Martin Doyle is visiting Tanzania with Nina Perry of Falling Tree Productions at the moment. Nina is making a radio documentary called The Music Tree for the Irish radio station Newstalk and it features Martin Doyle as an instrument maker visiting the area of East Africa where the famous Mpingo (African Blackwood) trees grows. Since the 19th century African Blackwood has been a timber favoured for woodwind instruments as its density, tonal properties, stability and durability are incomparable.
This trip is in its own way an historical occasion as many of the local people of Tanzania, some of whom are involved in burgeoning Mpingo conservation projects, have never before met a European craftsman who uses their timber to make musical instruments. Martin accomplished the task of making a flute with some of the local Mpingo carvers on the third day of his visit and by all accounts they were enthralled when it was played to them.
Nina Perry is kindly authoring a blog (where internet connection allows no doubt) dedicated to the trip — Music Tree — so that we distant onlookers can keep abreast of events.
No story, small or large, is complete without a picture. Here is one from Nina’s Music Tree blog:
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…
In a recently posted article, Martin Doyle, Tanzania and The Music Tree, Martin Doyle’s upcoming trip to Tanzania in August with British composer and sound designer Nina Perry was highlighted. Two excerpts from that post:
Martin Doyle is to feature in a radio programme to be called The Music Tree that is being produced for the Irish radio station Newstalk. The project is being headed by Nina Perry (who also produced Sounding Post which looked at the use of wood for instruments and featured several instrument makers including Martin Doyle) for Falling Tree Productions. [...] The Music Tree is to accompany Irish flute-maker Martin Doyle from County Clare to eastern Tanzania where he plans to demonstrate Irish flute making so that accomplished local craftsmen might learn his skills to boost the economy surrounding this rare wood and, for the first time, hear the sound of instruments made from the local blackwood trees.
Nina Perry has very kindly offered this update on the trip:
Martin Doyle is bound for the East African nation of Tanzania this coming August to take part in the production of a radio programme.
Tanzania is home to the famed Mpingo tree from which the highly valued timber known as African Blackwood is harvested. This wood has been one of the first choices for woodwind instruments such as clarinets, oboes, bag pipes and flutes for over 150 years now, but was also valued by furniture making as far back as the time of the Egyptians. It is a timber favoured for it’s density, durability and exceptional tonal qualities.
Martin Doyle is to feature in a radio programme to be called The Music Tree that is being produced for the Irish radio station Newstalk. The project is being headed by Nina Perry (who also produced Sounding Post which looked at the use of wood for instruments and featured several instrument makers including Martin Doyle) for Falling Tree Productions. This from Nina Perry:
“The Music Tree is to accompany Irish flute-maker Martin Doyle from County Clare to eastern Tanzania where he plans to demonstrate Irish flute making so that accomplished local craftsmen might learn his skills to boost the economy surrounding this rare wood and, for the first time, hear the sound of instruments made from the local blackwood trees.”
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.
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.
“The Music Tree is to accompany Irish flute-maker Martin Doyle from County Clare to eastern Tanzania where he plans to demonstrate Irish flute making so that accomplished local craftsmen might learn his skills to boost the economy surrounding this rare wood and, for the first time, hear the sound of instruments made from the local blackwood trees.”
In 2002, as the final semester essay undertaken to gain her Masters Degree in Music, Martin Doyle’s good friend 
Just added to 
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.
