INSTRUMENTS
TINWHISTLE
The tinwhistle is also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle, Clarke London Flageolet, or simple "whistle." It is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute flageolet, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and other woodwind instruments. A tinwhistle player is called a tinwhistler or whistler. The tinwhistle is closely associated with Celtic music.
The modern penny whistle is indigenous to the British Isles particularly England when factory-made "tin whistles" were produced by Robert Clarke from (1840–1882) in Manchester and later New Moston, England. Down to 1900, they were also marketed as "Clarke London Flageolets" or "Clarke Flageolets". The whistle's fingering system consists of six holes, and each next note up in the scale is played by simply releasing the next bottom finger. The second, higher octave is attained by simple blowing harder while using the same fingering as the first, lower octave. This six hole, diatonic system is also used on baroque flutes (the time period of Johannes Sebastian Bach), and was of course well known before Robert Clarke began producing his tin whistles around 1843. Clarke's first whistle, the Meg, was pitched in high A and was later made in other keys suitable for Victorian parlour music. The Clark tin whistle is voiced with a flattened tube forming the lip of the fipple mouthpiece (like a referee's whistle) and is usually made from rolled tin sheet or brass. Manufactured tin whistles became available no earlier than 1840, and were mass produced and widespread due to their relative affordability.
As the penny whistle was generally considered a toy it has been suggested that children or street musicians were paid a penny by those who heard them playing the whistle. However in reality the instrument was so-called when it could be purchased for a penny. Clarke whistles were sold for a nominal fee (a British penny) and the acquired names of penny and tin whistle have endured to modern times. The name "tinwhistle" was also coined as early as 1825, but neither tinwhistle or penny whistle name seems to have been common until the 20th century. The instrument became popular in several musical traditions namely; English, American, Scottish and Irish traditional music. The tinwhistle - due to its relative cheapness - was a popular household instrument and was as common as the harmonica. In the second half of the 19th century, some flute manufacturers such as Barnett Samuel and Joseph Wallis also sold whistles. These had a cylindrical brass tube. Like many old whistles, they had lead fipple plugs, and since lead is poisonous, caution should be exercised before playing an old whistle!
The "Generation" whistle was introduced in the first half of the 20th century, and also featured a brass tube with a lead fipple plug. The design was updated somewhat over the years (most notably the substitution of a plastic fipple for the lead plug design).
While whistles have most often been produced in higher pitches, the "low" whistle is not unknown historically. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has in its collection an example of a 19th-century low whistle from the famous Galpin collection. During the 1960s revival of traditional Irish music the low whistle was "recreated" by Bernard Overton at the request of the Celtic band Finbar Furey. Bernard passed away a few years ago, and Joey plays whistles made by his former student, Colin Goldie.
The most common whistles today are made of brass tubing, or nickel plated brass tubing, with a plastic fipple (mouthpiece). Generation, Feadóg, Oak, Acorn, Soodlum's (now Walton's), and other brands fall in this category. The next most common form is the conical sheet metal whistle with a wooden stop in the wide end to form the fipple, the Clarke's brand being the most prevalent. Other less common variants are the all-metal whistle, the PVC whistle, the Flanna square holed whistle, and the wooden whistle.
Gaining popularity as a folk instrument in the early 19th century in the Celtic music revivals, penny whistles now play an integral part of several folk traditions. Whistles are a prevalent starting instrument in English traditional music, Scottish traditional music and Irish traditional music, since they are often cheap (under $10), relatively easy to learn (no tricky embouchure (lip position) such as found with the flute), and the fingerings are nearly identical to those on the traditional six holed flute (Irish flute, baroque flute). The tin whistle is the most popular instrument in Irish traditional music today.
In recent years a number of instrument builders have started lines of "high-end," hand-made whistles, which can cost hundreds of dollars each — expensive in comparison to cheap whistles, but nevertheless cheaper than most other instruments! These companies are typically either a single individual or a very small group of craftsmen who work closely together. It is common for builders of wooden flutes and Uilleann pipes to also build whistles. The instruments are distinguished from the inexpensive whistles in that each whistle is individually manufactured and "voiced" by a skilled person rather than made in a factory. Joey plays whistles made by Colin Goldie, Michael Burke, Fred Rose, and Chris Abell.