Hi!
I’m wondering which whistle is better, Chieftain Mezzo D or Kerry Songbird D.Tell me all that you know about these whistles or/and tell me which one is your favorite out of these two.Please respond if you can help me out.Thanks!!! 
I’d like to know as well as I am trying to find that soprano D that just fits right for me.
I have a Chieftain Sop’ D.
I know nothing about the kerry songbird, other than what people have posted @ C&F. Use the search thingy at the top of the page to find out.
The Chieftain is VERY loud. ‘Wide’ sound, second octave and above can be
painful. You have to play these things with confidence and force, they are not for the timid or short of breath.
I only use mine for noisy places or to annoy people 
Prefer my Dixon sop D for tone and playability.
P’raps another C&F’er will chip in 
I have owned both. Neither is close to being worth the money. I’d recommend a Burke.
If you want volume and you’re not too concerned about tone, a Susato is just as good (or bad) as the ones you have listed, and costs a lot less.
Caveat: the last Susato I bought (a few weeks ago) was badly flat at the high end. Fifty cents off. I returned it. I don’t know if this is a new trend of just an one-off.
Wll now I have a non tunable Chieftian in D and it isnt loud or shrill at all. The aluminume is pretty thick so it takes some warming up but it is clear and very in tune. The secound octive is not an ear percer but it does project. When David was over the other day he played it and it sounded just killer. Ive never played the Kerry so I don`t know about it.
Just goes to show ya everyone hears something different-)
Tom
I’ve seen Phil Hardy playing both in last July Mesquer ITM festival.
The soprano Chieftain is the fattest bore aluminium D I’ve seen, with extra big holes. It’s also very loud, and apparently needs a strong puff. Its chiffy sound was to me vaguely reminiscent of low whistles.
Phil’s personal Songbird was a much more conventional looking whistle, with a medium volume, purer sound, and low breath requirements.
When asked, Phil commented the Chieftain was more intended like a low whistler’s soprano, and the Songbird for primarily pennywhistle players.
However, when Phil was playing the Songbird in a café, Pascal Martin, a local professional Uillean piper was around. As they usually go, he of course plays the whistle too, mostly low; his are in D and C, both Overtons. He heard Phil, sat by, asked to play his whistle, and obviously fell in love with its sound and feel. Note that he had tried out in the past my tweaked Shaw, a nickel Copeland, and a few others. None impressed him as much; he did really like a lot my “practice” Alba but judged it a bit too quiet for his trade.
Please note that this guy has been pennywhistling for years exclusively on a battered, corroded and duct-taped Clarke Sweetone, and didn’t see a reason to change…
I agree with Zub and EDF on this one. You don’t just pick up and play a Chieftain high D. It needs careful warming and needs a certain amount of attack to play. Holes are indeed big, so wouldn’t suit the fine fingered. Well-made, biiig bore, and thick-walled (slow to warm up, and quick to cool down :roll: ). Plays well though and sounds very good…it is quite loud.
The observation about it being a low whistler’s high whistle is a very good one.
Trisha