Tin whistle musicians play an array of music and styles on this fipple flute, from Irish airs to Christmas carols and jigs. Some use the whistle as a solo instrument while others combine it with other instruments such as flute, bodhran or uilleann pipes.
The tone of a tin whistle depends heavily on its manufacturing, with Clarke style rolled metal whistles having a soft, smooth sound while Generation style cylindrical ones tend to produce clear or “pure” tones. More expensive rolled metal whistles (such as those produced by Cooperman Fife and Drum) may produce airy tones which make playing in higher registers difficult; placing tape across one edge of its fipple slot may narrow it and significantly improve tone quality.
Peter Stacy
Peter Stacy is a tin whistle musician, singer-songwriter, actor and founding member of Celtic rock band The Pogues, with seven studio albums released as well as various live recordings under their name.
Lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known for playing and singing with The Pogues on their tin whistle.
Stacy is an accomplished tin whistle player, low whistle player and Irish flute player whose style combines the fast tempo style of Celtic music with ornamentation found in traditional trad. He has collaborated with Grada as well as Flook – two other traditional Irish folk groups.
After the demise of The Pogues, Stacy played with Andrew Ranken and Darryl Hunt in a short-lived band known as the Vendettas – performing original songs written by Stacy himself – until later reforming into a reunion band in 2001.
Cormach Breatnach
Cormac Breatnach of Deiseal has been performing professionally as a musician since he was 13 years old, performing on over 50 albums/soundtracks and appearing in award-winning TV programmes.
Whistle Blower is his solo album released after four years of creative process and artistic introspection. The music on it is unabashedly autobiographical, reflecting how the wrongful imprisonment of his brother affected their family dynamic.
Breatnach’s trio (Martin Tourish on accordion and Daire Bracken on fiddle) opened this recital with “On Board”, an atmospheric and sonic railway-sound evocation that gradually evolved into more reflective passages. Following this was Amhran na Mna and Faoi Bhlath; two tunes that expressed Breatnach’s pain due to his ordeal while simultaneously paying homage to Breatnach’s mother’s suffering as an outcome of it all.
Breatnach’s ability to name his pain while also sharing his artistic path is an act of healing in itself; but lasting solutions won’t come from just one art project.
Brian Finnegan
Brian Finnegan, one of the members of Flook, is one of the world’s premier tin whistle musicians. Combining traditional Irish tunes with more contemporary musical influences, he blends Irish musical heritage with modernity for an innovative performance style.
He studied pipers at Armagh Pipers Club, drawing his musical inspiration from roots music while employing his unique compositional and arrangement methods to craft albums which have earned worldwide acclaim. He has performed around the globe.
Flutist and tin whistle player Jonathan Coulter has displayed his flute and tin whistle skills at venues including London’s Royal Albert Hall, BBC Radio 1’s Folk on Two program and at India’s World Festival of Traditional Music. Since 1994 he has also taught regularly for Burwell Bash where he has taught since 1994; as well as touring across America and Latin America with guitarist William Coulter while being deeply embedded into Russia’s rock scene through Aquarium group work.
Spider
Tin whistle musicians are a collective of talented players who play the instrument to an exceptional standard, earning themselves recognition as masters at translating traditional tunes with contemporary influences into contemporary compositions.
Spider Stacy, known by many for playing the tin whistle with The Pogues, also performs with other artists and bands.
He is well known for his distinct whistling style and has contributed to several hit songs. Recently he joined New York punk band So So Glos and sang their Christmas tune “This Could Be Christmas.”
Tin whistle is an easily learned high soprano instrument with two full octaves of range. Tuned to D or G for Celtic music, its affordability and ease of playback have made it popular choice.
