One of the great pleasures of my life
is stumbling upon true stories that resonate with my values. These
stories seem to emerge when they are most needed and often through
unexpected sources. The history of the Clarke's Tinwhistle is one
such story. It came to my attention while doing research for a review
of the instruments they produce. The Clarke Tinwhistle Company was
founded by Robert Clarke in 1843 and is one of those rags to riches
stories about entrepreneurial success that has the power to stoke
the fire burning in every emerging musician or owner of a start-up.
These days many artists find themselves being both an artist and an
entrepreneur, responsible for not only creating their music but also
producing it and marketing it. Robert Clarke would have related to
many of the challenges musicians face today, and his ability to
supply a product that met the challenges of financially strapped, Irish whistle players
made him a legend in his day.
In case you're wondering, “tinwhistle”
is not at typo, the word according to Clarkes is in fact spelled
“tinwhistle” not “tin whistle” or “tin-whistle”. The
original black whistle made of tin was invented by the Englishman
Robert Clarke. It also became known as the penny-whistle or
Irish-whistle. The term penny-whistle emerged because it was so
inexpensive to purchase and the term Irish-whistle developed because
the instrument was so popular among Irish laborers. The price of
the whistle no doubt made it appealing to the Irish working class who
often worked for meager wages at home and abroad. The tinwhistle's
arrival in the marketplace was well timed to coincide with the
potato famine that drove many Irish to seek new opportunities in
Canada, the U.S., Australia, and other countries around the world.
Wherever they went, the whistle playing members of the Irish diaspora
brought the Clarke's tinwhistle with them.
This instrument of humble origin is
still known around the globe. It is once again growing in popularity
thanks to several on-line tutorials that teach how to play the
instrument step by step. In addition to the tutorials you will find
videos of renowned musicians such as James Galway producing wonderful
music from the tinwhistle. According to Galway, “In the hands of a
master [the tinwhistle] is a real virtuoso instrument”.
Yet none of its popularity and
virtuosity could have existed without the entrepreneurial spirit of
Robert Clarke. On the website for the company he founded, you will
find Clarke described as “...uneducated, hard-working, deeply
religious and devoted to his family.” This description is hardly
the sort one would write about most people on Wall Street, so it's nice to
hear that, on occasion, fortune turns its wheel to favour the little
guy struggling to live well. Prior to manufacturing the now famous
whistles, he worked on a farm where he was accused of poor work
habits. Such accusations were unfounded and in protest he refused to
continue working for the farmer. At that time he learned of the new
material called tin and decided to use some of it to fashion the
prototype for the now famous Clarke's tinwhistle. According to the
company, the first one he made did not have wooden mouthpiece that
subsequent whistles had because he did not own a saw. Instead he used
one of the ribs from his wife's corset which he shaped with a file.
From this meager start, Clarke became a wealthy man by making an
excellent product that appealed to the masses. Through this product
the joy of music was brought to the world; possibly to your own home
too.
Check back for more information on the
Clarke's tinwhistle in upcoming posts. Posts related to instrument reviews and other product reviews will be a regular feature on this blog
going forward. If you miss a post, please be sure to check the
archives or search the blog using the term “product review”.
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