Post by Ptarmigan on May 10, 2008 13:11:11 GMT
The Fife is a cylindrical transverse flute with a narrow bore & a rather shrill sound!
This shrill sound is due to the players usually playing up in the 2nd & 3rd octave, as they try to be heard above the sound of the Lambeg Drum. Fife playing, & Lambeg drumming, has always been very popular in North Antrim.
Anyone seriously interested in finding out more about Fifes and Lambeg Drums should pick up a copy of Gary Hastings' excellent book & CD entitled "With Fife & Drum", or check out:
The Fife & Drum Forum If you are interested in the Lambeg Drum you should also visit Diana Atkinson's page:
The Lambeg Drum Cheekily I have borrowed some information from Gary Hasting's book, to give visitors an idea about this wonderful instrument and the delightful music played on it, in County Antrim.
Gary tells us that:
..... by 1790, all European armies used Fifes & Drums, so it was quite natural for the Orange Order to adopt the fife & drum. In the middle of the C19th a short conical Flute, in Bb, became popular They usually had at least one key. Around this time the army started using Flute Bands for marching, & just kept the Fife for calling orders.
The Fife is a one piece instrument, with no keys while a Flute comes in two or more pieces and can have up to 6 keys.
The Fife today is usually in the Key of C-sharp, which is apparently the orchestral standard of the early C19th. They are usually made of Boxwood, sometimes called Canary Wood, you guessed it, because it is yellow! Sometimes other woods are used like Sycamore, Ash and Elderberry and my wife, Sabine, even has one made of Holly. Many men made their own Fife, using wood from the local linen mill, where they used Boxwood in the looms.
Well known Co Antrim players, past & present incude Jock Leckey, Willy Nicholl, John Kennedy & Willis Patton and their favourite tunes included little gems like 'Open the Door', 'One More Bottle', 'The Boys of Belfast' & 'Gold in every Pocket but My Own' and I happen to play all of the above on my own Hammered Dulcimer. Younger players like Harry Bradley & Gary Hastings himself are doing much to encourage an interest in the instrument & the many wonderful tunes associated with it, amongst traditional musicians.
The Fife is a one piece instrument, with no keys while a Flute comes in two or more pieces and can have up to 6 keys.
The Fife today is usually in the Key of C-sharp, which is apparently the orchestral standard of the early C19th. They are usually made of Boxwood, sometimes called Canary Wood, you guessed it, because it is yellow! Sometimes other woods are used like Sycamore, Ash and Elderberry and my wife, Sabine, even has one made of Holly. Many men made their own Fife, using wood from the local linen mill, where they used Boxwood in the looms.
Well known Co Antrim players, past & present incude Jock Leckey, Willy Nicholl, John Kennedy & Willis Patton and their favourite tunes included little gems like 'Open the Door', 'One More Bottle', 'The Boys of Belfast' & 'Gold in every Pocket but My Own' and I happen to play all of the above on my own Hammered Dulcimer. Younger players like Harry Bradley & Gary Hastings himself are doing much to encourage an interest in the instrument & the many wonderful tunes associated with it, amongst traditional musicians.
Find out more in 'with Fife & Drum' by Gary Hastings - Blackstaff Press, Belfast.
Flute being played in Bushmills
Here you see Wullie Robinson & John McLean Fifing in the late 80's
Also local Fife man, Willie McIntyre, & friends, performed on the Open Stage on the Friday night, at the Causeway Dulcimer Festival.
Cheers
Ptarmigan