it. I saw that Sir James Galway plays on a few tracks that sound like whistle, but I imagine a flute god like Galway can make a flute sound like a whistle if he feels like it. I’ve also heard that Galways plays the whistle, so who knows.
But he’s not in the first one, and that’s definently a whistle. Does anyone know about it?
James Galway plays an Abell,but I’m not sure who plays in the films.
He’s featured in the third film for cerrtian.
I Don’t think he was in the first two.
Well, the Galway mystery is solved. After some slick detective work, I discoverd that Galways does indeed play the whistle (as well as the flute) on the score for the third film.
It still remains a mystery who is to be blamed for the awesome whistle playing on the first film (I don’t believe the second one has any). It’s got more of a trad type sound than on the third. Galway’s playing is a bit more neat and clean… in a good way. The man can play any kind of music like a master, but it still always sounds like Galway.
Flute solo on LOTR, Alan Doherty of Grada (Dublin).
Kevn Krell
I have it on good authority that the whistle player on “The Return of the King” was Mike Taylor ex Incantation.
He and Tony Hinnigan play most whistle pieces on the blockbuster movies as it is a very closed shop.
He most likely would have used Abell whistles for that.
Phil.
I don’t really think this is the case, being that the credits given on the soundtrack collector website (my tricky dectective work) say “Featuring James Galway on the Flute and Tin Whistle”.
- The Black Gate opens (04:02)
featuring Sir James Galway (flute & tin whistle)- The End of all Things (05:13)
featuring Renée Fleming- The Return of the King (10:14)
featuring Sir James Galway (flute & tin whistle) & Renée Fleming - contains “Aragorn’s Coronation”: melody by Viggo Mortensen - words by J.R.R. Tolkien- The Grey Havens (05:59)
featuring Sir James Galway (flute & tin whistle)
I’m not saying that it’s gosple because I found it on the internet, but it seems fairly legit. Don’t know why anyone would lie about that… And I doubt is difficult for Sir James Galway to find the keys to this “closed shop”. You might say he has one foot in the door. Heck, I’d let the guy play the banjo for my movie just to get the name!
Upon another listening, the vibrato on the whistle sounds exactly like Galway's vibrato on the flute. I knida really think it was him.Whoever, it’s great stuff!
Also, See this discussion in this thread from May of 03: http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=119312&highlight=lord+rings
Kevin Krell gave the answer, I think. Here is a post to the Grada website, and an answer to your question.
There’s also this on the Cherish the Ladies website under Joanie Madden’s bio:
“In the past year she has toured with the Eagles’ Don Henley and was also a featured soloist on the final Lord of the Rings soundtrack.”
Take your pick. Sounds like they used a lot of folks.
Susan
Galway’s autobiography certainly mentions him playing whistle when he was young and then violin before moving onto the flute. He plays the Belfast Hornpipe on whistle on several of his CDs. His ornamentation never sounds ITM to me. Great flutist though.
I would assume that Sir James Galway only played on the songs for ROTK that give him credit, so the whistle in other songs of the same soundtrack and for The Two Towers are likely where Joannie Madden and Mike Taylor performed. According to the Grada website and another post here on C&F, Alan Doherty played the whistle on the first album. What I like is that no matter who is playing the whistle, the sound and style is consistant enough that unless you have a highly accurate ear, it feels like the same person played on all three soundtracks.
I have an Abell soprano d blackwood and a Greenwood soprano d blackwood and a Burke that I have played along with the soundtracks, and of the three, the Abell sounds the closest [with exception that I can’t get the style perfect and the vibrato will take some work]
Since we know that Sir James Galway only performs whistle with his Abell blackwood d, and the other whistle parts sound very close, you can’t lose with the Abell. But you already knew that, right? For anyone who cares, Sir James plays a gold Muramatsu flute.
A. Whistle or any other playing on movies or anything else is not a “closed shop”.
B. Mike Taylor played whistle on the first two “LOTR” scores and Jimmy Galway did the third.
C. End of story.
Tony Hinnigan
AKA Chief Wanganui.
I think Sir James Galway is a virtuoso on both whistle and flute. He has played whistles since a very young age. I’ve heard some of his serious whistle playing in live concert, powerful stuff. But he only plays on a HiD (an Abell) that I know of and really concentrates on flute.
About when he was just becoming famous he used a party trick (I saw it on TV) of playing two whistles at once, one in each hand, I suspect he had taped off the unused note holes so it would then be similar to playing a single whistle. He was even virtuoistic at doing that. He’s gifted.
Galway used to just pull out a Generation. If everyone on this board can afford a few whistles…
I’m glad the Chief chimed in, thanks Tony!
Well, as a rabid fan, I must speak! 
Remember that LOTR is not just one film with one soundtrack, but three completely separate full-length movies, encompassing six years of production. With that length of time as a guide, it is entirely likely that the professional musician who did one of the tracks on any of the three films may not be the one who does them all—I mean, not even the Stones got a six year gig, right?! 
The only person I can think of who gets credit for the entire production is Howard Shore, the composer. Otherwise, dozens of different artists from around the world were tapped to perform different pieces at different times. Just for these reasons alone I think any of the artists’ names who’ve been mentioned in this thread could have played an LOTR session, and can rightfully include it in their individual palmares. 
Whatever tho…the whole thing is just cool!
I watched an exclusive concert on the tele a while back that was held somewhere in NYC.
James broke out the whistle at one point & played a few tunes.
It was truly awesome and beautiful.
If memory serves, one tune he played was Danny Boy.
He displayed complete mastery over the instrument.
Cheers!
Rich
Agreed…
and from knowing Alan and from Gradas website, Alan played on it, too.
http://www.gradamusic.com/img/photos/alan.htm
Colin
Incidental story, I was in Watford which is my hometown a few years ago and a friend had taken over the Horn’s pub near the town hall. Myself and Brigitte went along to say Hello at lunch time and it was full of people wearing black suits. I ended up asking one of them what was happening and they were just having a break from recording LOTR soundtrack.
Say Colin, wheredya get that shakuhachi from anyway?