morris dancing at Kettlewell

Subject: morris dancing at Kettlewell instument query
From: GUEST,bobcat
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 04:18 PM

I,ve just returned from walking in the Dales where I came across Slubbing Billy morris side celebrating their 25th anniversary. One of the other sides had an interesting wooden wind instument. I think they said it was a rauschshawm...spelling??? It had a mouth piece like a Glastonbury pipe and like a rauschpfeifer but a simple body like a shawn with a bell at the end. It was open at the end. I've looked on the EMS site and can't spot it. Can anyone identify it for me? Have I got the right name?

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,bobcat
Date: 16 Sep 07 - 04:14 PM

Surely someone out there can answer my question?

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,Mike Billington
Date: 17 Sep 07 - 01:06 PM

As a player of early instruments myself I can tell you that the instrument you describe sounds to be a rauschpfeife. This is a windcap instrument with the double reed enclosed in a cap. The instrument is very loud and the name literally means "screaming pipe". The shawm is a similar instrument but has an open reed and a more pronounced bell. Both instruments are related to the oboe and, indeed, the shawm is the predecessor of the oboe. Many countries have shawms; the bombarde in Brittany for instance, the piffaro of Spain and the ciaramella of Italy, usually played as accompaniments to the national bagpipes.
My rauschpfeife, incidentally, was made by Gunter Korber of Germany who is now sadly deceased. They are made here in England by Eric Moulder of Leek. The EMS still stocks the instrument I think although decent reeda are hard to come by. I use Kernbach reeds which are excellent but only arrive at EMS sporadically. The instrument is also related in part to the crumhorn, cornamuse and the Glastonbury pipe that you mentioned.
Hope this is of help. Sorry to have rambled on a tad!

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,Mike Billington
Date: 17 Sep 07 - 01:26 PM

Hi again, since my reply above I've typed "rauschpfeife" into a search engine and there is quite a bit including the EMS home page on the instrument. Wikipedia gives a good account of the instrument and I see my band MADCAP is at number 9 in the list!
Sadly there do not seem to be any clips on You Tube.

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: John J
Date: 17 Sep 07 - 01:49 PM

I was about to forward this to you Mike, I'm glad you've been able to help!

Cheers,

John

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,bobcat
Date: 18 Sep 07 - 06:44 PM

Thanks for your replies. I have now been to EMS and it was indeed a rauchpfeifer that I saw, and what the heck i now have one. Ems keep spare reeds by Kernbach so no problem should I ( OR YOU ) need one. So wish me luck as I get into it....greatly looking forward to it!!!!!
The new location of the EMS at Salts Mill at Saktaire is amazing with parking and space and much morevto see like Hockney and a brill. kids book shop and good food...
And all this as a result of a day walking in the Dales.

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,Mike Billington
Date: 19 Sep 07 - 05:11 PM

Wow! I must ask EMS for commission after my reply resulted in you now being the proud owner of a rauschpfeife. Is it a soprano made by Eric Moulder by any chance? If so this will be a very good instrument. I know Eric and he made my shawm which I am very pleased with. Or is it a Moeck?
I was only at EMS in Bradford a few weeks ago and they made no mention of moving to Salt's Mill. The whole building in Bradford was being gutted but the EMS was still operational on the upper floor.
I have ben pestering EMS for a number of years about their woeful stocks of reeds and when I went recently I found they had three in stock so I bought two. I'm surprised that they have more in as Kernbach is very dilatory at sending stocks to EMS.

Anyway, congratulations of joining the elite society of rauschpfeife players!

Mike.

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,Steve Mansfield
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 09:30 AM

Not sure where my previous response went, so apologies if this is a duplicate.

I am that mystery rauschpfeifer!

Playing for the Powderkegs border morris of Whaley Bridge, as we did our thing at Slubbing Billy's 21st Birthday do, which was a brilliant weekend all round.

I often get a fair bit of interest in the rauschpfeife (it's a soprano by Eric Moulder, bought in 2001 through the Early Music Shop), but it's the first time I've heard of someone going off and *buying one* after seeing me in action.

Mike B has covered most of the essentials already, but I would just like to plug my website http://www.lesession.co.uk/rauschpfeife
for more rauschpfeife related fun and trivia.

And as Mike said, welcome to the wonderful (and very very loud) world of the rauschpfeife. I've been called many things whilst toting the rauschpfeife, but never 'elite' before ...

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,Mike Billington
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 12:19 PM

Hi there Steve. Long time no see! So it was you then; the mysterious rauschpfeifer! Seems you have been instrumental (no pun intended) in influencing another musician into taking up the wonderful yet esoteric instrument that we know and love so well.
I'll check out your site.

Hope to se you soon Steve.

Have fun with the instrument Bobcat!

Mike.

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 12:27 PM

Is that the famous Mike Billington who is playing with his Ceilidh Band Madcap at the Lloyds in Chorlton on Saturday 27 October as part of Oxjam?

More about Oxjam

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,Mike Billington
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 12:30 PM

Yes Les. You know it is!!!

Come on Everton tonight in the UEFA cup.

Mike.

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 12:35 PM

I understand all sorts of other people are playing - can you confirm any names?

We hate Bill Shankley and we hate St John
But most of all we hate Big Ron and we'll...................

Now does that go?

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,Mike Billington
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 12:59 PM

No!

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 01:18 PM

I think Child Ballad 278 continues:

We'll ...... the Copites one by one
On the Banks of the Royal Blue Mersey

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,Mike Billington
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 01:30 PM

Yes, I like that!

Let's hope the city is Royal Blue tonight. Come on the toffees!

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,bobcat
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 02:03 PM

Hi there,what have the last entries to do with rauschpfeifers??
Hello Steve, see what effect you have on ladies walking in the dales! Thank you for the web site link and for any more you know about that will help me prefect(!) playing the instrument. I had been looking at a shawm earlier this year but did not have enough puff to make a sound..disappointing as I can puff my way up mountains quite happily. My rauschpfeifer is a Moeck soprano   and I'm looking forward to getting into it and playing morris tunes.
I'll look out for you at festivals for a chat. Meanwhile I'm walking round Whalley on December 16th with www.friendsofdalesrail.org..should you be dancing at the pub on that Sunday

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,Mike Billington
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 02:23 PM

Hi Bobcat

The last entries have nothing to do with rauschpfeifes but as an Evertonian (albeit a Mancunian) I'm a bit excited as we are playing a UEFA cup match tonight.

Best of luck with the rauschpfeife. Eric Moulder's rauschpfeif's are superb and his shawms are lovely if you ever change your mind. They don't actually take more "puff" but they are harder to control with the reed being directly in your mouth. Rauschpfeifes are relatively easy to paly but maily in short spurts to avoid hyperventilation!

If you ever gt to a Madcap gig (Chorlton Irish Club, Manchester, Sat 1st December) then I'll let you have a go of my shawm, rauschpfeife and crumhorns. Can't say fairer than that!

Mike.

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: GUEST,Steve Mansfield
Date: 07 Oct 07 - 08:48 AM

'No rauschpfeife on YouTube' - well now there is, someone has just posted film of us (Powderkegs) dancing Upton Stick at the King's Head in Kettlewell.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EQYWStyeDPs.

Could this be the very performance that sent bobcat zooming off to the EMS to join the Worshipful Company Of Rauschpfeifers?

Subject: RE: morris dancing at Kettlewell
From: Folkiedave
Date: 07 Oct 07 - 09:47 AM

Hi Steve,

Let me say right at the outset you are perfectly free to do any dance and call it what you like.

However the "Upton Stick Dance" is a particular dance and there is another version often called "Upton Stick Dance" which was really the "Chingford Stick Dance" written by Geoff Hughes and indeed which is what most people dance. Geoff reckons he would be a millionaire if he had been able to copywrite it. (Which he hasn't and didn't).

The full story is here.