Low whistle identification

[Lulu]

Hello!

I heard - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T92Er46xkCo and I fall in love of low whistle's sound in this song.
What is this whistle? Can you recognize it "by ear"?

Regards
Adam

[Kypfer]

Sounds more like a flute than a whistle to me, if I listen carefully to the tonguing in the low passages, about 15sec in, it sounds more like my home-made flute than any of my whistles ... but what do I know

[benhall.1]

I'd be fairly sure it isn't a flute. It's just possible that it's the recording of a whistle that's been subject to heavy, electronic treatment. But I don't think so. I think it's just something electronic and not a whistle or a flute at all.

[Denny]

whistle

[benhall.1]

I got a bit confused, looking for references for this band. The quotes below do appear to be from their own MySpace page, although I see that this page says they're from Australia whereas most references have them coming from New Zealand. Same guy, though - Nic Morrey:

"Lothlorien’s music is almost a genre on its own, playing both instrumental and song. Fresh with depth and expressed in a multitude of instruments capturing the journey of mood and emotion, they have been enthralling ears and eyes at festivals and events for nearly a decade.

The Lothlorien sound is unique, unlike any folk music you might have come across. Drawing on the increasingly multicultural nature of Australia, the members of the band are also unique in character, energy and presentation. They will often dress in costume, taking their listener on a bard’s journey guided by spoken word accompanyed by Celtic harp as introduction to compositions."

"In creating this complex tapestry of sound, Lothlorien’s main influences include Donovan, The Incredible String Band, Andreas Vollenweider, Dead Can Dance and Peter Gabriel. A few others also deserve a mention: The Penguin Cafe Orchestra, traditional musics of Greece, Ireland, Bolivia and Hungary, Steeleye Span, and Pentangle."


I'm always rather surprised (I suppose I shouldn't be, but hey, I'm a starry-eyed idealist) at how "Celtic music" aficionados* around the world (but thankfully not here in the UK) equate things Tolkien with things Celtic. Tolkien really didn't like Celtic stuff and tended to avoid it like the plague. His writing has nothing to do with Celtic myth and owes, in fact, a great deal to Germanic and Norse legend.


* Lothlorien describe themselves as "Contemporary Celtic World Fusion"

[Brigitte]

http://www.lothlorienmusic.com/images/loth-promo-2.jpg

looks like a Howard Low D to me.

Greetings
Brigitte

[Feadoggie]

What is this whistle? Can you recognize it "by ear"?

Yes Brigette, that looks like a Howard in that photo but a lot of time has passed since that recording was made and personnel have come and gone in the group Lothlorien. They were a three-piece back then. Nic Morrey is the hinge-pin. That recording of Dans An Dro seemed to be a popular one among certain parties around C&F going back ten years or so. Larry Nugent plays the same tune on one of his CDs. It may also go by the name the Wren. The answer to you question appears in the group photo about half way through the Youtube video, say about 2:14. What's that Overton-ish looking thing in the right arm of the bodhran player's arm? My own recollection from discussions going back over the years is that they were playing Overtons (but my memory is shot and going fast). The group's website at the time listed who in the band played what instruments. But, like I said, my memory is shot.

I played a version similar to that one for a few years.

If you search the archives here you may find something more definitive.

Feadoggi

[Brigitte]

I looked at the photo but the head is very unsharp and cannot remember this being discussed a few years ago. I looked again at the alumiumium-looking whistle and thought for an Overton the fingering is very evenly spread on the bottom three holes which would be untypical unless it is a short stretch model. Cannot help here then, with the slightly warmer, breathier tone it could sound like a Howard though.

Brigitte - soon to be moving.... hopefully....

[Lulu]

Thank you for your all answers

I decided to write to Lothlorien management, maybe I will find out...

Regards

[Anyanka]

I don't know anything about the band, and my ears may be going wonky, but I can hear flute & whistle: flute only till ca 58 seconds in , then both together, and then the whistle dominates. May be overdubbed.

[Lancelot]

I thought the whistle in that fuzzy photo in the video looked Overton-ish, but the holes seemed a bit smaller than average for his. But Brigitte would know way better than me.

[Brigitte]

Hi,

Feadoggie you have an incredible memory! There was a thread in mudcat.org in 2000 http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=23524 in which Nicole wrote about her whistles.

So going from what I could read there I would presume it is her Low D Overton in the photo. The hole spacing on the Low D then would be a small stretch model which has smaller tone holes as well. Bernard made those at that time already, so it could be one of his. The advantage of these is that if you have very small hands you have a chance to finger them well but the disadvantage of these is that they can have a tendency to be on the weaker side with the bottom notes, hence Colin did not make them so often and prefers to suggest to go for an off-set fingering to cope with the stretch of the standard model if someone has very small hands.

Greetings
Brigitte

[Feadoggie]

Feadoggie you have an incredible memory! There was a thread in mudcat.org in 2000 http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=23524 in which Nicole wrote about her whistles.

Brigitte, that's really good investigating. I'll suggest that the doctor adjust my meds. Thanks.

Feadoggie