Julie Fowler Scots whiistle

Subject: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: Paul Burke
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 07:38 PM

BBC Alba just now- she's good.What sort of whistle is she playing? Blackwood by the looks of it. Started off with a Scotch take on Elsie Marley.

Anyone know of her?

Subject: RE: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 07:49 PM

"Anyone know of her"??
Guess you mean Julie FOWLIS? Certainly a huge star in Scotland! Sings in Gaelic ad Scots, plays bagpipes too: been in a number of bands including Dochas and now her own, and on Transatlantic Sessions.
See: http://www.juliefowlis.com/about/

Subject: RE: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: Paul Burke
Date: 17 Mar 12 - 07:57 PM

That's the lass. Would some kind lasmozoticon (or perhaps mudelf) adjust the tittle.

As I said, she's good.

Subject: RE: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: doc.tom
Date: 18 Mar 12 - 07:25 AM

Only knew her previously as a gaelic singer. She's a damn good whistle-player - what a delight.

Subject: RE: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: GUEST,Guest TF
Date: 18 Mar 12 - 09:38 AM

Julie Fowlis is probably the premier gaelic singer of her generation and a fine whistle and pipe player. I remember hearing the idiot Radcliffe on R2 saying "the acid test will come when she sings in English". Long may she resist the temptation to pander to the parochials of London. Would he say the same about Mariza? NFC. TF.

Subject: Julie Fowlis Scots whiistle
From: Paul Burke
Date: 18 Mar 12 - 10:02 AM

Here she is playing whistle.

Subject: RE: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 18 Mar 12 - 12:05 PM

Somebody over on TheSession.org identified her whistle as an Abell. Link to the thread here, view the Comments tab.

Subject: RE: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 19 Mar 12 - 08:56 AM

You might like also to view this short film about her:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qczDug2BNRo

And there are numerous other clips on Youtube to explore!

Subject: RE: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: Leadfingers
Date: 19 Mar 12 - 09:38 PM

I reckon to be a fairly good whistle basher and have tried quite a few , but the Abell basic D at $450 dollars is a bit rich for me .
I like Tony Dixon as they work for me and are a fraction of the price of other (I M H O) inferior whistles from a playability viewpoint .
Sterling Silver and African Blackwood are nice , ut a PLASTC Abell is the same price ! No Thanks !

Subject: RE: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: SteveMansfield
Date: 20 Mar 12 - 04:31 AM

I've never played an Abell, so I'm certainly not commenting on that, but it's true that price and playability are not necessarily linked.

My main D fife is an absolute beauty made by David Angus in Northern Ireland, and cost me a ridiculously cheap 30UKP about 3 years ago - better, IMNSHO, than some fifes I've played costing 10x that amount. Yet my main whistle (Harper) and low whistle (Overton / Goldie) are both 'high-end' instruments, and I'd not be parted from them either.

My point? Not sure really, other than a quick hoorah about what a great set of instruments I've acquired down the years :), and that it's not always the instrument that is the primary influence on what makes the music great. I'm sure Julie Fowlis would still be a cracking whistle player on an untweaked brass Generation; certainly I've had the privilege of seeing some other great musicians (Andy Cutting, Jean Michel Veillon) play pretty nondescript mass-produced instruments and make them sound like top of the range.

Subject: RE: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: GUEST,Dáithí
Date: 20 Mar 12 - 07:32 AM

I agree, SteveMansfield - not to mention Paddy Moloney!

Subject: RE: Julie Fowler Scots whiistle
From: Mr Happy
Date: 20 Mar 12 - 11:58 AM

Ah, but a plastic will prob lat forever!

A second one of my Sweetones bit the dust at a sesh last Friday.

The tin ones corrode after a while, up where they join the mouthpiece, then snap off,rubbish.