Clarke's Tinwhistle Product Review Part One

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”.

What Does a Tin Whistle Have in Common With a Bread-maker?

Originally, the title of this post was intended to be ironic. The answer was going to be "Nothing, except for the fact that I found my tin whistle under my bread-maker this afternoon." However, the more the idea was considered, the more similar bread-makers and tin whistles began to appear. Both tin whistles and bread-makers can be easily forgotten about; they have the potential to make life easier when used; once you learn the basics of how to use them, you will be able to produce an endless amount of variations; both can be purchased for very little money, and are the type of items to be found at garage sales where often you can find them still in their packages; people are always surprised by what they can produce and happy to find someone who actually uses them. There are probably other comparisons, but for now this list will suffice. My intention was not to sing the praises of bread-makers but of the tin whistle; this most humble of instruments that has brought the gift of music to countless people around the world.

I've had three memorable introductions to the Irish tin whistle. The first occurred many years ago when a young catechism student of mine brought out his tin whistle at the end of class and asked if he could perform a tune. He knocked our socks off. This little kid had an incredible command of the instrument and had only been playing it a short while.   He no doubt had a natural gift for music and reverence for the instrument. The fact that both of his parents were from Ireland may have meant that he was taught to appreciate its music from the cradle and I'm glad that he helped pass that appreciation on to me. His music gave me great respect for both the instrument and the people who play it.

My second introduction to the tin whistle came when I discovered the online tutorials offered by the Jesuit Ryan G. Duns. Duns taught a course called the Introduction to the Irish Tin Whistle as part of the Irish Studies Department at Fordam University. I can't remember exactly how I stumbled upon these videos, but do remember it was shortly before leaving for Nova Scotia in 2010. Duns' simple videos somehow captured my imagination and the spirit of why I was moving to Nova Scotia in the first place. I was seeking a gentler way of living and wanted to nurture a life where there was still time for things like music, writing and simple pleasures that are often forgotten in our high tech world. The penny whistle traveled with me to Nova Scotia and back home to Vancouver a year later. Although I did not play the whistle much while in Nova Scotia, Ryan Duns' other lessons were never far from my mind. In one of the videos he said something akin to 'find your own voice'. I could not find the precise reference to quote him directly; these may not have been his exact words, but this was the lesson I took from the videos. In Nova Scotia I believe I did find my own voice, and much of what is posted in this blog comes from that voice. It is easier to understand the necessity to find our own voice when encountering people like Duns who are using theirs in unique ways. Through his voice he is passing on not only the tradition of the tin whistle, but many other worthwhile traditions which have been forgotten or are perhaps being heard for the first time by many.

A sample the Duns' tin whistle tutorials can be found here. I would encourage you visit his other videos if you want to learn this instrument, or if you are curious about the other things you may learn from his clips.

The third encounter with the tin whistle was today when I took a break from writing to tackle some other chores. As the sad thought of summer slipping away started to develop, it was quickly replaced by the thought of making bread in the fall. That led to organizing the counter on which the bread-maker sits, which very happily led to the rediscovery of the tin whistle. My Clarke's Original tinwhistle  was nestled underneath the appliance that hasn't been used all summer. I'm not sure when I last attempted to play the tin whistle, but likely it was some time around the last time I made bread in the bread-maker. I was not consciously looking for the whistle, but subconsciously it was precisely the thing my heart was set on finding. Its appearance not only brought back a flood of happy memories, it solved three problems which were beginning to cause me some frustration.

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