Chiff and Fipple Forums

I haven't found any information about Mk whistles planning to come out with other whistle keys(in an older post on Misha's blog I read he was working on a low G....like 2 years ago...). Does anybody know anything about this?

I was told not last winter, but the winter before that the low G should be ready within a matter of a couple months from then. I's been roughly 16 months or so since I was told this. I hope he does go through with doing it. He said he was working on having the G available, and then one in A to follow quite a while later. The A is what I'm really looking forward to, so I hope he hasn't changed his mind. Perhaps just a delay.

I've only played MK Low Ds, but based on how they play, it would be wonderful to have a whistle roll full of MKs in several keys (if I could afford it).

I've still never seen an MK F in person, to be able to toot on it. I just don't use an F whistle all that much. On many gigs I can handle everything with a D and a C, sometimes I also have to use a Bb and an E (for three & four flats, and three & four sharps).

What I'd jump at right away is an MK Low C, and an MK Low E.

Since I saw Misha's comment about the G being almost ready, and the A being next, I've checked the MK design blog every few months, to see how it's been coming. I hope it won't be much longer.

I think the new keys of MK that I'd buy first would be A, and then maybe low C.

Richard: Your post made me smile. In concerts with the band, I also cover all needed keys with a D (low and high) and C, plus an MK F and a high E. While I own other keys, I simply do not use them with the group.

The MK low F is a truly fine instrument. I know that Misha had trouble with the anodizing on the early green instruments, and mine took a long time. He will not ship an instrument unless it is up to his standards… I respect that...

When it was finally shipped, I was so looking forward to it, and happened to be mowing the lawn when the USPS delivered it. I took it from the hands of the post lady, and the packaging was truly destroyed. It had been thoroughly trashed, and someone had taped it back together. I emailed Misha that I had to refuse delivery, and it headed back to Scotland. Bummer. I was told later that it looked like something heavy and sharp had fallen on it, and the whistle was actually cut in half. This surprised me, as Misha uses relatively heavy gauge aluminum in the instrument. End of story is happy. My replacement F has been in use for quite a long time, and it is a true winner. All is well.

Cheers.
Byll

Byll wrote:Richard: Your post made me smile. In concerts with the band, I also cover all needed keys with a D (low and high) and C, plus an MK F and a high E.

I go with a Low E... High E is kinda scary. What High E do you use? If there's a nice-playing sweet High E it's probably something I need.

But I don't use F very much. I'll use the C for one flat, a Bb for two and three flats, and Eb for three and four flats. Usually Hymnal stuff doesn't go more than four flats.

There are certain tunes which more or less require a certain whistle due to the combination of key and range, for example SLANE (Be Thou My Vision, Bridegroom And Bride) usually appears in Eb in Hymnals and fits best on a Bb whistle. There are many gigs where that's the only time I use a Bb.

PS When I read your screen name I automatically pronounce it in my head like the last syllable in Llanfairpyllgwyngyll, but it just dawned on me that it might not be like that at all.

Richard: Quite a few years ago, the owner of an on-line store gifted me with an O'Riordan high E. The gesture was completely unexpected, and I remain truly grateful. The instrument had seen hard use, and had issues. Pat is a wonderful friend, so I sent the high E to him for refurbishing - for which he refused to charge me… The whistle is wonderfully sweet in timbre, and works well for our uses. By contrast, I do find high G whistles to be scary. Brrr.

I use the MK F for things in G minor a lot. We perform Dougie MacLean's THIS LOVE WILL CARRY in F Major with a g minor bridge, and the MK F really nails it. The bridge can be played on a high C with little fuss, but the F simply is more powerful.

I use a Bb for a Shaker tune called ANCIENTS' SONG OF MOURNING and an air called THE GROVE - nothing else. LIke you, most of my work is done on D and C whistles, in their various comfortable keys.

Screen name: Very, very many years ago, my first band - all string instruments - was called Gladly Playe Wyth Stryngs, from a correctly spelled line in Chaucer. For the fun of it - in all band communications, both internal and external - we referred to ourselves by spelling our names, replacing all 'i's with 'y's, like Eryc, Crayg, and Byll. My real name of Bill became Byll - hence my continuing screen name. Yeah, I know… but it was fun at the time.

Cheers.
Byll

pancelticpiper wrote:... When I read your screen name I automatically pronounce it in my head like the last syllable in Llanfairpyllgwyngyll...

I can't even count the number of times I've mispronounced Llanfairpyllgwyngyll at parties, always to my embarrassment.

Best wishes.

Steve

Steve Bliven wrote: I can't even count the number of times I've mispronounced Llanfairpyllgwyngyll

I would think you would be quite good at pronouncing it, given that your name is Bleddyn!

Steve Bliven wrote:I can't even count the number of times I've mispronounced Llanfairpyllgwyngyll

pancelticpiper wrote:I would think you would be quite good at pronouncing it, given that your name is Bleddyn!

Can't tell you the number of times I've had trouble pronouncing that also...

For the record, the name Bleddyn is derived from the famous Welsh king, Bleddyn the Mediocre. Many generations have tried to live up to that surname.

Best wishes.

Steve

Steve Bliven wrote:

Steve Bliven wrote:I can't even count the number of times I've mispronounced Llanfairpyllgwyngyll

pancelticpiper wrote:I would think you would be quite good at pronouncing it, given that your name is Bleddyn!

Can't tell you the number of times I've had trouble pronouncing that also...

For the record, the name Bleddyn is derived from the famous Welsh king, Bleddyn the Mediocre. Many generations have tried to live up to that surname.

Best wishes.

Steve

Wouldn't that be living laterally to that surname?

Steve Bliven wrote:I can't even count the number of times I've mispronounced Llanfairpyllgwyngyll

pancelticpiper wrote:I would think you would be quite good at pronouncing it, given that your name is Bleddyn!

Steve Bliven wrote:Can't tell you the number of times I've had trouble pronouncing that also...For the record, the name Bleddyn is derived from the famous Welsh king, Bleddyn the Mediocre. Many generations have tried to live up to that surname.

PhilO wrote:Wouldn't that be living laterally to that surname?

As Bleddyn the Mediocre was know to say, "Um...sometyms"

Best wishes.

Styve

PhilO wrote:Wouldn't that be living laterally to that surname?

Lots of lateral fricatives in Welsh, though none in Bleddyn.