I was listening to Packie Manus Byrne playing an Overton low G whistle on the album ‘Donegal and back!’, and this got me thinking- would any of the old players have used low whistle if given the oppportunity?
O.K.- I know that Micho Russell,for example played Flute (and I expect that the standard answer will be “why would they play Low Whistle,when they could have played Flute?”),and that Willie Clancy play Pipes (would HE have taken to low whistle,like so many U.Pipers have these days?)
Just a bit of idle speculation.
Ideas/comments anyone?
This is a purely subjective view based on very little experience (all that can be summed up in the word PREJUDICE! 
) but you seem to hear quite a few young flash ‘arrys playing the low whistle these days (younger than me anyway). Damn good - but SOUL…? Gimme a good ol’ breathy flute any day - or just Micho…or Mary Bergin…
Steve
Seems like a lot of the “Geezers” switched from flute to D or C whistle in their old age – look at all the people pictured with whistles in Trip to Sligo who are listed as playing flute. So it doesn’t seem a great stretch to imagine that some of them might have chosen, say, a low F whistle, if a good one had been available.
I think it’s more useful to look at the reason why older players played the flute: for strength and volume to play at dances. The low whistle would not have been useful for that at all.
Other than that who knows. Traditional musicians are often very practical people. I heard one person once say he didn’t like the low whislte ‘but the yanks get a great buzz off it’ so he played it on tour.
How many serious traditional musicians today do you know who play traditional music on the low whistle (John Wynne is one), that should give some indication.
I can’t stand the sound of low whistles, new agey “Celtic twilight” sort of sound, very untraditional, should be banned alongside banjos and piano accordions, no balls to speak of, give me the pipes, flute or tin whistle any day.
I don’t like that “Celtic twilight” sound at all. But I have to say I have heard some very non-twilight playing from piano accordions.
I have a question. I have some concertina recordings by musicians in Ireland. I had thought that instrument was considered a good one for Irish music. I haven’t really been in the situation of comparing the sound of concertinas with piano accordions—too long a time between listenings—but is piano accordion considered to not sound right by purists? It seems to sound good to me. I am thinking of one player in particular, Paddy O’Brien of Minneapolis. I think his accordion has piano keys. It’s okay if people don’t like it, that won’t alter my opinion of his playing. But I am just curious about whether there is a general opinion I was unaware of.
I don’t know for sure, but I think it has something to do with volume at a session. Ie, piano accordions can be VERY loud (and hence, very obnoxious). But I have seen pictures of old ceili bands that had piano accordions.
Just to set the record straight, Cynth, Paddy plays B/C button box (don’t know what make is his weapon of choice). Nice and liquid-sounding.
Oh gosh, I am sorry to make that mistake. 
Thank you for that correction nano. Now I wonder if I have seen piano accordion playing Irish music. There is a player from Chicago and I thought he played it, but I can’t remember his name. Just ignore everything I said!!!
IIRC he plays an old Paolo Soprani.
Jimmy Keane in Chicago plays a PA and he’s a fantastic traditional player.
Jimmy Keane in Bohola—that’s the fellow! I looked him up and saw a picture of the group and I recognized one of the people. That was quite a concert. The audience wanted, and got, an encore but I really felt it should not have been asked of them. He was obviously really beat from his great efforts. Thanks rh for bringing up his name.
Oh, pshaw. 
It’s like any instrument. It’s not the instrument, it’s the player and his/her attitude. Same with bodhrans. Piano accordions are perfectly capable of being played well and idiomatically (e.g. by Karen Tweed) but, sadly, this is the rare exception rather than the rule. Because of their loud volume they are very intrusive when not played well, which is why morale suddenly sags when an unknown piano accordionist turns up to join in. Same with bodhrans and ~ahem~ harmonicas…
Steve
Colomon, what alot of those old dudes did was they switched down to G, F and Eb flutes which are alot less demanding. I can’t speculate on whether or not they would play the low whistle but I kinda agree with Peter in regards to dancing. Low whistles just don’t cut it.
As far as I know button accordians are better but I’ve heard some really nice music on piano accordions as well.
I’ve also heard some really accomplished piano accordianists, but I just don’t care for the sound of most free reed instruments, so it may well depend on the tastes of the listener.
re. flutes versus whistles, I thought the old timers gave up the fulte when they lost their lower front teeth. 
djm
…I shall take solace from the word “most…” 
Steve
Oh the poor harmonica man. But remember you were hero-worshipped very recently. That ought to help.
I was thinking about something similar today while playing my piccolo. No one plays piccolo in Irish music much these days, that I know of, and it’s a really fun instrument, when you have a good one going. But it would cost a mint to shop around for the things without all the bargains you can get on Ebay.
Old catalogs like the Sears and Roebuck listed cheap metal fifes. I don’t know if the like were available in Ireland. People would make fifes out of elder branches, even a bicycle pump in one instance. Whatever’s handy. If low whistles would have been around I’m sure someone would have given it a try, so long as it’s cheap.
I’ve a pal who plays great on the piano accordion, including the basses. Another danger with them is slop - it’s easy to hit a couple of keys at once, giving a Schoenberg type effect.
That may be, but it is an objective fact that some “geezers” switched primarily to high whistle. Jim Donoghue, for instance – I think most of us who know who he was think of him as a whistler, but he played flute in duets with Jim Coleman back in the day. I don’t have Trip to Sligo handy to check, but I’m pretty sure everyone in the book who is pictured as an old man holding a whistle played flute in his prime.
Now of course, I’ve no way of knowing if any of them would have played low whistle given the chance… but given access to easy-playing modern low whistles, it’s not to hard to imagine a few of them might have enjoyed playing them. Even if they weren’t loud enough for dances. They’re certainly loud enough for kitchens.
That was refreshing, Steam. Though not quite as outspoken as you, I am not enamored of the low whistle sound in general. It’s very fun for accompanying singers (intros, fills, verse soloes) though and my favorite use on recordings is that way too, songs rather than dances.