"Douglas & Co." German flute - demo vid incl. Morgan Rattler

Demonstration video of renovated German-made 8-key simple system wooden flute, stamped "Douglas & Co. London" - who were importers/retailers, not makers.

The tune "Morgan Rattler" is widely spread in the British Isles from the late C18th, with Scots, Irish and English variants. This is probably one of the English settings, which I've picked up by ear at sessions. From its title it is sometimes thought to possibly have a Welsh origin or association, but that seems doubtful! c.f. http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/MOO_MORM.htm#MORGAN_RATTLER for ABCs and info.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• flute
• wood
• wooden
• simple system
• 8-key
• Irish
• Morgan Rattler
• Jemtheflute
• Jem Hammond
• nach Meyer
• Douglas & Co.

[mmcoopstar]

i love the sound of this flute. and i love the piece you play. I love that kind of music. I really would like to start playing some irish, welsh music....fantastic job. i have watched quite a few of videos and they have been really been a pleasure to watch.

[Jemtheflute]

Thanks for viewing and your kind comment. If you want to get in to playing this music, just DO! There is loads about it available on the internet - huge resources of tunes, mostly in (ABC notation), plenty of videos of all standards here on YouTube - try to play along by ear! Try joining the Chiff & Fipple Flute forum - plenty of good, friendly advice available there. You can do much on your own to get going, though some lessons or just opportunities to play with trad. musicians help loads.

[Jemtheflute]

If you're in London (I think????), there are sessions you can go to (online resources to find out about those....) and a strong Comhaltas organisation (Irish trad.) - Google them! Just go for it! You can make a good start on your Bohm flute, though it isn't the ideal idiomatic tool for the job. The music will still sound good on it though, as long as you don't try to play it in a classical style! BTW, Google "Orlaith McAuliffe" - London Irish lass a little older than you..... stunning player!

[Jemtheflute]

BTW, I just checked, Orlaith only has one YouTube clip up from her All Ireland championship performance - from the Comhaltas website - it's linked in my Favourites. Have a browse through some of the others there.

[Jemtheflute]

Well, things move on! The guy for whom I worked on this flute has now sold it on eBay - and got his £325 Buy It Now asking price, somewhat to my surprise! Well, I guess anything is "worth" what you can get for it... This flute will do a job, as I think I show here, but it really ain't worth that much money in the general market in such things.

[burkardheike]

hello,i´ve bought such a flute on ebay...."hans reiner/Schöneck i.V." is engraved in there

i got problems with the low D...it´s very hard to play...how could this be and how can i fix this problem?

greetings

[celticmodes]

Thanks for the history. Well played!

[Jemtheflute]

To whoever gave the "poor" 1 star rating, (and I doubt it was twWhistle - ?), I am sorry you did not see fit to explain your low opinion. To simply give a bad rating is within what the system allows, sure, (and by posting at all and choosing to permit comments and ratings I accept the possibility, as indeed I would accept a proper critique) but it is lazy and ill-mannered not to offer some explanation - why bother to rate at all?

[Jemtheflute]

I take it you mean the flute's voice? If so, this particular flute is not for sale - I don't own it and the actual owner wants it to use himself. Were it to be for sale, it would not be expensive as this kind of flute does not command a high price - probably under £200GBP - and that much only because it does play quite well in spite of its poor quality manufacture - many of this kind of flute play very badly indeed!

[twWhistle]

Nice voice

IS it expensive??