Category Archives: Martin Doyle Flutes

New Testimonial Added

Martin Doyle has just received a very nice testimonial from Paul MaCarthy – a self professed ‘flute player for the fun of it’ – who hails from Clonmel in County Tipperary. Paul’s kind comments are as follows:

Paul McCarthy

Paul McCarthy with his Martin Doyle flute.

“Having played other flutes (mainly African Blackwood with headliner) and been dissatisfied with their somewhat capricious nature, I started searching for an instrument which did not have these flaws. After scratching around the country on and off for months and visiting several well respected flute makers, I failed to find what I was looking for. Maybe it was me and not the flutes but I found them very unacceptably fickle.

Eventually in the autumn of 2005 I found myself in a snug workshop in Bray talking with a very relaxed and affable flute maker who invited me to sit into the corner and try any flute I could find. There were several on a rack on the table next to me so I started with the one closest to me and worked my way along about 7 or 8 of them. Being of a methodical nature, I played the same tune (a slip jig called A Fig For A Kiss) on each of them to better judge their performance. All were sweet toned, balanced and uncapricious. Then my eye lit on it. A nice looking Cocuswood, unkeyed, unlined flute at the end of the rack. The feeling I got on playing those first few notes I can still recall. Absolutely gorgeous tone, weight and balance, not a hint of fickleness and with that lovely soft, mellow reverberation which comes with good tone. Low D? No problem. Another fifteen minutes playing passed interspersed with question and answers with Martin. The decision to buy this particular flute was not made by me nor by Martin but by the flute. This thing of beauty is of the rare sort and gives massive enjoyment.
Thanks are not enough Martin Doyle!”

Thank you Paul – your kind words are great encouragement!

More comments from flute players all over the world can be viewed here: Testimonials »

New Music Samples Added

Just added to Martin Doyle Flutes: three music samples from Elizabeth Petcu’s debut solo flute album, Just Me. Elizabeth Petcu is a good friend of Martin Doyle’s who lives in Bray, County Wicklow. They also constitute two thirds of the music trio Rune.

Elizabeth Petcu's debut album, Just Me.

Elizabeth Petcu’s debut album, Just Me.

Former Principal Flute (25+ years) with the RTE Concert Orchestra, Elizabeth Petcu studied with Professor Doris Keogh at The Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. She has an honours music degree from Trinity College Dublin and holds a Masters in Music Therapy from the University of Limerick. Just Me is a distillation of all these experiences.

The fourteen tracks that comprise Just Me were recorded at the acoustically exceptional Calary Church near Roundwood in County Wicklow and the album is a lovely interpretation of Elizabeth’s favourite repertoire.

Elizabeth recorded Just Me on a Muramatsu concert flute fitted with a wooden headjoint and a keyless simple system Irish flute. Both the wooden headjoint and the Irish flute were made by Martin Doyle. The three tracks that have been added to Martin Doyle’s website are those that Elizabeth recorded using her Martin Doyle keyless Irish flute.

Elizabeth Petcu playing a Martin Doyle flute.

Elizabeth Petcu playing a Martin Doyle flute.

The two Telemann tracks are particularly worth noting as they were technically challenging in that Elizabeth decided to perform them on her Martin Doyle keyless simple system flute – just six open holes with lots of half-holing and cross fingering – quite an accomplishment! Throughout this album, Elizabeth Petcu exhibits her capacity as a mature flute player of great technical capacity that is coupled to a heart-felt passion and sensitivity for her selection. Just MeDebussy, Telemann, Bozza, Bach, Ibert, Honegger, Bates and Karg-Elert – with a traditional Irish air as a fitting finale.

The three tracks can be heard here: Flute Music – Elizabeth Petcu »

Our gratitude to Elizabeth Petcu for her kind permission to display these tracks.

Cran and Martin Doyle Flutes

Cran is an Irish traditional music group made up of three people who, as individuals, are very important figures in the contemporary Irish traditional music culture.

Cran live on stage. Ronan Browne (left), Desi Wilkinson (centre) and Seán Corcoran (right).

Cran live on stage. Ronan Browne (left), Desi Wilkinson (centre) and Seán Corcoran (right).

Ronan Browne (uilleann pipes, flutes, vocals) is widely regarded as one of the great virtuosos of the uilleann pipes, Ronan has carved out an international reputation both as concert performer and session musician. Ronan is the piper on the original recording of Riverdance and is also the original piper with the Afro Celt Sound System, appearing on their first two top-selling albums.

Desi Wilkinson (flutes and vocals) is one of the leading exponents of the traditional Irish flute (“the timber flute”) and a fine singer, to boot. Originally from Belfast, he was inspired to get involved in Irish music through the playing of Fermanagh fiddler, Tom Gunn, a near neighbour. It was from Tom that he learned his first tunes.

Seán Corcoran (bouzouki and lead vocals) has had a long career as a solo singer before founding Cran with Desi Wilkinson, and is internationally renowned as a skilful interpretor of songs from the Irish tradition, both in English and Gaelic.

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New Testimonial For Martin Doyle Flutes

Website Updates

Martin Doyle has just received a very kind testimonial from John Wood of London, England. John has recently purchased a keyless Martin Doyle flute made of African Blackwood (without a tuning slide) from All Flutes Plus and had this to say about his purchase:

“[…] I bought a keyless (no tuning slide) Traditional Blackwood flute at All Flutes Plus just three days ago and I cannot believe that I can finally play the Irish flute… (well starting to anyway). I have been playing the Uilleann Pipes and whistle and a wooden Boehm-system flute for years, but every time I would try the ‘Irish flute‘ I would hide it back in the sock drawer after half an hour and there it would stay for another 3 or 4 months. Every time I tried it I would end up exhausted and irritated beyond words… Why could I not sound like everyone else I heard playing this *&^%$^ thing. Now I pick up your flute and everyday it is playing easier, sweeter, stronger! Amazing! There are so many choices out there but believe me, I made the right choice when I bought a Martin Doyle flute.”

Many thanks to John Wood for his kind and encouraging words.

More comments from flute players all over the world can be viewed here: Testimonials »

New Business Card and Brochure

In keeping with the spirit of improvement and newness, and to reflect Martin Doyle‘s high standards of craftsmanship, a new business card and brochure has just been created for Martin Doyle Flutes.

The new business card and four panel A5 brochure are of course available in hard copy and, for anyone who requires them, printable PDF versions have also been added to Martin Doyle’s website and can be downloaded here: Contact »

Credit and gratitude for the graphic design and creation of the the new business card and brochure goes to our good friend Asankita in New Zealand – thank you brother!

2008: A new business card and brochure for Martin Doyle Flutes.

2008: A new business card and brochure for Martin Doyle Flutes.

Three Testimonials Added

Website Updates

Three new testimonials have recently been added to Martin Doyle’s website. The first two are from flute players in Japan who are involved in the Irish traditional music scene there. writes:

“I am very pleased with the two flutes Martin! I played the D flute for the set dancing with my friends last Saturday evening. I was pleasantly surprised at the excellent responses and the great capacity of the tone colours. For me, these flutes are saikou — the best!” – Yusuke Usuda.

Bridget and Paddy Moriyasu.

Bridget and Paddy Moriyasu.

The second testimonial is from Isao ‘Paddy’ Moriyasu who, with his wife Masako, aka ‘Bridgit’, spend time in County Clare each year and have made several CDs of Irish traditional music. Paddy has this to say about his Martin Doyle flute:

“Martin is a great friend of mine. He’s not only an excellent flute maker but also (believe it or not) a master of the Japanese martial art of Aikido!! He regularly visits Japan for intensive Aikido training. I started working on a recording project called ‘The Complete Works of Turlough O’Carolan in 2007 — 7 CDs in all and have already finished recording 3 of them so far. I’ve decided to use Martin’s D and C flutes for the recording as his instruments always give me loads of inspiration and freedom. With his lovely flutes, I can explore a whole new world of Carolan music. Thanks Martin!! Looking forward to playing some tunes with you in Tokyo.”

The third testimonial is from David Thompson who is and member of The Belfast and District Set Dancing and Traditional Music Society from Bangor, Northern Ireland.

“The Celtic style flute without tuning slide is the most satisfying flute I’ve ever played. It has a crisp and full low register, and the low D really honks! I love the simplicity of this flutes appearance, yet the tone I can get out of it is truly awe inspiring and it’s always in tune. This is ‘flute minimalism’ at it’s finest!”

More comments from flute players all over the world can be viewed here: Testimonials »

Martin Doyle Flutes Updates

Website Updates

Martin Doyle Flutes has been enhanced with the addition of a Flute Information Quick-find panel to make important information more accessible. We have also made a few other minor modifications in other area of the homepage in order to enhance the experience that visitors have when visiting Martin’s website.

Quite a number of new images have been added to Martin Doyle’s Flickr album:
Flute Maker Martin Doyle »

And we have also added a page that deals with the care and maintenance of wooden flutes:
Wooden Flute Care »