I was wondering about the different styles of playing of Trad Flute players and the sound they get and wondered how much of it is down to them and how much is down to the flute.
So here’s a list of some famous players and what they play, anybody able to fill in the blanks?
Matt Molloy – A Rudall and Rose
Michael McGoldrick – Michael Grinter / Giles Lehart
Kevin Crawford – Michael Grinter
Seamus Egan – Patrick Owell
Niall Keegan – Chris Wilkes
Liam Kelly – ? Looks like a Sam Murray
Harry Bradley – Sam Murray and Hammy Hamilton
Conal O Grada ? - Im Guessing a Hammy Hamilton
Jonnie Madden – A Classical Flute
Seamus Tansey - ?
Michael Tubridy - ?
Paul McGrattan - ?
Frankie Gavin - ?
Gary Shannon - ?
Jean Michel Veillion - ?
Nuala Kennedy - ?
Michael Flatley - ?
Flute Player From Grada?
Tara Diamond - ?
Sylvain Barou -?
Grey Larsen -?
Matt Molloy – A Rudall and Rose HE USED TO PLAY .NOW HE PLAY OLWELL PRATTEN
Michael McGoldrick – Michael Grinter / Giles Lehart HE USED TO PLAY LEHART
Kevin Crawford – Michael Grinter
Seamus Egan – Patrick Owell
Niall Keegan – Chris Wilkes
Liam Kelly – ? Looks like a Sam Murray HE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER MAKER RECENTLY
Harry Bradley – Sam Murray and Hammy Hamilton MURRAY IS HIS FIRST CHOICE FOR D FLUTE
Conal O Grada ? - Im Guessing a Hammy Hamilton YES
Jonnie Madden – A Classical Flute
Seamus Tansey - ?
Michael Tubridy - ?
Paul McGrattan - ? HAMILTON
Frankie Gavin - ?
Gary Shannon - ? MURRAY I THINK
Jean Michel Veillion - ? HE CHANGED FLUTES ALL THE TIME
now he play Stéphane Morvan flute of polljezz flute i think
Nuala Kennedy - ?
Michael Flatley - ?
Flute Player From Grada?
Tara Diamond - ? HAMILTON
Sylvain Barou -? Stéphane Morvan
Grey Larsen -?
Michael Tubridy - Wylde from Rudall & Rose
Nuala Kennedy - Sam Murray (may have changed)
Tara Diamond - has also played a C flute by Patrick Olwell
Harry Bradley - he's also played Glenn Watson
Grey Larsen - had been playing Firth & Pond w/Chris Abell headjoint
Michael Flatley - usually one of his Rudalls.
I think Nial Keegan plays a Dave Williams keyed flute
Nuala Kennedy plays a keyed Wilkes (I've also seen it)
Last I heard Tara Diamond plays an Olwell
I think Seamus Tansey plays a Rudall & Rose
Son House played a National Duolian
I believe it is mostly down to the player rather than the instrument - the above mentioned would sound good on just about flute out there
I remember Tara Diamond playing a Rudall & Rose
at the fleadhs,before she got the flute off Hammy Hamilton.
A lovely looking flute there are too.
jim,,,
The flute does make a contribution to the sound, but tone is ultimately up to the player.
Yet, while player X might sound quite similar to a listener, regardless of the flute, the player probably has a clear preference.
So when looking at the list(s) above, I start to wonder about which flutes are preferred for certain styles of playing. (For instance, Murray flutes seem popular with players who have a punchy Northern style.)
Matt Molloy– A Rudall and Rose, Once played a Pratten, Now playing a Orwell Pratten?
Michael McGoldrick – Michael Grinter (Giles Lehart) No Longer plays Lehart?
Kevin Crawford – Michael Grinter
Seamus Egan – Patrick Owell
Niall Keegan – Chris Wilkes / Dave Williams?
Liam Kelly – Sam Murray, another maker now?
Harry Bradley – Sam Murray (and Hammy Hamilton, Glenn Watson)
Conal O Grada - Hammy Hamilton
Jonnie Madden – A Classical Boehm system Flute
Seamus Tansey - Possibly a Rudall & Rose?
Michael Tubridy - Wylde from Rudall & Rose
Paul McGrattan - Hammy Hamilton
Frankie Gavin - ? Nobody knows.. except Frankie.
Gary Shannon - Possibly a Sam Murray
Jean Michel Veillion - Stéphane Morvan?
Nuala Kennedy – Sam Murray now a Chris Wilkes,
Michael Flatley - usually one of his Rudalls.
Flute Player From Grada?
Tara Diamond - Rudall & Rose , Hammy Hamilton, Orwell (C flute by Patrick Olwell)
Sylvain Barou - Stéphane Morvan?
Grey Larsen - Firth & Pond w/Chris Abell headjoint
Rodger Sherlock - Boxwood Rudall & Rose 8-key circa 1840?
Paddy Carty -Radcliffe system flute.
About Matt Molloy, his first album was mostly done on an Eb flute, possibly a Pratten.
Early on, for a D flute, he played an original Rudall & Rose, then switched to an original Pratten.
I remember reading an interview with him a few years back in which he stated that he had an Olwell which was very easy-blowing and that he might one day switch to the Olwell when he was too old to blow the Pratten. Has this time now come?
When I started playing flute in the 70s everybody played old flutes, because that's all there was. There weren't dozens of makers making high-quality fully keyed flutes, like there is now.
If you wanted to play Irish flute you found the best old flute you could. I played an original Rudall & Rose myself for many years, back in those days.
Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
I was wondering about the different styles of playing of Trad Flute players and the sound they get and wondered how much of it is down to them and how much is down to the flute.
So here’s a list of some famous players and what they play, anybody able to fill in the blanks?
Matt Molloy – A Rudall and Rose
Michael McGoldrick – Michael Grinter / Giles Lehart
Kevin Crawford – Michael Grinter
Seamus Egan – Patrick Owell
Niall Keegan – Chris Wilkes
Liam Kelly – ? Looks like a Sam Murray
Harry Bradley – Sam Murray and Hammy Hamilton
Conal O Grada ? - Im Guessing a Hammy Hamilton
Jonnie Madden – A Classical Flute
Seamus Tansey - ?
Michael Tubridy - ?
Paul McGrattan - ?
Frankie Gavin - ?
Gary Shannon - ?
Jean Michel Veillion - ?
Nuala Kennedy - ?
Michael Flatley - ?
Flute Player From Grada?
Tara Diamond - ?
Sylvain Barou -?
Grey Larsen -?
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by Kess
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Matt Molloy – A Rudall and Rose HE USED TO PLAY .NOW HE PLAY OLWELL PRATTEN
Michael McGoldrick – Michael Grinter / Giles Lehart HE USED TO PLAY LEHART
Kevin Crawford – Michael Grinter
Seamus Egan – Patrick Owell
Niall Keegan – Chris Wilkes
Liam Kelly – ? Looks like a Sam Murray HE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER MAKER RECENTLY
Harry Bradley – Sam Murray and Hammy Hamilton MURRAY IS HIS FIRST CHOICE FOR D FLUTE
Conal O Grada ? - Im Guessing a Hammy Hamilton YES
Jonnie Madden – A Classical Flute
Seamus Tansey - ?
Michael Tubridy - ?
Paul McGrattan - ? HAMILTON
Frankie Gavin - ?
Gary Shannon - ? MURRAY I THINK
Jean Michel Veillion - ? HE CHANGED FLUTES ALL THE TIME
now he play Stéphane Morvan flute of polljezz flute i think
Nuala Kennedy - ?
Michael Flatley - ?
Flute Player From Grada?
Tara Diamond - ? HAMILTON
Sylvain Barou -? Stéphane Morvan
Grey Larsen -?
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by maracirac
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Nuala Kennedy plays a Wilkes. I've seen it - held it, even. It's beautiful.
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by ethical blend
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Jonnie Madden – Boehm system Flute
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by Rudall the time
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Matt Molloy also used to play an original Pratten.
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by ethical blend
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Michael Tubridy - Wylde from Rudall & Rose
Nuala Kennedy - Sam Murray (may have changed)
Tara Diamond - has also played a C flute by Patrick Olwell
Harry Bradley - he's also played Glenn Watson
Grey Larsen - had been playing Firth & Pond w/Chris Abell headjoint
Michael Flatley - usually one of his Rudalls.
Some info on the Wooden Flute Obsession Track details pages at http://www.worldtrad.org
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by kkrell
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Grey Larsen: Firth and Pond with an Abell head
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by plunk111
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Ah very interesting post Kev, What I was asking about With Paddy Carty,, Found out here its was a Radcliffe system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Carty
But what is this great old Irish flute player blowing on ????
Roger Sherlock -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SziKOUb9D70
jim,,,
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by FIDDLE4
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Boxwood Rudall & Rose 8-key circa 1840, by the look of it.
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by ethical blend
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
I think Nial Keegan plays a Dave Williams keyed flute
Nuala Kennedy plays a keyed Wilkes (I've also seen it)
Last I heard Tara Diamond plays an Olwell
I think Seamus Tansey plays a Rudall & Rose
Son House played a National Duolian
I believe it is mostly down to the player rather than the instrument - the above mentioned would sound good on just about flute out there
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by Steamwilkes
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Thanks again - ethical blend
I remember Tara Diamond playing a Rudall & Rose
at the fleadhs,before she got the flute off Hammy Hamilton.
A lovely looking flute there are too.
jim,,,
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by FIDDLE4
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
The flute does make a contribution to the sound, but tone is ultimately up to the player.
Yet, while player X might sound quite similar to a listener, regardless of the flute, the player probably has a clear preference.
So when looking at the list(s) above, I start to wonder about which flutes are preferred for certain styles of playing. (For instance, Murray flutes seem popular with players who have a punchy Northern style.)
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by mcswiss
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
So Far its looks like…
Matt Molloy– A Rudall and Rose, Once played a Pratten, Now playing a Orwell Pratten?
Michael McGoldrick – Michael Grinter (Giles Lehart) No Longer plays Lehart?
Kevin Crawford – Michael Grinter
Seamus Egan – Patrick Owell
Niall Keegan – Chris Wilkes / Dave Williams?
Liam Kelly – Sam Murray, another maker now?
Harry Bradley – Sam Murray (and Hammy Hamilton, Glenn Watson)
Conal O Grada - Hammy Hamilton
Jonnie Madden – A Classical Boehm system Flute
Seamus Tansey - Possibly a Rudall & Rose?
Michael Tubridy - Wylde from Rudall & Rose
Paul McGrattan - Hammy Hamilton
Frankie Gavin - ? Nobody knows.. except Frankie.
Gary Shannon - Possibly a Sam Murray
Jean Michel Veillion - Stéphane Morvan?
Nuala Kennedy – Sam Murray now a Chris Wilkes,
Michael Flatley - usually one of his Rudalls.
Flute Player From Grada?
Tara Diamond - Rudall & Rose , Hammy Hamilton, Orwell (C flute by Patrick Olwell)
Sylvain Barou - Stéphane Morvan?
Grey Larsen - Firth & Pond w/Chris Abell headjoint
Rodger Sherlock - Boxwood Rudall & Rose 8-key circa 1840?
Paddy Carty -Radcliffe system flute.
Cheers!
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by Kess
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Flatly, Tara, and Sherlock all play Olwell flutes.
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by David Levine
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
By the flute player in Grada do you mean:
Alan Doherty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opbcFOobb74&feature=related
or Stephen Doherty:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYF_HFwQ6Sw
Either way perhaps you can identify the flutes in question. Hint: Zac gives you a clue for the 2nd video.
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Yea Alan Doherty, he's some player!
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by Kess
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Sylvain Barou plays a Stéphane Morvan in cocus.
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by Bran Ruz
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Alan Doherty: Grinter
Stephen Doherty: Murray & Lehart
# Posted on January 26th 2011 by -Abraxas
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Gary Hastings?
# Posted on January 27th 2011 by bodhran bliss
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Garry Shannon - D flute by Brendan McMahon
Gary Hastings - Sam Murray
# Posted on January 27th 2011 by kkrell
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
About Matt Molloy, his first album was mostly done on an Eb flute, possibly a Pratten.
Early on, for a D flute, he played an original Rudall & Rose, then switched to an original Pratten.
I remember reading an interview with him a few years back in which he stated that he had an Olwell which was very easy-blowing and that he might one day switch to the Olwell when he was too old to blow the Pratten. Has this time now come?
When I started playing flute in the 70s everybody played old flutes, because that's all there was. There weren't dozens of makers making high-quality fully keyed flutes, like there is now.
If you wanted to play Irish flute you found the best old flute you could. I played an original Rudall & Rose myself for many years, back in those days.
# Posted on January 27th 2011 by Richard D Cook
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Garry Shannon - D flute by Brendan McMahon
Gary Hastings - Sam Murray
# Posted on January 27th 2011 by kkrell
I thought so and thanks.
I also wondered why no one mentions Gary in flute discussions?
# Posted on January 29th 2011 by bodhran bliss
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Afraid of his boss?
# Posted on January 29th 2011 by kkrell
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
People just don't "get" Garry. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLM7gbQZy2A]
Much less spell his name correctly.
Or know the difference between 'there' and 'their.'
# Posted on February 2nd 2011 by David Levine
Re: Flute Players and there chosen instruments?
Frankie Gavin - unkeyed Bruce Du Vé. May be playing others as well of course.
# Posted on August 3rd 2011 by Mr_Blackwood