what particular whistles do famous players play? i didn’t find as much info as i had hoped in the archives. it would be great to have a list of 15-20 popular whistlers and what whistle they play (most often) and perhaps the key they play most often.
or maybe we should create whistler cards like baseball cards which provide a bunch of specs
name: joannie madden
whistle of choice: o’riordan
favourite cereal: corn flakes
place of birth: NY
most difficult song: mason’s apron
record 32-8-3 (i have no idea what that would mean)
i know great players play many different whistles and eat many different cereals, but you get the idea.
Grey Larsen (American) plays Copeland whistles. I believe he played Abell whistles for a bit but mainly favors Copelands now. He also has an Abell headjoint for his flute.
Timmy Britton (of Chulrua) also plays Copeland whistles.
Larry Nugent (Irish but lives in America) plays a Copeland, and I think an Overton low whistle. Or at least he did last time I saw him, which was a few years ago, so that could be different now.
On the Scoiltrad whistle lessons it looks like Conal O’Grada is playing a brass Walton’s whistle, but I don’t know if that is his regular whistle of choice.
He can make that whistle do some pretty amazing things–he has the talent of putting a strong driving rhythmic pulse in his playing, even on whistle.
My friend and mentor Shannon Heaton of Siucra (www.siucra.net) Is a master fluter & whistler - She grew up in Chicago and hangs with guys like John Williams & Liz Carroll. She now lives in Boston with her husband Matt. She plays a 12 year old Thin Weasel in Blackwood. She also has a generation Eb and an Ian Lambe F. Those are the main ones she plays on stage. Oh and she plays Olwell keyed flutes in D & Eb.
Well, I’d call call her more “famous” than “great” but she can certainly hold her own on the whistle…Andrea Corr had been playing Walton’s LBWs, but more recently has been playing Generations. She used Generations during the taping of “The Corrs Live in Dublin”, which was aired on MTV. But keep in mind she’s in a position to get the cream of the crop and most likely has them tweaked to her liking.
Davy Spillane - Overton (but he’ll deny it)
Paddy Keenan - Grinter
Sean Smyth - Grinter and Kerry Pro
Kevin Crawford - Grinter
Mick Woodruff - Rose
Mike McGoldrick - Grinter
(I know about the Grinter list because I had brekkie with Mike Grinter yesterday on his way through to Willie Week, and he reeled off his client list [not as a boast I hasten to add, he’s a modest bloke]. They were repeat orders too).
The great names (Moloney, Potts, etc) only play Gens/Waltons because that’s all there was in their day. When they discover Rose/Abell/Sindt/Burke/etc etc, they convert to those, so don’t think mastering a Gen is the ultimate achievement! Even the diehard Gen woman, Mary Bergin, now plays a Sindt (or was it a Burke?)
On 2002-07-03 11:44, nickt wrote:
Davy Spillane - Overton (but he’ll deny it)
Paddy Keenan - Grinter
Sean Smyth - Grinter and Kerry Pro
Kevin Crawford - Grinter
Mick Woodruff - Rose
Mike McGoldrick - Grinter
Nick, I do realize that you’re a big fan of wooden whistle makers whose work you own. But I feel a little reality check is in order. If you’re going to put Mick Woodruff among the greats, I’d say (no disrespect to Mick) that your list should include several thousand players with equal or greater claims to that status, in Ireland and elsewhere, many under the age of 12 – of whom very few own anything other than a cheap plastic-headed whistle.
Yeah, and it would take more than having a coffee with Mike Grinter himself or a shower with Mary Bergin to make me believe that all good players would switch to Abell/Rose/etc when they try them… some people should start travelling!
Interestingly on her latest CD [which I have on loan from the one and only Brid Donohue who is easily one of the greatest on nothing but a generation] the sleeve notes say ‘Geraldine Cotter plays a tin whistle made by John Sindt’
There you have it. She plays mostly piano on the CD though.
[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2002-07-03 19:59 ]
On 2002-07-03 16:21, Azalin wrote:
some people should start travelling!
He’s only saying that because he’s off to Ireland tonight, people. Az, I look forward to hearing news of your shower-companions/tent-mates when you get back!
Ehhh Stevie, havin’ a good blast in here. Got Sean Ryan (is it how you spell it?) as a teacher and he’s very good, almost as good as you ha-ha-ha! The campsite is drowned in water, and it’s raining all the time, and it’s cold, but beside that it’s great! Got to see a “private session” with Joe Burke, and I’m recording like crazy. Most of all, got to learn a set dance tune! Hmmm, there are so many Susato in here, the air smells like black plastic! Hehe, later!
