J - Comhaltas Archive

Che Cin Whistler
L\llison M. Brock
- t the Milwaukee Irish Fest in
1995, my Dad picked up a $6
71; Fead6g tin whistle for my sister,
Bridget who was enthusiastic about
learning to play for almost a week. It lay
inside her top dresser drawer for over a
year, its green plastic mouthpiece
suffocating in dust, before my father
rescued the Fead6g and blew some life
into its shiny, pierced, tubular, metal
body. Because the instrument is
inexpensive, compact, lightweight, and
can be self-taught easi Iy, it is popu lar for
the beginning Irish musician. My Dad,
an amateur himself, was first acquainted
with a tin whistle, or pennywhistle as it
is sometimes called, in 1988 when my
Uncle Willie brought a tin whistle home
from Dublin.
Clarke, the oldest tin whistle brand, is an
English company that produces an oddlooking
whistle (some say it looks more
like a child's toy than an actual musical
instrument), consisting of a thin, rolled,
black metal sheet that overlaps itself and
joins at a welded seam. It is the only
conical or tapered whistle that is still
played, though it is rare to see traditional
musicians use them. The wide end of the
Clarke whistle is at the top, while it takes
on a rectangular shape, as opposed to
the more tube-like middle and bottom.
At the top of this rectangle rests a small
and thick block of wood, called a fipple,
which is set inside the mouth piece as a
plug. The fipple is so tightly packed
inside of this narrow space, that the only
way it is bound to the metal is through a
few miniature holes punctured on the
sides of the upper portion, keeping the
piece tightly secure. A space of about
1.8" between the top of the fipple and
the inner metal wall serves as a pathway
directs the player's breath against
small incision, out of which notes
escape, about 5/8" from the top end. My
Dad's Clarke C whistle stands about 13
inches tall, with its six holes of various
sizes spaced almost equally apart. It is
unusual for this instrument to be
manufactured in the key of C, because
many tunes composed specifically for
the tin whistle are set in the key of D,
such as 'Cat in the Corner' or 'The Bucks
of Oranmore' .
Because of this musical inconvenience
and the fact that the sound produced by
the Clarke is very soft and breathy, my
father only plays his Fead6g. It also calls
for large reserves of breath and is at an
awkward pitch for group playing or
sessions, as other Irish instruments like
some accordions, are in the key of D. The
cylindrical Fead6g, made in Ireland of
brass with a green mouthpiece, measures
about 11 1/2 inches, and produces a
sharper and louder sound than the
Clarke. Since the 1950's, tin whistles with
moulded mouthpieces such as the
Fead6g or Generation brand whistles
have replaced the Clarke, though older
traditional musicians may prefer the
rusticity of the conical whistle. However,
in pubs, concerts, or at Irish musical
competitions,
also known as Fleadh Cheoil, I always
see both amateurs and professionals
playing the Fead6g.
There are a few drawbacks to Fead6gs or
Generation brand whistles, however.
According to Michael Cooney, an AII­
Ireland Champion on the whistle and
uilleann pipes from Co. Tipperary,
'They're great, but they' re mass
produced so you have to really check
them for the sound .' When hunting for
the clearest sounding Fead6g or
Generation Cooney suggests that the
musician examine the mouth piece for
any extra bits of plastic that may have
remained after moulding. If after
purchasing a new whistle, these hidden
burrs are discovered, a jeweller's flat file
or a razor wi II remove the odd
obstructions.
Laurence Nugent from Fermanagh
Sitting in the dark, smoke-filled room at
McGurk's, just inches from the tiny stage
where the musicians were making their
music, I snacked on chicken fingers and
washed it down with a tall pint of
Guinness. An older couple sat in a
corner, drinking their pair of Irish coffees
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