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New Book: The History of the Tinwhistle by Norman Dannatt

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:58 pm
by Dale
Dear Friends,

My friend Norman Dannatt sent me a copy of the second edition of his essential history of the tinwhistle. "The History of the Tinwhistle: The Story of Robert Clarke & His Musical Invention." Published in Great Britain by the Clarke Tinwhistle Company. ISBN 095496932-4.

I contributed the foreword. The text of the book mentions Chiff & Fipple and the Undisputed and it is our honor. (Alas, there is no emoticon for "moved and proud.")

I'll keep you posted about how to obtain a copy.

Dale

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Re: New Book: The History of the Tinwhistle by Norman Danna

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 9:14 pm
by Walden
Congratulations, Dale. This is truly wonderful.

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 9:36 pm
by Congratulations
An honor well-deserved! :)

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:56 am
by ctilbury
Thats great, Dale. Thanks for such a great place to visit with fellow whistle lovers.

I am looking forward to getting a copy of this book. Do you know of other books about the history of the penny whistle?

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 5:36 am
by brewerpaul
Most excellent, Dale! This further cements your Undisputed status...

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 2:51 pm
by Kelhorn Mike
Hello all,
Now, please correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Robert Clark
first figured out how to mass produce a decent whistle for a very
low cost. An outstanding accomplishment in itself but I think
terming it his "musical" invention on the cover goes a little far.
It kind of implies he invented the whistle itself and to the best
of knowledge that's not true. Hate to be a stick in the mud but
a spade is a spade. Just MHO!

Best to Everyone,

Kelhorn Mike

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 3:27 pm
by OBrien
Not to be to picky about it, but the title of the book refers to the tinwhistle, not the whistle, which is prehistoric. To quote from the Clarke website:



Robert Clarke, a poor farm labourer owned and played a small wooden whistle. He heard that a new material called tinplate had been invented. He asked his friend the blacksmith if he could obtain some tinplate and show him how to reproduce his wooden whistle, using this new metal product.

The new Tinwhistle played so well that Robert decided to begin a business manufacturing these instruments.



So, Robert Clarke is credited with inventing the process by which rolled conical tin whistles are made. I think the subtitle of the book is valid.

Re: New Book: The History of the Tinwhistle by Norman Danna

Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 7:37 am
by fearfaoin
DaleWisely wrote:(Alas, there is no emoticon for "moved and proud.")
Image
O'Brien wrote:the title of the book refers to the tinwhistle, not the whistle, which is prehistoric.
Agreed. Clarke didn't invent the whistle, but he certainly invented the
tin version, making it a "tinwhistle", and the process to manufacture
it to make it the vastly consumable product it is today.

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:10 pm
by Wanderer
I just got this book today..very nice :)

tinwhistle vs. tin whistle

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 5:11 am
by arlan
From this discussion, may I conclude that the proper name of this wind instrument we love is tinwhistle, not tin whistle, right?

My thought is that what Robert Clarke invented was NOT a new version of the (pre-historical) whistle made of tin, i. e. a tin whistle. But a brand new wind object, with holes, made of tin in the beginning: the tinwhistle.

Is it right?

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:20 am
by John F.
It looks like an awesome book! However, Dale's avatar of the creepy mad scientist from the "Lost" TV series has me too freaked out to function today! :o :D

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:14 am
by Dale
I love all these posts that refer to my, or anyone else's, avatars. I change mine with regularity. So, somebody will eventually come along and read about my mad scientist avatar and look up and find a picture of a turnip or something.


Dale

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:20 am
by BillChin
Wanderer wrote:I just got this book today..very nice :)
I have a question. What does the book say about the price of the tinwhistles in 1843? Was it really an English penny and later a halfpenny (Meg)? Or does it side with some revisionists and say the name pennywhistle is derived from buskers receiving pennies?

Thanks.

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:56 am
by Unseen122
Congrats Dale.

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:57 am
by inkygirl
Congratulations! I need to get this book.