Passage of a Whistle

“The Butterfly” played by Barak Bruerd on an Overton Low D

As an Irish musician (a very flexible term when applied to myself), I have a certain affinity for flutes and whistles.  So it’s no small thing for me to have sold my Copeland Low D whistle on ebay.  Copeland whistles are the Cadillac of Irish whistles.  They are hand made from brass and are the only conical bore whistle made from actual tube (versus sheet metal wrapped around a mandrel and welded).  As opposed to cylindrical tube instruments, a tapered bore balances pitch across both the high and low octaves and allows for a more consistent tone.  The Copeland design innovates on many fronts, most notably drawing on the designs of organ pipes which have a wall around the windway to stabilize the tone.  When constructing a whistle there are over a hundred points which must be carefully balanced to achieve desired pitch, tone, responsiveness and other qualities.  Woodwind crafting is both a science and an art.

But I sold my Copeland and bought an Overton.  If Copelands are the Cadillac then Overtons are… well, actually I know nothing about cars so I really couldn’t make a very good association.  I suppose the Overton would be one of those cool vintage sports cars from the 50s that have a personality all their own; a few quirks and design flaws but that just contributes to the allure.  Not that there are any design flaws in an Overton – quite the opposite.  But the tone quality of the Overton has it’s own quirks and imperfections which lead to the captivating sound they produce.

While the Copeland is rich and pure and almost reedy due to the dense nature of brass and the smooth polished edges, the Overtons carry breathy over-tones and subtle harmonics, which create an ethereal quality that sings of foggy moors and woodland glades.  The Copeland whistles have an aesthetic that is unrivaled; the conical taper, rounded head joint, and brass patina make it an absolute work of art.  The Overton on the other hand is a brushed-aluminum tube with a square head joint that mirrors the raw utilitarian heritage of the clans of old.   The Copeland is a tribute to the achievements of science and modern instrument crafting while the Overton is the father of all low whistles.

Both rank at the top of any professional Irish musician’s instrument list.

So why did I get rid of my Copeland?  It’s really a matter of economics.  I loved the Copeland, but to a large degree the sound is too perfect.  Not that I don’t love perfect sound, but it sounds like a flute and I have flutes.  The Overton has a sound all it’s own that is mystical in all the imperfections that captivate the imagination and you simply cannot achieve that on a flute.  I would have kept the Copeland except that Copelands are expensive and I can own several keys in an Overton for the price of one Copeland.

I also have two complaints about the Copelands.  I’ve discovered two flaws in the conical bore instruments that are improved on by their more primative cylindrical sisters.  The first is a very weak low E – the second note from the bottom.  The physics of the bore force an extremely small hole which results in a choked sound compared to the root note or the third.  The second is that while the tapered bore allow for extreme resonance in the low register and rich tone in the mid-range, the taper constricts the airflow necessary for the high register which leads to a somewhat shrill quality to the notes leading up to the third octave.  For someone like me who appreciates the full range of notes that Irish fusion demands, that upper range is extremely critical.  Trad players may not find this range quite so useful, but it has found its way into the modern styles of players like Davy Spillane and Cormac Breatnach and I appreciate the versatility.

Someday when cash becomes available I may re-purchase a Copeland.  There’s a sterling silver model that is extremely mellow.  But for now I’ll be playing to the organic roots of Ireland.