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Posted 20 hours ago

Fluter's Companion

£4.17£8.34Clearance
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About this deal

Flute bands as we know it seem to have appeared around the early 1800’s. Kinallen Flute Band was formed in 1837, the Churchill Flute band in 1835 and Hamilton Flute Band in 1856. Since Boehm (Silver Concert) flutes weren’t invented until 1847, (these would have been too expensive for amateur bands at that time) it is fair to assume that the flutes were probably fifes or improved simple system 1 keyed flutes. After WW1 and WW2 flute bands were on the increase, playing military style marches and popular tunes of the day, it was around then that the traditional folk style tunes were being played less in the cities. The links between what we call today Ulster Scots Music and Irish Traditional Music is written about in more detail by more learned men than me, Gary Hastings, David Cooper etc both citing many references of tunes that each community play and believe are their tunes.

The condensation is absorbed into the flutes internal bore and if you play the flute for long periods of time it will be come flooded, changing it’s sound, making it flatter and not really nice at all. Although most manufacturers of British made wooden band flutes will give instructions of the importance in looking after your flute and breaking it in slowly and gradually, by playing it for 10 mins a day then extending the time gradually over weeks to 30-40 mins per day to help the internal bore settle or as we call it become “Blown In”, few players follow these instructions and they will develop problems later on. The condensation should be wiped out after every rehearsal session or parade and i would strongly advise carrying a flute mop/pad saver or a small cleaning rod with kitchen roll with you on each parade to help keep them in good condition. As a regular contributor to Youtube, I appreciate that it’s a two way thing. I post videos or audio of tunes that i play and you the public can comment on it. Most of the tunes I have uploaded over the last 6 years have been tunes that are popular with flute bands today and others are just tunes that I like to play. The oil will enhance the surface of the wood, on the inside of the instrument, which improves the internal resonance of the instrument to the degree that both tonal quality and pitch are affected quite noticeably. Secular Folk music was alive in Scotland as it was across the British Isles.Tunes based on Laments, Gatherings, Battle Tunes, Broadside Ballads, and pre Christian tunes such as the Glasgow Reel (Tam Lin) would have been played on The Highland Bagpipes, Harps, lutes, Lyres, Drums and fiddles. It was likely that the German simple system flute didn’t enter Scotland and Ireland until the 1700’s where it was introduced to play classical music.

When our Scottish Presbyterian and English Church of England forefathers settled in Ulster in the early 1600’s it is doubtful that they would have brought with them a rich musical culture at all. The mainly Presbyterian settlers would have been devoutly religious, adopting the Calvinist doctrine which forbids music to be played in church. It is more likely that the main instruments that arrived with the settlers would have been Bagpipes, possibly drums and fifes from ex soldiers and maybe the odd fiddle and lute or two. Traditional music i.e Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes, Polka’s , Airs and Strathspey’s are not the sole property of Irish Republican’s, yet their absence at the majority of PUL cultural events, reinforces the myth that it is not a Protestant thing. I have often wondered why and if it ever was, when did it stop being popular amongst Protestants. Oiling the internal bore of the flute is essential although some suppliers of wooden flutes disagree with this, most respected makers of wooden instruments will advise that you do oil your flute regularly. oil is naturally resistant to water and helps to repel the moisture from your breath. The following two points on the importance of oiling your flute is taken from terry McGee who is one of the world’s best known flute makers. Ideally you should oil your flute and leave for 24 hours before swabbing the oil off. I have some video links below which can used as a guide. OILING YOUR FLUTE

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