Riverdance whistles???

gemm84 · Post by **gemm84** » Sun Apr 28, 2002 7:24 pm

I just went to see Riverdance today (in Duluth, MN), and it was really really awesome! But anyway, I've read about David Spillane on the unsolved mysteries page, but the program said that Brian O'Brien was playing the whistles and pipes. Does anyone know what sort of whistle Mr. O'Brien plays? I saw him playing this silver low whistle and a little black whistle, but I couldn't tell what kinds they were.

Dave Parkhurst · Post by **Dave Parkhurst** » Sat May 04, 2002 1:58 am

If it was Cillian O'Brien, I believe he makes his own.....many of these guys are so multi-tasking that it scares us mortals.

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Mon May 06, 2002 3:48 pm

I do know that on the Riverdance Soundtrack, they use Susato High Whistles..

Dave Parkhurst · Post by **Dave Parkhurst** » Tue May 07, 2002 12:07 am

SAUSATOS? Surely you jest....

Dzhokar · Post by **Dzhokar** » Tue May 07, 2002 4:38 am

Hey! What's wrong with SAUSAGES?!?

heh heh heh ; D

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Tue May 07, 2002 7:28 am

No, I kid you not.

If you look in the fold-out (of the regular soundtrack) under 'Riverdance' for instrumentation, they list Susato whistles.

Although, you can't really hear them in the music... Well, you have to listen carefully.

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Tue May 07, 2002 8:52 am

LOTS of people in Ireland play Susatos. It's pretty much Oak, Generation, or Susato in my experience. Whenever I saw anyone play a C whistle it was always a Susato.
Chris

gemm84 · Post by **gemm84** » Tue May 07, 2002 3:03 pm

So do susatos sound a lot like recorders? I hate to ask a question like that, but I don't know... Maybe I'll get a susato next. I still have my recorder from 4th grade. It's awful.

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Tue May 07, 2002 3:43 pm

In my opinion, it sounds just like any other self-respecting whistle should.

My friend has a recorder (a plasic Yamaha), and they blend nicely together, but they don't sound the same. The Susato sounds a lot more whistley in comparison.

Jim W · Post by **Jim W** » Tue May 07, 2002 5:34 pm

I have Susatos in (VSB) G, F, E, D (SB) D, C, Bb, (Medium Bore) A, and (Wide Bore) G. I also have good quality Yamaha plastic recorders (sopranino, soprano, and alto), an older Moeck soprano recorder (maplewood?), and a pearwood Hohner bass recorder. The Susatos do not sound like *any* of the recorders, IMO, although they probably sound more like a recorder than does, say, the Shaw E whistle which I also have.