Hello all,
I’m a beginner whistle player looking for some guidance on a “period correct” whistle for American Civil War reenacting - something to play in the evenings in camp. Right now, I’m torn between a Clarke D and a Shaw D due to its all-metal construction. I haven’t found an affordable wooden whistle yet. Is there any sound or playing difference between the Clarke and the Shaw? I may be wrong, but other than price, the only difference noted between the two whistles is the Shaw seems to be more solid/sturdy.
My primary practice whistle is a Susato Oriole D, but I don’t bring it out for reenactments because it is plastic. Trying to keep with the 1860’s period theme. I like my Oriole because it’s pretty forgiving in how I blow compared to my Sweetone. Still working on breath control. Been learning to play for about nine months and having a blast.
As Clarkes were being manufactured over ten years before the “Brother’s War” those and the Shaw should certainly be acceptable at re-enactments.
A wooden whistle? Sure you wanna spend that kind of scratch for something that’s going to be around a camp full of guys who’ve been imbibing in O,Be Joyful ?Sounds risky. Plus I’m thinking as far as whistles one could purchase in them days most if not all were probably just metal bodied.
P.S. One of my mechanics is a re-enactor,has a large field piece outside his garage. Keep forgetting to ask him if it was used in the film “Gettysburg”.
My Grandfather was born in 1899. This was my Great Grandfather’s whistle. I don’t know when he got it, nor where, nor anything else about it, but it could be from the mid 1800’s. I rather guess he might have brought it with him, which might make it 1870’s. It is not impossible that he got it in Asia, Africa, Ireland, Scotland or New York (all the places we believe he was). The fipple is lead. It has a thin, sweet sound, and requires minimal breath.
Beautiful little whistle you’ve got there, and looks to be in pretty good shape! These kind of whistles were certainly around in the latter decades of the 19th century, as attested by the Sears and Ward catalogs. Yours looks very much like the model offered by Sears: “Nightengale flageolets … made of brass, nickel plated. A reliable well made instrument that must not be compared with cheap imitations.” The picture even shows the turnings above and below the finger holes, though it appears there was some kind of name plate soldered on to the body above where the “C” is marked. They came in the keys of B, C, D, E, F & G for 25c each back in the day. From the pictures it looks like your lead block is unprotected: if you’re going to give this old whistle a proper airing, as occasionally it should be, I’d certainly recommend coating the exposed lead with clear nail varnish. A very quick and easy operation that doesn’t affect the look of the instrument at all.
For the original poster, you can hardly go wrong with either the Clarke or the Shaw. Of course, Shaw wasn’t making whistles in the 1860s, but Clarke certainly was. And those too were available (in the 1890s) from Sears who were selling the tin version for 9c, the brass for 14c or the nickel plated for 18c. If you choose Shaw, it will certainly reflect the old nickel plated Clarke’s “London flageolets”. If you choose Clarke itself, look into their unfinished model. It looks very much like any old tinplate whistle you can find in an antique shop. Alternatively, if you’re looking to spice up your act with a period instrument, you could certainly look for one of the old brass whistles with lead plug. They do typically sound very nice, though they are tuned to an older standard. A modern Clare or Shaw will be tuned to modern A=440. Personally, I think those old tinplate whistles have a lovely sound, once tweaked a bit – and of course, that characteristic breathy sound is Clarke’s modern stock in trade! There’s a couple on Ebay at the moment for about $20. I got one a while back and am pretty happy with it.
I agree with the others about bringing a wood whistle into camp. If it’s a cheapo, why bother when you can bring an entirely period looking and sounding Clarke or Shaw? If it’s high end, why risk loss, theft or breakage of a valuable instrument? One constant complaint woodwind players of the day had was bad weather – rain, humidity, snow, ice, hot and cold – all of those things wreak havoc on wooden instruments. Your basic metal bodied tin whistle would definitely survive anything you could throw at it in a modern reenacting camp!
It’s at my parent’s house, so it’s not played often. When I do play it, I put a piece of cellophane tape on the fipple block, which is easily removed, leaving the whistle in completely original condition.
You don’t happen to have a link to a scan of that catalog page, do you?
The “period correct whistle” for ACW reenacting around these parts is called a fife. And a fife should be worth your consideration.
The suggested “tin” whistles are good ones. If you can find a Hohner or an old (non-plastic) Generation or similar vintage brass or tin whistle, they should do the job as well and would pass muster with the campers. Just keep it in a proper leather fife case on your belt
A cane whistle would be acceptable too - best if you can make it yourself - like trench art I suppose..
When I have played whistle at encampments, I have used one of several wooden whistles - Sweetheart, Schultz, Busman. There are many others that would be appropriate but, as you noted, they are generally on the expensive end of the pennywhistle price scale. While none of these is truly period correct, they won’t offend. As the music goes on into the evening the plastic topped Gens and other modern whistles (I’ve used a Susato Kildare) come out to play. YMMV.
All,
Thank you for your input. I appreciate the caution regarding a wooden whistle in camp since I wasn’t thinking about what could happen to it (water, scratches, etc.) considering the cost. As for the fife, my daughter tells me the fingerings are basically the same between the Bb fife and a D whistle (she plays the flute, piccolo, and fife). I just have a problem blowing and actually getting a reasonable sound out of a fife, but am having some success and a lot of fun playing a whistle .
I have plenty of music to practice with since one of my friends is in a Fife & Drum Corps and gave me a copy of their play list as well as the vast amount of Irish music out there. I’m sticking with mostly the standard Civil War era tunes commonly played at reenactments, but would eventually like to bring in some French music since we portray a Louisiana Infantry unit. From what I can tell, whistle music is primarily Irish/Scottish/English and not French. I did find a Mel Bay book that may be promising with a collection of French dance tunes (Dansons la Morvandelle).
I’ll likely pick up an unpainted Clarke soon since it is inexpensive, period correct, and I’m still a beginner.
There is a body of French military fife music. The re-enactors in Belgium and Luxembourg celebrate the campaigns of Napoleon and Wellington.
The French, from what I can tell, played fifes in ‘D’. At some point, the Continental Military opted for conic bore fifes, but I’m not sure if this was before or after the ACW.
I believe that fifes in the US went from d and then to c and b flat during the times of the revolutionary and civil wars. I don’t remember if the d fifes were played in the third register as often as the b flat. and often the “key” lacked the precision of what we have now.
You should hear the squawks and squeaks I get from a whistle. Blow a fife wrong and often you get nothing, a whistle, pain. Unfortunately, I have never found a properly bored fife that wasn’t 5-10X the price of a decent stamped whistle like the Clarke that is unfinished (and I do not like those, but that is opinion, not cost value ratio.)
I’ll add that I have a few great fifes, flutes, and whistles that I have picked up, play, say “that was lovely”, and then kick back on my Melbay or Peeler fife.
This sounds like perfect advice. I was going to suggest a Shaw, because as you say they look very much like typical 19th century flageolets.
I used to play an Irish flute that was made in 1860. I loaned it for a time to a person who was playing flute in a Civil War band… cool to have an original instrument of the period!
I don’t know of any Civil War camp photos showing whistles, but there are well-known photos showing 8-key wooden flute, fiddle, banjo, box, and tenor guitar.
I do - they’re not good (and they’re also a weird hybrid sort-of-recorder fingering which has some very unsatisfactory attempts at allowing chromatic notes). Same for the Aulos and Woodnote fifes.
If you’re looking at that price point you’d do far better with one of Tony Dixon’s plastic D piccolos. For not much a huge amount more than that, though, you could get an extremely decent (and, going back to the reenacting, probably acceptably authentic-looking) David Angus fife and have a proper quality instrument.
I do. I bought one when I ordered a few recorders online, as it put my total order over the threshold to get free shipping–meaning that I paid about -3 USD for the thing. Even at that price, I wasn’t satisfied with it. It doesn’t have a usable low F#, for one thing.
Thanks guys. I don’t want to derail the thread though! I’ll pass on that then --I had just seen them in the Yamaha Catalog near the recorders. The recorders are pretty nice, imo. It’s hard to imagine any other instrument that plays as well for $3.
I have one of Jem’s plastic piccolos already. I just need to learn to play it.
It sounds like I can’t go wrong with either the Clarke or Shaw; both of which are affordable and will fit in with the period . I’ve been encouraged to try to pick up the fife as well, but I’m thinking baby-steps. I’d like to get more comfortable and competent with the whistle as well as reading music before I do that.
As much as my family cringes when I practice and I’m not allowed to practice after 10pm, I’m having a lot of fun learning to play.
Usable in the lower two and one half registers, good chromatic, but not the same fingerings as a whistle or a fife. A great way to introduce someways of the modern flute, but that is it.
Jem’s piccolos are in the key of d (inexpensive, but top notch). It is in d, it is small, but it is a joy to play. Plays the first two and a half registers without adjusting. Great little piccolo.
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. I’ve been encouraged to try to pick up the fife as well, but I’m thinking baby-steps. I’d like to get more comfortable and competent with the whistle as well as reading music before I do that.
