Hi folks, what key is this in please? Just went through a bag of whistles and can’t seem to find it, though I don’t have all keys like an F or G whistle. I don’t mind if there’s a bit of extra half holing involved, but what would be the handiest whistle for it. It’s a song to the Munster Cloak, there’s a lovely version of it in Irish too. Thanks in advance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA4FogfHxrc&list=FLHn9pvd_iXnIO6K5RB3PE4A&index=1
It’s in between A and Bb major, so if you shoot for the latter you would need an F - as it happens, one you don’t have - for the handiest whistle (using G fingerings) to play the tune closest to (but somewhere sharp of) recorded pitch. Alternatively you could use a Bb whistle if you don’t mind folding or substituting some notes. If you want to approach from the flatter side - A - use an E whistle with G fingerings, or an A whistle, similarly to the Bb.
Either way you’ll have to flatten your F and Bb, or sharpen your E and A whistles to match the recording’s actual pitch.
I probably could have said all this in a less cumbersome way. 
Thanks Nano, one of our singers does it and he said he got it from that recording, cause he saw we were all pulling our hair out trying to find him. I don’t think there’s much point in me sharpening or flattening whistles at the session if it’s his pitch that’s slightly out as everyone else like our fiddle players would be still snookered, and it’s only the one song that you wouldn’t know when he’s going to sing so wouldn’t be practical for everyone to re-tune. He’s a good singer so I could push him up or down a half step no bother. That should make it easier for everyone involved. I’ll hold out till I buy my low F whistle. Thanks again!
As is only right and fitting. Gotta push them singers around now and again. It’s good for 'em. 
Just adding … There was a tendency with many vinyl recordings to boost the tape speed in the mastering process, presumably in order to brighten the sound. So chances are good here that the original recording was in A.
Some turntables (like mine) have/had a speed fine adjustment to de-compensate back to concert pitch. In this case, you could extract the audio from the FLV and use a slow downer or audio editor to bring it down, then play along with an A, E, or D whistle. It works fine on a D whistle in AMaj fingering with a few cross-fingered G#s.
Key of A, would it have been? Because I’m lazier than MTGuru, Blaydo, I would be the one to push that singer around some more and see if he has it in him to sing it just a step lower in G. If it’s all the same to him and it sounds good, then you could still use a D whistle. That would simplify things even more if you’re inclined that way (as I am). OTOH, if half-holing’s no issue, then you’re set.
I tried G already, that’s what the normal Munster Cloak is in, isn’t it? Well that didn’t work! He didn’t like that at all. I’m just thinking, one of the lads has a nice low F whistle, so I’ll see if I can get that to work between them. You mentioned it would be close enough on an F whistle with G fingering, so the whistle player wouldn’t even have to change fingering as that’s how you’d finger that tune normally anyway.
Thanks MTGuru, if he says “well the original was like this…” I can always throw that at him! “Well actually…” haha