2nd Causeway Dulcimer Festival |
Bushmills, Co. Antrim, Ulster |
2nd to 4th June - 2006 |
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[Nat
Magee's copy of John Rea's Dulcimer] |
[Photo
by Rick Davis] |
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The
Fife |
The
Fife is a cylindrical transverse flute with a narrow bore & a rather
shrill sound! |
This
shrill sound is due to the players usually playing up in the 2nd &
3rd octave, as they try to be heard above the sound of the Lambeg Drum.
Fife playing, & Lambeg drumming, has always been very popular in
North & mid-Antrim. |
Anyone
seriously interested in finding out more about Fifes and Lambeg Drums
should pick up a copy of Gary Hastings' excellent
book & CD entitled "With
Fife & Drum", or check out Fife & Drum  |
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If
you are interested in the Lambeg Drum you
could also visit Diana's
webpage |
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If
you are interested in the Bodhran visit
the site of local Ballycastle maker Paul
McAuley |
Cheekily I have borrowed some information from Gary Hasting's book, to give visitors an idea about this wonderful instrument and the delightful music played on it, in County Antrim. If you are at Derrygonnelly this year Gary, the lemonade is on me! |
Gary
tells us that by 1790, all European armies used Fifes & Drums, so
it was quite natural for the Orange Order to adopt the fife & drum.
In the middle of the C19th a short conical Flute, in Bb, became popular
They usually had at least one key. Around this time the army started
using Flute Bands for marching, & just kept the Fife for calling
orders. |
The
Fife is a one piece instrument, with no keys while a Flute comes in
two or more pieces and can have up to 6 keys. |
The
Fife today is usually in the Key of C-sharp, which is apparently the
orchestral standard of the early C19th. They are usually made of Boxwood,
sometimes called Canary Wood, you guessed it, because it is yellow!
Sometimes other woods are used like Sycamore, Ash and Elderberry and
my wife, Sabine, even has one made of Holly. Many men made their own
Fife, using wood from the local linen mill, where they used Boxwood
in the looms. |
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Well
known Co Antrim players, past & present incude Jock
Leckey, Willy Nicholl, John Kennedy & Willis Patton and their
favourite tunes included little gems like 'Open the Door', 'One More
Bottle', 'The Boys of Belfast' & 'Gold in every Pocket but My Own'
and I happen to play all of the above on my own Hammered Dulcimer. Younger
players like Harry Bradley & Gary Hastings himself are doing much to encourage an interest in the instrument
& the many wonderful tunes associated with it, amongst traditional
musicians. |
Find
out more in 'with Fife & Drum' by Gary
Hastings - Blackstaff Press, Belfast. |
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Sabine
Glasgow on the Flute in Bushmills |
|
John
McLean Here you see Wullie
Robinson & John McLean |
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Also
local Fife man, Willie McIntyre, &
friends, will be performing on the Open Stage on Friday night, at this
years C D F with Fife & Lambeg. |
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