Pennywhistle in D Chris Abel - Ashville, North Carolina |
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Also known as a "tin whistle, "Irish whistle" or simply "the
whistle," some consider the pennywhistle THE signature Irish instrument.
Though some harpists, fiddlers and pipers may disagree, it's hard to argue the
fact that when one thinks "pennywhistle," one thinks "Irish." I'll not
go into the history of the instrument in Celtic music--for this, see L.E.
McCullough's Historical
Notes on the Tin Whistle. Suffice to say that the simple, six-holed
wind instrument has indeed come a long way. Experts such as Mary
Bergin, L.E.
McCullough, Olcan
Masterson and James
Galway (not to mention just about any top Irish piper or flute player)
have brought luster to a deceptively difficult instrument. It is the rare Irish
CD that doesn't have a pennywhistle on it and many feature it. |
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