Tomás MacUileagóid, a flute player, fiddler and harp player/maker from Dublin, Ireland, has kindly added a testimonial to Martin Doyle Flutes. 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.
This and other testimonials from owners of Martin Doyle flutes can be viewed here: Testimonials
Here is a video clip of one Ciarán McPhilemy playing a tune 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. The flute in the picture is not a Doyle, that is for sure. Perhaps someone will be able to let us know what tune Ciarán McPhilemy is playing and perhaps a little about himself and the style of his playing. Enjoy…
Muireann plays a Martin Doyle flute and has been kind enough to offer a testimonial for Martin Doyle Flutes and 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 consistensy 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.”
More testimonials from owners of Martin Doyle flutes may be viewed here: Testimonials — and Muireann’s music sample can be heard here: Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
Our thanks to Muireann for her kindness. We have posted a video clip of Muireann playing her Martin Doyle flute after the fold — a lovely example of Irish traditional music…
Martin Doyle has just received a very kind testimonial from Paul MaCarthy – a self professed ‘flute player for the fun of it’ who hails from Clonmel in County Tipperary, Ireland. Paul’s kind testimonial is as follows:
Paul McCarthy playing his Martin Doyle cocus wood flute
“Having played other flutes (mainly African blackwood with headliner) and been dissatisfied with their somewhat capricious nature, I started searching for an instrument which did not have these flaws. After scratching around the country on and off for months and visiting several well respected flute makers, I failed to find what I was looking for. Maybe it was me and not the flutes but I found them very unacceptably fickle. Eventually in the autumn of 2005 I found myself in a snug workshop in Bray talking with a very relaxed and affable flute maker who invited me to sit into the corner and try any flute I could find. There were several on a rack on the table next to me so I started with the one closest to me and worked my way along about 7 or 8 of them. Being of a methodical nature, I played the same tune (a slip jig called A Fig For A Kiss) on each of them to better judge their performance. All were sweet toned, balanced and uncapricious. Then my eye lit on it. A nice looking Cocuswood, unkeyed, unlined flute at the end of the rack. The feeling I got on playing those first few notes I can still recall. Absolutely gorgeous tone, weight and balance, not a hint of fickleness and with that lovely soft, mellow reverberation which comes with good tone. Low D? No problem. Another fifteen minutes playing passed interspersed with question and answers with Martin. The decision to buy this particular flute was not made by me nor by Martin but by the flute. This thing of beauty is of the rare sort and gives massive enjoyment. Thanks are not enough Martin Doyle!”
In 2002, as the final semester essay undertaken to gain her Masters Degree in Music, Martin Doyle’s good friend Elizabeth Petcu wrote ‘A Phenomenological Study into the Experiences of a Flute Maker/Player Dyad’. With her kind permission, this essay has been published on Martin Doyle Flutes in six parts.
This phenomenological study is an interesting and illumining insight into the relationship between a flute maker, Martin Doyle, and a flute player – in this case the renowned Irish traditional musician and music scholar, Desi Wilkinson.
The following are snippets from A Flute Maker/Player Dyad…
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.
Former Principal Flute (25+ years) with the Radio Telefís Éireann 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 an M.A. 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 with a wooden headjoint and a keyless simple system wooden ‘Irish’ flute. Both the wooden headjoint and the Irish flute were made by Martin Doyle. The three tracks just added to Martin Doyle Flutes are those that Elizabeth recorded using the Martin Doyle simple system flute. They can be heard at the Elizabeth Petcu section of the Martin’s Flute Music page.
The two Telemann tracks are particularly worth noting as they are technically challenging yet Elizabeth performs them on a 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 Me is a delight and includes music by Debussy, Telemann, Bozza, Bach, Ibert, Honegger, Bates and Karg-Elert with a traditional Irish air as a fitting finale.
Cran is an Irish traditional music group made up of three people who, as individuals, are each important figures in contemporary Irish culture.
Seán Corcoran (bouzouki and lead vocals) has had a long career as a solo singer before founding Cran with Desi Wilkinson, and is internationally renowned as a skilful interpretor of songs from the Irish tradition, both in English and Gaelic. Read more…
Desi Wilkinson (flutes & vocals) is one of the leading exponents of the traditional Irish flute (“the timber flute”) and a fine singer, to boot. Originally from Belfast, he was inspired to get involved in Irish music through the playing of Fermanagh fiddler, Tom Gunn, a near neighbour. It was from Tom that he learned his first tunes. Read more…
Ronan Browne (uilleann pipes, flutes, vocals) is widely regarded as one of the great virtuosos of the uilleann pipes, Ronan has carved out an international reputation both as concert performer and session musician. Ronan is the piper on the original recording of Riverdance and is also the original piper with the Afro Celt Sound System, appearing on their first two top-selling albums. Read more…
Martin Doyle is a flute maker from County Clare, Ireland. His simple system wooden flutes are renowned for their ease of playing and quality of tone. Visit his website: Martin Doyle Flutes
About Martin Doyle
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Martin Doyle grew up in the seaside town of Bray in County Wicklow. One of four children in a family with music in their blood, Martin was influenced and inspired by his mothers melodious singing from a very early age – learning songs that have stayed with him to this day. Read more: About Martin Doyle.
Webmaster
Martin Doyle's Weblog is maintained by Shardul – Martin Doyle's friend and webmaster. Shardul plays two Martin Doyle flutes and specialises in playing the music of spiritual teacher and musician, Sri Chinmoy.
Tomás MacUileagóid, a flute player, fiddler and harp player/maker from Dublin, Ireland, has kindly added a testimonial to Martin Doyle Flutes. Tomás recently purchased a keyed flute from Martin Doyle.
In 2002, as the final semester essay undertaken to gain her Masters Degree in Music, Martin Doyle’s good friend 
The two Telemann tracks are particularly worth noting as they are technically challenging yet Elizabeth performs them on a 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.
