Reviol

When Big Whistle was in its infancy the name of Dingle based Cillian Ó Briain, the highly popular Uilleann Piper and Maker was synominous (as it still is today) with many musicians and makers throughout the Irish Tradition. I had countless conversations with Cillian discussing the inclusion of his Low Whistles on the site. Cillian was becoming more committed to his work on Uilleann Pipes, so the chances of Mr. Wetyer getting his hands on Cillian’s Whistles grew slimmer and slimmer. I often spoke at that time to a close colleague of Cillian’s, Maurice Reviol. Maurice is an extremely talented and knowledgeable young maker, having spent four years with W.Schreiber in Nauheim, Germany, making Bassoons. Following this, German born Maurice moved to Wood, Wind & Reed in Cambridge, England, as a woodwind repair technician, and also worked under the guidance of Jeremy Soulsby in Hereford, a dedicated Bassoon-maker and wood-turner. Basically as they say around here ‘the lad’s served his time’.


Then, still adding to his experience as a maker, in 1998 Maurice formed a close working relationship with Cillian Ó Briain. He has been a close colleague ever since, working on Cillian’s Uilleann-Pipes as well as hand improved tin-whistles and Low-Whistles. There in Kerry amongst the depth of the traditions of the west coast of Ireland, Maurice started to make Wooden Flutes - a project long on his mind, which he finally brought to life. During this period he met his wife, playing music together and they moved from Ireland and are now settled down in her home-country New Zealand.

Never being one to stop himself getting his hands on expensive flutes, Maurice has been working as repair technician at KBB in Auckland – also specialising in Bassoons, Oboes and Bass Clarinets.

It is down there in New Zealand however, that Maurice has developed his range of Low Whistles. Whilst they have retained the influence of the legendary Ó Briain Low Whistle they have a traditional feel but also have a subtly more contemporary look.

Reviol Low Whistles are all carefully handmade from Aluminium Alloy tubing. The Fipple is hand-hammered to work-harden the material – this planished look is unique in itself. All finger holes are de-burred by hand to ensure a smooth airflow. The finished whistle is then glass-bead blasted to achieve a distinctive surface finish that is not slippery. Anodising creates a protective layer in black on all parts of the whistle that protects and improves the finish.

The finished product can indeed have all the superlatives thrown at, slick, attractive - you can carry on forever. They are free blowing and the bore in general has been kept modest in diameter to ensure that they remain manageable when it comes to wind requirement.

Finally the winning feature of interchangeable bodies is surely going to make this a winning brand. The F head (being in between both keys) is interchangeable with the G & the E body. The E head works fine with the F body. The G head works fine with the F body, similarly the D head is compatible with C & Eb.

So there you go the legacy of Cillian’s Low Whistles lives on and proudly available here at Big Whistle made by the young master maker himself Maurice Reviol.

Welcome on board Maurice, Phil Brown.

Shush

‘Shush’ Whistles are made at a secret worldwide location especially for Big Whistle Music. They are the quietest whistles we stock, requiring minimal breath output and are highly suited for environments where only subdued practice is acceptable.

Currently using the ever-popular High D Green Head Brass Generation Whistle, 'Shush Tweaks' have perfected the art of voicing whistles quietly.

The head is free, so it slides on the body tube making the whistle tuneable. There is no loss of pitch from the tweaking process.

Shush have modified the airway with the addition of an extra ‘blade’. Hundreds of these instruments have been sold and we have not received any back claiming that the blade has come off. Shush have also been drop tested, after which the blade is still secure. It is however worth noting that the blade could possibly come off at some stage and to this end we feel to be safe these instruments are only suitable for someone over the age of 18.

Shush Tweaks – they don’t come much quieter than this!

Silkstone Whistles.

Silkstone Whistles are the brainchild of Paul Hayward. Whilst one would think that the name has been created purposely to brand a great whistle, it is in fact the name of the area of Yorkshire, England where Paul creates and makes these outstanding instruments.

One aspect that has contributed to Paul’s success is his grasp of handling machinery and tools with detailed precision, enabling him to make whistles of delicacy and beauty. He chooses to work with materials such as uPVC and aluminium working to minute tolerances. The aerodynamics and aesthetics are second to none –Silkstones almost mesmerise you with their playing quality and definitely do not come under the hard blowing category.

In short, we are delighted to retail Silkstone Whistles – they are rare, dignified and sophisticated instruments - well worthy of inspection – but only if you appreciate the absolute finest life has to offer!

Sweetheart Flute Company

President/owner, designer and instrument maker Ralph Sweet is currently enjoying over fifty years of calling and playing for square dances. Ralph soon found he needed a higher pitched flute to carry the tune and that could be heard whilst playing live for contra dances. Having been trained in engineering and folk instrument design - whilst also having vast experience as an instructor for fife and drum – Ralph came up with his D fife design. It became an instant hit and he soon set up a workshop to make military fifes. Inevitably Irish style flutes followed, the Sweetheart Company now makes several fine wooden instruments for classical as well as folk performance.

We are pleased to retail Sweetheart instruments and are particularly impressed with the New Professional Model. An amazing instrument designed over an 8-month period involving much experimentation by Walter Sweet (Ralph's son). It is constructed of Northern Birch laminate for strength and stability(trademark "Dymondwood©"), and looks very much like Honduras Rosewood.

Best wishes to all at Sweetheart and we can guarantee satisfaction with these finely crafted products.

Alba Whistles

Alba Whistles are handcrafted in the Highlands of Scotland. They have a real look and an identity of their own. Stacey O’Gorman (pictured) the Director of Alba Whistles, has designed a special feature, to add to the end of the beautifully finished brushed aluminium body. This is a synthetic fipple plug made from water resistant ‘Albanite’ (pictured). There is also a novel mouthpiece with a curved wind way to reduce moisture problems. The decorative rings engraved around the shaft and the Alba logo add a distinctive finish to this ‘Highland’ magic.

Alba Whistles are available in a range of keys. Their pricing belies the quality of the product; they are superb value for money and have that distinctive, seductive Alba sound.

Cillian O’ Briain

Cillian O’ Briain is known and respected internationally as a superb Uilleann Pipe Maker. Cillian is also a mighty fine musician.

He has been making pipes in Dingle, County Kerry for approximately 16 years. Previous to that he worked with Kenneth Jones a Pipe Organ Builder, assisting him to voice the organ pipes.

Cillian’s work is now focussed primarily on supplying equipment and materials for Uilleann Pipe Makers.

The Improved Whistle however, Cillian’s brainchild, continues to be one of his core products. We are pleased to supply these instruments here at Big Whistle and thoroughly recommend their consistency and accurate voicing.

Clare Whistles

County Clare for countless generations has been the home of Irish Traditional Music. It is befitting that one of the oldest musical instruments in Ireland is named after this beautiful county.

‘The Clare’ is manufactured by David Le Bas. David comes from a long tradition of craftsmen. His family were French Huguenots and left France in 1590, when Guilliam Le Bas moved his family to London. Here he was apprenticed to a watchmaker. His son Peter became a goldsmith. The family moved to Dublin in 1790 and up to this day the Le Bas family have been involved in the goldsmith industry. Davids' father was the Assay Master for the company ‘Goldsmiths of Dublin’. David's skill in handling metal is in his roots and his whistles provide much enjoyment to musicians all over the world.

The Clare Whistle has been made in Ireland for over 200 years. Clare’s are pitched in 'D' and are available with different coloured heads and body finishes. Whilst it has a standard plastic fipple and cylindrical shaft (of the Generation, Walton, Soodlum and Feadog type) we have found the overall work and sound of the whistle to be very impressive.

Here at Big Whistle we are pleased to present the ‘Clare’. Many professionals use this make, a whistle that often comes out on top when making comparisons to models of the same budget.

Freeman Tweaked Whistles

U.S.A. based Jerry Freeman has built a commendable name for his considerable creativity and technical know how when it comes to enhancing the voice and playability of a whistle.

We all love and enjoy playing on many different standard whistle models. However, a great deal of eminent whistlers fully endorse that once a whistle has been "tweaked" by Jerry, it becomes a much better instrument – cleaner and easier playing, without buzzes, rattles and squawks, and with the full richness of the sound brought out.

"Shaw whistles are very solid and well made whistles, similar in overall design to the original Clarke. Jerry Freeman's tweak of Shaw whistles transforms them. He completely eliminates the wind requirement problems and produces a focused tone and a much more responsive instrument." Dale Wisely. Editor Chiff & Fipple.

As you may imagine Jerry has not stopped at Shaws! He is now tweaking many different makes. We stock his Generation, Sweetone, Walton Mellow, Feadog and also his Shaw Tweaked Whistles. No doubt there will be more to follow.

Overton

There can few makers worldwide that have such a respected and revered name as that enjoyed by Bernard Overton.

Bernard has been making whistles since the early seventies. The development of the ‘Overton Whistle’ since then has been well documented and is now one of the most sought after whistles worldwide. Each handmade instrument carries a lifetime guarantee. Overton owners can be confident that their instrument is craftsman built, distinctive in look and design and more particularly full of that unmistakably rich breathy tone.

There are in excess of 20 different types of Overton’s available, this excludes the special development models that are made by Bernard’s partner Colin Goldie. Starting with the tiny Sopranino F, right down to the Bass Baritone Low A (look at Mr. Wetyer’s Whistle Guide to view sizes) the range is extensive.

Big Whistle Music is proud to be associated with Overton Whistles. The vast range of Whistling Superstars that blow on Overton’s is surely a vindication of their quality and appeal.

Overton (Goldie)

Colin Goldie lives in Germany and has been a partner of Bernard Overton since 1993 – they both make Overton Whistles. Bernard lives in England and produces Overtons for the UK and Ireland. Colin produces Overton Whistles for the World Market

Colin has a strong Celtic family background. He enjoyed music making as a child and soon became strongly influenced by Irish Bands. In later years, whilst reading the www.chiffandfipple.com message boards he was interested to read about Packie Byrne – the legendary Irish Whistler, the name seemed familiar to Colin - so he got in touch. It was to Colin’s amazement that he discovered that Packie’s grand parents are Colin’s great grand parents!

Bernard and Colin are great friends and colleagues. Colin’s membership of the Overton dynasty is a real asset to the ever-popular worldwide community of whistling.

Colin is a highly skilled maker, a talented musician and as many Overton fans out there will know, he is very creative. He has produced many impressive developments of the Overton, particularly of late his Modal Overton.

Dixon Whistles

Tony Dixon is a maker based in Devon, England and has been making flutes, pipes and whistles for many years. He is an accomplished musician, recording artist and a discerning technician, as a result he has an excellent quality control policy.

Whilst he makes instruments from traditional materials such as Maple & Cherry, Tony’s technical knowledge gave him the confidence to experiment in making his very popular whistles and flutes from polymer.

His innovation hasn’t stopped there, his ‘Duo’ range, instruments with one body and two heads – i.e. a piccolo/whistle or a flute/low whistle are real market leaders.

All Dixons are checked by Tony himself before leaving his workshop. Ergonomically they are very impressive and as you would expect from such a popular maker they sound great too!

Howard Musical Instruments

Brian Howard founder of Howard Musical Instruments has recently seen his family business run into its second generation. Brian (pictured right) has a real talent for producing handcrafted Irish Musical Instruments – he is a specialist producer of Uilleann Pipes, Bodhrans and High and Low Whistles. Brian believes ‘it is traditional to improve’ and does so using quality materials and techniques with the latest technologies.

Howard Music is proud that musicians from bands such as The Pogues, The Afro Celt Sound System and The Crack use their instruments. Like most makers, it is important to know the ‘ins and outs’ of your instrument. Brian does, being a brilliant exponent of the Pipes, Whistle and Bodhran. He is a skilled musician and workshop leader.

Here at Big Whistle we are pleased to be associated with Brian. Pictured right are the latest addition to the ‘Howard Stable’ – Howard Coloured Low Whistles – featuring 'Howard Solids' and 'Celtic Reflections'.

Susato Whistles

Susato whistles are made in the U.S.A. by the Kelischek family. Susato aim to provide quality instruments at affordable prices. The main area of the companies focus is early music and folk music. George Kelischek was one of the earliest whistle makers with an impressive reputation that dates back to the 1970’s.

Whilst Susato make a range of musical instrument, their whistles are renowned world-wide. All Susatos are made from ABS; they are cylindrical with outstanding quality of intonation and volume.

Susatos are great session instruments, being plastic they are really durable – but perhaps the attractive aspect to most musicians is the projection of sound that they produce.

There are many types of Susato Whistles. The ‘Combi ‘ is really popular (three whistle bodies – one whistle head) – whilst the ‘High D’ is also a market leader. There is a broad range of sizes and keys – the Alto G is a real cracker as is the Low D – all of which (all the ones we stock anyway) are tuneable.

Once blown you will agree that the obvious thorough product development expended by this company is clearly evident in the faultless end product that is a Susato Whistle.

Clarke

The Clarke Tin Whistle Company was founded by Robert Clarke (born 1816, Suffolk). Robert worked as a farm labourer but used his musical talents to supplement his low wages, he soon started hand producing penny whistles. He made the necessary tools with the help of a local blacksmith, and made his first whistle in 1843.

Needing to broaden his market away from rural Suffolk, he loaded up his handcart and made the 150-mile journey to New Moston, a close suburb of Manchester. He soon built property and engaged a workforce and established himself as the largest whistle manufacturer in England. Robert was followed into this trade by some of his sons and daughters. This same company (The Clarke Tin Whistle Company) is still in production to this very day, although now based in Kent.

Nowadays Clarke Whistles are renowned as a being classic traditional instrument. The ‘Original’ has a conical metal body and wooden under lip with either a natural finish or the sophisticated black and gold Clarke livery. The other Clarke designs, the Sweetone (a classic of its type) and the newer Meg are very popular too.

Many say that Robert Clarke was the inventor of the Tin Whistle. The Company to this day has sustained its respect worldwide and has done much to encourage many whistlers to develop their talents.

Belgarth Bodhrans

OK! You’ve probably worked out that this Maker Feature isn’t about whistles! Here we have Belgarth Bodhrans – made by Jane and Eoin Leonard. We first became aware of these wonderful instruments through the playing of Aimee Leonard – Mr. Wetyer thinks Aimee is the best Bodhran player ever!

Belgarth are a small company based on the Isles of Orkney. The business has grown from hobby status back in 1994 to being a prestigious full time enterprise since 1998.

Eoin uses his technical and craft skills to design and construct Belgarth Bodhrans, whilst Jane uses her creative and artistic skills to give these instruments that distinctive ‘Belgarth Look’.

A Belgarth is a beautiful instrument indeed. Only quality materials are used, solid wooden frames, cured goat skin heads and decorated with care and empathy. Rarely is the combination of aesthetics, ergonomics and percussive perfection produced to such a high standard in a Bodhran, except in a Belgarth!