Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hi all,

Can anyone identify the whistle in this video (if it is a whistle, of course). My best guess is a Swayne, but since I have never seen seen one in real life I cannot be sure.

Thanks

Phill

The video's blocked in the US, but I was able to get a view of the thumbnail image. It looks a lot like the Swayne I reviewed in 2006. The mouthpiece of the whistle is tulip-headed, and the end of the whistle looks thicker, and the tuning slide area also looks right for a Swayne.

Thanks for that Wanderer - the flare at the bottom, and the tulip head where that clues I was following. I tried to cut some clips from the video, but the resolution is low (does not show in video, but is noticeable in stills). They might be better than the thumbnail though:

What whistle? There's a whistle there?

Best wishes.

Steve

Steve Bliven wrote:What whistle? There's a whistle there?

Best wishes.

Steve

Distracted were you? Whatever you do do not watch their video 'Walpugisnacht' then.

Wanderer wrote: It looks a lot like the Swayne I reviewed in 2006.

That review is here. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=36872&start=0

Yep, certainly looks like a Swayne.

Now, while I did not expect for one moment that the video would show the actual recording process, I find it hard to reconcile the notes being played with a low D whistle. I think I can pick out the notes on a high D whistle, but if I am right that would put the low D entirely in the upper octave. This seems unlikely to me.

[Edit: and what is the name of that stringed instrument with a crank handle?]

It neither looks nor sounds like a low D. The notes are playable on standard C, alto G* or F (except one bit where we hear sustained high notes in the background with video where she's not playing), but her finger movements where we can see them aren't entirely consistent with any one of these. So, while it looks like something alto-ish she's playing, said playing appears to have been somewhat carelessly mimed for the video shoot and hasn't necessarily been filmed on the same whistle. Though it does sound plausibly Swayne.

*It's more awkward on the G because you need half-holed notional F (sounding Bb). Also possible on a Bb (requiring notional G#, sounding E), but unlikely. Normally I get these things from note-to-note timbre, ornamentation etc. as well as key, but struggling a bit here. I think it's probably a C but, as already stated, it looks alto and the fingerings on video don't always match.

The other thing is a hurdy gurdy.

DrPhill wrote:[Edit: and what is the name of that stringed instrument with a crank handle?]

It's a hurdy-gurdy.

Dammit! Peter got there first.

Jemtheflute has a Jon Swayne whistle. I can't make the thing produce anything remotely musical, but it sounds lovely when Jem plays it. Then again, so far, I haven't had much success with wooden whistles. I'm much better with metal ones.

DrPhill wrote:

Steve Bliven wrote:What whistle? There's a whistle there?

Best wishes.

Steve

Distracted were you? Whatever you do do not watch their video 'Walpugisnacht' then.

I just watched the Walpurgisnacht one. Very nicely done. Those videos must cost a fortune! I'm very impressed with the production quality. Good entertainment, though not really my sort of stuff.

benhall.1 wrote:It's a hurdy-gurdy.

Dammit! Peter got there first.

Yes, but you got the hyphen!

Peter Duggan wrote:

benhall.1 wrote:It's a hurdy-gurdy.

Dammit! Peter got there first.

Yes, but you got the hyphen!

Ah, so that is a hurdy-gurdy. It has always been a word without a referent to me. Must find some clips of a hurdy-gurdy playing on its own.

benhall.1 wrote:I just watched the Walpurgisnacht one. Very nicely done. Those videos must cost a fortune! I'm very impressed with the production quality. Good entertainment, though not really my sort of stuff.

I like the 'primitive, pagan' stuff. I found it very entertaining aurally and visually.

Peter Duggan wrote:It neither looks nor sounds like a low D.

I thought that the length looked about right - or are you referring solely to the fingerings used in the video?

Peter Duggan wrote:The notes are playable on standard C, alto G* or F (except one bit where we hear sustained high notes in the background with video where she's not playing), but her finger movements where we can see them aren't entirely consistent with any one of these.

Ah, at least partly the fingerings.

Peter Duggan wrote: So, while it looks like something alto-ish she's playing, said playing appears to have been somewhat carelessly mimed for the video shoot and hasn't necessarily been filmed on the same whistle. Though it does sound plausibly Swayne.

Thanks, Peter, that is helpful. I was trying to pick out the notes on a D and got some of them..... I will pitch it down in audacity and try again.

Likely she chose that whistle for the video because, being wooden, it looks the most 'medieval'.