Martin Doyle recently sent a flute to Russia and, after some initial delays, it finally reached the hands of its new owner who kindly expressed his joy with these words:
Hello, Mr Doyle!
I finally got the flute and it is incredibly beautiful! You are an expert in beauty and the sound is perfect! I have never seen and never played a flute easier than this one. This is a work of art for me!
Lately I’ve been studying a lot about the relationship between geometry and the sound of flutes. But the strong D of this flute – a mystery to me. I do not know how you manage to do this. This flute permits me to do the impossible! Unfortunately, I don’t quite know very well English, to tell you my impressions! But, believe me, it’s endless! I have very long dreamed of a flute like this and now the dream has come true!
Sincerely,
Ivan Pustovalov.
Martin Doyle recently completed a left-handed six key flute for Clare flute player Brian Morgan. An image of that flute has been loaded onto Martin’s website and can be viewed here »
New Tunes Added
Having received his new flute and being the enthusiastic type, Brian Morgan got together with Martin Doyle and Martin’s son Joe for a session at Martin’s home. Martin recorded Brian and Joe playing some tunes together and the results can be heard here »
(Many thanks to Ronan Browne for identifying the three reels in this set.)
Rob Portnoy is a renowned multi-woodwind performer, clinician and teacher who has worked with a plethora of superstar singers, musicians and performers including Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme, Aretha Franklin, Wayne Newton, Nancy Wilson, Don Sebasky, Mickey Rooney, Red Skelton, Debbie Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughn – to name but a few! He had the following to say about a wooden headjoint that he recently commissioned Martin Doyle to make for his concert flute:
Hi Martin,
I just wanted to thank you for the phenomenal work you did in creating my new headjoint. I recently played it on the show “Beauty and The Beast” and received many compliments on my “sweet” sound. The combination of my Altus Limited and your Blackwood Headjoint allow me a warmth that neither of my metal headjoints provide and enable me to play all octaves with a solid, centered sound which articulates quickly and doesn’t break up when pushed! I will surely endorse your craftsmanship so more flutists can experience the wonderful qualities of a Martin Doyle headjoint!
Best wishes,
– Rob Portnoy.
Martin Doyle’s web page about the wooden headjoints he makes for western concert flutes can be viewed here »
Martin Doyle has just received a very kind testimonial from the renowned County Clare flute player Garry Shannon after Martin finished a keyed flute for him. Garry’s testimonial can be viewed here »
Garry Shannon
Garry Shannon is the eldest of a celebrated County Clare family of musicians which includes Sharon Shannon (accordion) and Mary Shannon (banjo).
Garry won the senior All-Ireland flute title in 1988 and has since played with a number of respected groups. He is a member of the legendary Kilfenora Ceili Band, has recorded three solo albums, teaches flute extensively and is co-ordinator of the Irish music residential summer school Meitheal. Read more »
Here’s a recording of Garry playing reels from his album Loozin’ Air:
Here’s a video clip of Joe Doyle playing The Mother and Child reel – complete with background accompaniment from the local bird life. Joe is playing a Martin Doyle flute made of Brazilian rosewood.
In the interests of serving those who play simple system flutes, Martin Doyle has added fingering charts for simple system keyless D flutes to his website. Printable PDF versions of the fingering charts are also available to download.
These fingering charts are inspired by the fingering charts published by Johann Joachim Quantz (1697–1773) in his treatise On Playing the Flute which was first published in 1752. Martin Doyle studied Quantz at the beginning of his flute making career and found On Playing the Flute to be a great source of inspiration and information regarding simple system flutes and eighteenth century music in general.
Martin Doyle's fingering chart for a simple system keyless D flute
Martin Doyle’s fingering charts for simple system keyless D flutes can be viewed here »
A big THANK YOU to Asankita for creating the graphics – chur bro…!
It has long been Martin Doyle’s dream to be making Irish flutes from timber with a known source and that has been produced in a environmentally and socially equitable mode. In recent years, Martin has been involved in a number of projects that have highlight a movement toward that reality and he has participated in the making of three radio documentaries highlighting the sustainable use of African Blackwood – Mpingo as the valued tonewood is known in east Africa. Martin is the first flute maker to produce an Irish flute from FSC certified African Blackwood having received a small amount of the timber some months ago.
Martin Doyle with the newly arrived FSC certified African Blackwood
This week Martin received his first full shipment of FSC certified African Blackwood. Delighted at receiving the timber, he had this to say:
“The arrival of this timber gives us the feeling of working in a sustainable environment that is genuinely beneficial to the people of Tanzania and we are very happy to be participating in a chain of events that has a positive outcome for everyone involved. It’s a great joy!”
Martin thinks that this shipment of timber has been harvested from the sustainably managed Mpingo forests around the village of Kikoli in eastern Tanzania – an area Martin visited during his trip to Tanzania in 2009. Martin’s plan is to be using FSC certified African Blackwood exclusively from the beginning of 2012 as his present stock of material diminishes. The flutes made from the FSC certified timber will be stamped accordingly.
It has to happen every now and then… spring cleaning that is. And in New Zealand, where Martin Doyle’s webmaster lives, it is spring – so the timing is perfect. The southern spring has sprung and Martin Doyle has a new website – well, a new template at least. Same content pretty much, with some minor additions and the odd little tweak here and there – a facelift in effect.
The new-look Martin Doyle Flutes website
So a little celebration is in order and what better way to celebrate than with music…
Joe Doyle makes music
Joe Doyle
Recently added to the Martin Doyle’s flute music page is a lovely piece composed by Martin’s son Joe Doyle. Joe was out in the garden at his father’s home in County Clare a couple of weeks back, ‘playing around’ with his recently acquired Martin Doyle rosewood flute, when a tune drifted through the music-rich ether of Clare and manifested itself through Joe’s flute. Joe dedicated the tune to his father by naming it ‘The Flute Maker Martin Doyle’ (‘by the flute makers son’, as Joe quipped) and recorded it later that day.
As a result, ‘The Flute Maker Martin Doyle’ can be heard here.
Fair play to Joe – a lovely tune.
If you wish to visit Martin Doyle's main website, click on this link: 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 Contact 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.
Rob Portnoy Comments On His Martin Doyle Headjoint
April 11, 2013 at 9:58 am · Filed under Concert Flutes, Flute Players, Martin Doyle Flutes, Musicians, Testimonials, Wooden Head Joints ·Tagged comment, Concert, Flute, head, joint, Rob Portnoy, western, wooden
Rob Portnoy
Rob Portnoy is a renowned multi-woodwind performer, clinician and teacher who has worked with a plethora of superstar singers, musicians and performers including Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme, Aretha Franklin, Wayne Newton, Nancy Wilson, Don Sebasky, Mickey Rooney, Red Skelton, Debbie Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughn – to name but a few! He had the following to say about a wooden headjoint that he recently commissioned Martin Doyle to make for his concert flute:
Martin Doyle’s web page about the wooden headjoints he makes for western concert flutes can be viewed here »
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