Tag Archives: Irish

Testimonial From Tomás MacUileagóid

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Website Updates

Tomás MacUileagóid, a flute player, fiddler and harp maker from Dublin, Ireland, has kindly sent Martin Doyle a testimonial which has been added to Martin’s website. Tomás recently purchased a keyed flute from Martin Doyle.

“Hi Martin,
I have thought a lot about writing to you since I got my keyed flute from you. I wanted to really feel my way into it and explore what it has to offer. I am astounded by the range of colour available, just waiting for me to exploit it. The tones available far exceed what I could get on the flute I got off you 10 years ago. I wanted the keys because I have a particular interest in the music of east Galway, Paddy Kelly and Paddy Fahey in particular, and you can’t really manage that without the F natural. Obviously since I have a keyed flute I notice other flutes much more, and I am continuously impressed by your standard of craftsmanship, and I understand how difficult it is to maintain such a high standard. Well done!! I don’t know what motivates you as an instrument maker, but I enjoy being able to create something that is unique with its own voice, that will hopefully live long after me and in some small way contribute to making the world a better place. I think you have already achieved this. Thank you.
Regards,
Tomás.”

Very thoughtful and insightful words from a fellow instrument maker — thank you for your kind and encouraging comments Tomás.

More Testimonials

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

The Tanzanian Adventure Unfolds

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Martin Doyle in Tanzania.

Martin Doyle in Tanzania.

Martin Doyle is currently visiting Tanzania with Nina Perry of Falling Tree Productions to make a radio documentary called The Music Tree for the Irish radio station Newstalk. The Music Tree will feature Martin Doyle as an instrument maker visiting the area of East Africa where the Mpingo (African Blackwood) trees grow. Since the nineteenth century African Blackwood has been a timber favoured for woodwind instruments as its density, tonal properties, stability and durability are incomparable.

This trip is in its own way an historical occasion as many of the local people of Tanzania, some of whom are involved in burgeoning Mpingo conservation projects, have never before met a European craftsman who uses their timber to make musical instruments. Martin accomplished the task of making a flute with some of the local Mpingo carvers on the third day of his visit and by all accounts they were enthralled when it was played to them.

Nina Perry is kindly authoring a blog dedicated to the trip – Music Tree – so that we distant onlookers can keep abreast of events. No story, small or large, is complete without a picture or two, so here is one from Nina’s blog:

Street scene in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Street scene in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Irish Tunes On A Martin Doyle Flute

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Here is a video clip of Irish musician Ciarán Mac Fheidhlimidh playing Irish traditional music on a Martin Doyle flute. Unfortunately we do not get to see Ciarán playing; rather it is an audio clip played under a still photo of a flute that not a Doyle. The tunes that Ciarán is playing in this flute video are The Bag Of Spuds and The Boys On The Hilltop – both reels. Martin Doyle was quite taken with Ciarán’s flute playing and we hope you enjoy it as well.

More video clips of musicians playing Martin Doyle flutes can be viewed here: Martin Doyle Flutes | YouTube »

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh Testimonial

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Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh playing fulte.

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh playing fulte.

Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh is an accomplished flute and whistle player and singer from Dún Chaoin in County Kerry, Ireland. She is the lead singer and flute player with the traditional Irish music group Danú, and is a tutor at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick.

Muireann plays a Martin Doyle flute and has been kind enough to offer a testimonial for Martin’s website. She has also sent us a sample of her flute playing from the album Dual – a collaboration with Julie Fowlis, Éamon Doorley and Ross Martin that was released in November of 2008. Muireann’s testimonial reads:

“I have been playing a Martin Doyle African Blackwood ‘D’ flute since 2001. As a touring musician I am delighted with its reliability and consistency of tone, no matter where I am in the world. The flute is perfectly in tune which is very important when playing in a band context. I also love the fact that it can produce a variety of sounds from a powerful bark to a sweeter, clearer tone, making it a very expressive instrument and suitable for all kinds of music from wild Kerry Polkas to more subtle slow airs. I always recommend Martin’s flutes to my flute students.”

Muireann’s music sample can be heard here: Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh – Flute Music »

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

Irish Translation Added

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Diarmuid Breathnach

Diarmuid Breathnach.

Recently added to Martin Doyle Flutes is a translation of the About Martin Doyle page. It has kindly been translated into Gaeilge (Irish language) by Irish biographer and encyclopaedist Diarmuid Breathnach of Bray in County Wicklow, whom Martin Doyle has known for many years.

Born in 1930, Diarmuid was educated at University College Dublin and became a librarian in Kilkenny, then a sound archivist and chief librarian at RTÉ from 1974 to 1986. His major achievement is the compilation, with Máire Ní Mhurchú, of Beathaisnéis, a multi-volume dictionary of modern Gaelic culture. On May 17, 2002, the National University of Ireland conferred honorary degrees – The Degree of Doctor of Celtic Studies – upon Diarmuid Breathnach and Máire Ní Mhurchú at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

Our heart-felt gratitude to Diarmuid Breathnach for his kind efforts and abundant patience – he is indeed a grand gentleman! The new page can be viewed here: Sceal Máirtín Ó Dubhghaill »

Martin Doyle, Tanzania And The Music Tree

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Flutes for Africa

Mpingo logger, Tanzania.

Mpingo logger, Tanzania.

Martin Doyle is bound for the East African nation of Tanzania this coming August to take part in the production of a radio programme.

Tanzania is home to the famed Mpingo tree from which the highly valued timber known as African Blackwood is harvested. This wood has been one of the first choices for woodwind instruments such as clarinets, oboes, bag pipes and flutes for over 150 years now, but was also valued by furniture making as far back as the time of the Egyptians. It is a timber favoured for it’s density, durability and exceptional tonal qualities.

Martin Doyle is to feature in a radio programme to be called The Music Tree that is being produced for the Irish radio station Newstalk. The project is being headed by Nina Perry (who also produced Sounding Post which looks at the use of wood for instruments and featured several instrument makers including Martin Doyle) for Falling Tree Productions. This from Nina Perry:

Nina Perry

Nina Perry – music, sound and radio.

“The Music Tree is to accompany Irish flute-maker Martin Doyle from County Clare to eastern Tanzania where he plans to demonstrate Irish flute making so that accomplished local craftsmen might learn his skills to boost the economy surrounding this rare wood and, for the first time, hear the sound of instruments made from the local blackwood trees.”

Continue reading →

New Music Samples Added

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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.