SUCCESS!!! NE Whistle Gathering '05

Tyghress · Post by **Tyghress** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 7:37 am

It was a great time. I didn't know it was home brew or I would have tried the beer. Dratsky.

Oh well, it was a great day. The weather was perfect, the site was lovely (okay, there was an abundance of mosquitoes, but who's counting?) and there was always music playing somewhere around the circle. The instrument table was always in the center of things -- everything from a button box to a weird/wonderful cross of a saxaphone and bagpipe, and a ton of whistles to try out. A few whistles found new and appreciative homes (I got an E! I got an E!) and the new Sweetheart Low D's and BRAND new Sweetheart soprano C's were subject to a lot of playing. (When I got there the C's were unfinished. . .half an hour later they were ready for the road!

For me, there was something really cool about ambling down to the stream and sitting in the middle of .5 level rapids with a couple of shrieking kids and doing what we all SHOULD be doing on a perfect summer day. . .having fun. Thanks Walt for offering the site. Thanks to Slowair for keeping the ball rolling. Thanks to everyone who showed up for making it such a great day!

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:02 am

Tyghress wrote:It was a great time. I didn't know it was home brew or I would have tried the beer. Dratsky.

!

Well Heck, Tyg-- you live just down the road... I'll bet Uncle Walt would be happy to give you a rain check. It was mighty tasty!

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:26 am

brewerpaul wrote:
Tyghress wrote:It was a great time. I didn't know it was home brew or I would have tried the beer. Dratsky.

!
Well Heck, Tyg-- you live just down the road... I'll bet Uncle Walt would be happy to give you a rain check. It was mighty tasty!

The home brew sure hit the spot. Throw in the warm hospitality, wonderful group of folks and whistles and other instruments, scenic location - and I'd gladly make the 2.5 hour trip again.

It was really nice to see some old friends and some C&Fers I'd never met, play tunes with you all, including L.E. McCullough, and browse the SweetShop (

).

Special thanks to the Sweets.

Philo

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 11:34 am

brewerpaul wrote:Jeez-- it's 9:00 and I'm the first to post about the gathering yesterday! Sleepyheads!

I heard some really terrific playing and when I got closer I saw why-- LE McCullough had made the trip up from New Jersey.
.

Yes well I got home around 12:30 but didn't go to bed till about 4. So that is who that was I new he looked farmiliar I had seen pictures of him. I had a great time and when most people went swimming the playing was the greatest there were just 4 of us two whistles, me on Flute/Mandolin/Low Whistle, and a Guitar. Now because I played slowair's accordion I have to have one so I have devised a plan. Thanks to the Sweets for everything including Walt letting me play a lot of instruments from his personal collection including Flutes and a Tenor Banjo and the shop tour. Tyg there were so many mosquitoes I have about a million bites. I even sold two whistles one of my own Tweaked Feadogs and a Whitecap with Oak, Gan, and Clare now I have an exuse to update my sale post. I can't wait till the next one!

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 6:18 pm

I'm glad it was good! Personal reasons and exhaustion prevented me from trying add that extra 3-4 hours to my travels this weekend, but someday...

P.S. Mike, check your link...it doesn't seem to be working!

Whistling Willie · Post by **Whistling Willie** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 6:31 pm

I'm glad it was a success,sounds like everyone had a great time

slowair · Post by **slowair** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 7:45 pm

emmline wrote:I'm glad it was good! Personal reasons and exhaustion prevented me from trying add that extra 3-4 hours to my travels this weekend, but someday...

P.S. Mike, check your link...it doesn't seem to be working!

Yes, I've reported it to the web host, but apparently the company no longer has 24/7 customer support. I had to leave a message. I'll be shopping for a new host this week.

Mike

BD · Post by BD » Sun Jul 24, 2005 9:53 pm

I had a fantastic time! It's nice to put faces to some of the names I see on the forum. High points of the day for me: being around other whistle players; getting to sample so many of the whistles I've been curious about (I'm not really apt to buy a high end whistle sight unseen); and watching and listening to some really fine players. Next year I hope to stay longer and play more. Thanks for making me feel welcome.

Butch

Tom Dowling · Post by **Tom Dowling** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:39 pm

Indeed, it was a lovely day. Special thanks are due to the Sweets, Slow Air, Unseen and the others who made the day possible. Also, my thanks to Philo for the ride up and back--I've finally met my match in terms of keeping a conversation going!! It was a special pleasure to meet L.E. McCullough and to be sitting and playing music in the same circle with him and the already noted C & F regulars in attendance, many of whom I previously knew only by screen name, through e-mails or by their postings on the message board.

The new Sweet whistles were a joy to behold and try out. Taken in conjunction with the fine collection of his whistles that Paul Busman brought, it is probably not an exageration to say that we were in very close proximity to the largest temporary collection of fine wooden whistles in the world.

The day was a real motivator for me, as well as a reminder that there sure are a lot of tunes to be learned!!

Tom Dowling

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:15 pm

I've de-briefed Gunther.

He said he had a great time. He particularly mentioned trying some terrific whistles, like Slowair's Lon Dubh (just as good as a Generation and about 50 times more expensive, hehehe

). He also rather likes the newer Syn.

Best thing, Gunther says, was meeting lots of New Chiffers and seeing old friends again (and PhilO, too). Says he had a great time playing a few tunes with LE McC. Unfortunately he had to go just as things were jelling a bit more and thus was unable to participate in the slow and ceremonial communal playing of Give Me Your Hand.

He did buy me one of the new Sweetheart Pro Cs, the dear. Lovely thing (the whistle, not Gunther).

Mostly, of course, he's in love with Tygh and mumbles her name incessantly, fingering a Grinter D in his pocket...

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:28 pm

I have noticed a few of the gatherers have posted there for sales including me updating my post I have gotten some feedback actually.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 6:57 pm

Pics please!

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:56 pm

emmline wrote:Pics please!

Mais bien sûr.

Unseen122, TomD, and Slowair.

slowair · Post by **slowair** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:10 pm

My pics are up. If anyone else wants to put theirs on the offical page, send them to my email address. slowair11@hotmail.com

http://www.communitylinks.us/ne05.htm

Bloomy, I'm the one in the middle, Tom is on the right. But that is definitley Unseen122 on the left.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:20 pm

Great pics, thanks. Glad to supply assorted body parts. SlowAir ya done yeoman service all the way round!

Philo