Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
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…
Elizabeth Petcu
Elizabeth is a former Principal Flute (25 years) with the Radio Telefís Éireann Concert Orchestra. This from Elizabeth’s web site:
Irish flute player Elizabeth Petcu seeks new ways of exploring and presenting music and her debut solo album, Just Me, captures in essence Elizabeth’s true authentic sound through a brilliant interpretation of her favourite repertoire.
Particularly innovative is the use of the keyless wooden flute for the Telemann pieces (tracks 3 and 4). The Liam Bates composition, Moth Manoeuvres (track 12), was commissioned by Helen Gaynor for her art exhibition in May 2007 — a project that was part-funded by the Wexford County Council Arts Department and the Arts Council. Elizabeth premiered Moth Manoeuvres at Newtownbarry House in Bunclody, Co. Wexford. Just Me also includes the music of Karg-Elert, Bach, Debussy and others.
Elizabeth will be performing at the National Gallery of Ireland on a Muramatsu concert flute fitted with a cocus wood head joint made by Martin Doyle and a cocus wood simple system ‘Irish flute’ also crafted by Martin Doyle.
The concert will begin at 3 pm in the Shaw Room, National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Square West, Dublin. Tickets are €10; concessions €7; Gallery details here: Gallery Information.
Irish Times writer Arminta Wallace has recently published an article about Martin Doyle’s good friend Elizabeth Petcu who resides in the coastal town of Bray in County Wicklow. Elizabeth was principal flautist with Ireland’s national television and radio broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann for over 25 years until a hearing problem sidelined her career. Despite this impediment, Elizabeth has gone on to record a solo flute music album, Just Me, and has formed the inspirational music ensemble Rune with Martin Doyle (flutes) and Deborah Armstrong (piano). Here are two excerpts from Arminta Wallace’s article:
The ability to hear plays such a crucial role in making music that it’s almost impossible to imagine how a professional musician feels when they’ve been diagnosed with a condition called otosclerosis, or progressive deafness. “I’m in good company, apparently,” says the flautist Elizabeth Petcu with a wry smile. “Beethoven is thought to have had it as well.” [...] Petcu formed a trio with the pianist Deborah Armstrong and the traditional flutemaker and player Martin Doyle. They call themselves RUNE, and they take an innovative approach to live performance; their concerts blend visual imagery, poetry and prose with various different kinds of music, from baroque to improvisation via the slow air. “I wanted to keep playing. But I didn’t want to do the very conventional, formal kind of classical recital,” she says. “So what we do is, we pick a theme and tie the music together with words and the beautiful visual imagery of Martin’s photographs.
The entire article may be viewed here: An Irishwoman’s Diary.
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…
With the Irish spring in the air, the three piece music ensemble Rune are looking forward to their first post-winter concert. Rune – Elizabeth Petcu (flutes) Martin Doyle (flutes) and Deborah Armstrong (piano) – will be performing on April 19 at the Camphill Village Community Duffcarrig near Ballymoney in County Wexford.
More details here…
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.
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.
