Chiff and Fipple Forums

ennischanter wrote: ↑Fri May 26, 2023 5:40 pm

FlaminGalah wrote: ↑Fri May 26, 2023 4:33 pm


See I feel like even from Clancy, I hear THAT chanter despite. The style is definitely different, but there is a sound, an ineffable sound, in the mid range of the lower octave, that comes through regardless of whose fingers are on the holes. I can hear it from Colm as well.

That said, I completely and thoroughly agree that there has been a big change in soundscape between pipers of old and pipers post 70s (at least as far as recordings reveal- I’m too young to have any first hand knowledge of the before times).
I wonder how much of that has come from advances (or rediscoveries) in reedmaking- modern players seem to sound a bit more in tune with conventional scales, and a bit more “open” sounding, not in Geoff’s reedy vs flute-like way (which is a Union vs Uilleann pipes thing, if you take that distinction), but more in a less constrained, less “choked off” way. (That sounds critical- it’s not, I just can’t find other words to describe the sort of halting, constricted character I hear in older recordings).

I hear it too, for me it's the back D, has a very distinctive ring to it. I wonder if Colm plays the same Rowsome reed that Liam had? Apparently it is really large in size and was made in the late '60's, there's specs for it online somewhere I believe.


Also I think I know what you are saying, that many modern players play in a more open style? As opposed to the tight "pippity poppity" style? Hmmm maybe? There are some good young tight players, Joe Byrne plays in a very nice tight style, very enjoyable to listen to.



All of this is interesting food for thought too, Ennis's chanter has a very different sound today than when it was in Ennis's hands. There was talk about how differently it was reeded in Ennis's time (There was some work done on it too), I talked about, but Mr. Gumby talks of how, in small fleeting moments the chanter was still able to make "that" sound. It's very interesting, although I never heard the Coyne in person, I felt like I was able to coax "that" sound out of my C sharp chanter at certain fleeting moments (which is apparently based off of an Egan C chanter raised up in pitch), specifically that haunting, dark, woody Bottom D. It didn't last long, eventually it would brighten up giving me its usual bottom D sound, which is just a hair brighter in tone. But I also got the second octave to give me a similar sound. Interestingly enough I do have a C sharp Rogge full set on order, which is based off said Coyne, of course it will be it's own sound, and will be a Rogge C sharp, but I also wonder if I could once again coax that sound out of them. Hypothetically if I were to give it to Ennis to play, I wonder how many people would tell if it was his old Coyne or the Rogge, aside from obvious pitch differences....

Mr.Gumby wrote: ↑Sat May 27, 2023 12:20 am I am not so sure the Ennis chanter was (always) troublesome or that it would have been to Ennis.

And to underline my point about the driver's influence, there's Flynn saying Ennis sounded exactly like Ennus when playing the Reid set. 'There it was, the unmistakable Ennis sound'.

FlaminGalah wrote: ↑Sat May 27, 2023 12:51 am , like his very distinctive sounding cran.

rorybbellows wrote: ↑Sun May 28, 2023 2:01 am Yes I agree. Just pointing out the importance of WBCP in responce to the bashing they take by certain individuals who seem to do so at every opportunity.

RORY