Latest News at Oz Whistles:

19th March 2007 - The Inevitable!!

Well it had to happen. The Oz Whistle is born! After a year, or so, of ernest research, design, soul searching and re-design, tooling-up and testing, the Oz Whistle is now a reality.

With the invaluable assistance of my wonderful mentors Ian Mackenzie and Erle Bartlett, the first humble offering is the Standard non-tunable D Oz-Whistle in fine Australian hardwoods with acetal trim - $150 before tax (That's about $120 US, 90.50 Euros or 61.50 British Pounds). Next will be a tunable version with sterling silver trim at $350.

The design is way-simple with a hardwood tube and delrin fipple-plug and ring. From top to bottom the woods are: 1. Kwila (Intsia bijuga) - I like the name of this wood! 2 and 3. Tasmanian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) Not very black, but has the nice tight even grain. 4. Australian native olive (Don't know the botanical name for this one yet).

There'll be other fine Australian woods - I'll post pics as they get made.

All models will be on display at the National Folk Festival in Canberra 4th - 9th April. I won't be taking the whole of Oz Whistles - just my own hand-made whistles at the Instrument Makers display. See you there in the Quoka!

19th March 2007 - Tour Hit #12 Blue Mountains music festival - What a festival!

Small enough to have an intimate feel and big enough to attract some fine acts both local and international, the Blue Mountains fest did St Patricks day proud.

A little rain and lots of fog made it all seem like St Pat himself had brought the air of the Emerald Isle to come visit with its damp greening fingers. Even Stick went for a stroll in the mist - good for his complexion he says.

Once again, Oz Whistles has injected a goodly modicum of whistlery into the region. It's nice to get round to my own area, And, of course, the 2 Kilometer drive to the show was a welcome relief from the usual epic journey!

Next - The National Folk Festival in Canberra! (more on that later).

26th February 2007 - Tour Hit #11 Port Fairy Folk Festival

Arrgh! 1250 kilometers drive to a 4-day festival with no power, no festival tickets and no camping in the stall. The things we do for our passions!

With all that - Port Fairy is a beautiful place with a nice balanced feel to it. The Glaxo Green marketplace became a great little comunity for a few days - All obstacles were overcome and the southern edge of mainland Australia got its whistle content upgraded. Who could ask for more?

Then the 1250 kilometer drive back . . .

Next Blue Mountains Folk Blues and Roots!

26th February 2007 - Tour Hit #10 Cobargo Folk Festival

I really like these small tight-knit festivals - the feel is relaxed and the sessions intense. The whistle content of south-coast NSW is now much better.

Next - Port Fairy.

29th January 2007

Tour Hit #9 Illawarra Folk Festival

Who could imagine that the Bulli dog track could become such a magical place! All praise to Dave DeSanti and his team for an incredible job of producing such a wonderful event!

1st January 2007 - Tour Hit #8 Peats Ridge

4 days of non stop music. This was a largish festival in a beautiful secluded valley - seemingly cut off from planet earth in a land where Gozleme costs twice as much. Many whistles to many people. It all felt a bit crazy - there was a 4 meter skeleton of Mickey Mouse wandering around the place and the Oz Whistles tent was in between 3 main stages which generated a weird 3-way fusion of eclectic styles somewhere between Celtic, Gypsy and Arabic.

While the rest of NSW got inundated by torrential rain, Peats Ridge miraculously remained an island of terrific weather. Somehow, the whole thing got elevated and the drive home was more like a descent through alternate realities with a stop-off at the moon.

indeed!

19th December 2006 - Haggis Whistles!!??

Yes indeed! Oz whistles has been fortunate enough to acquire a goodly stock of this essential item. From arcane works of a pottery deep in the heart of Scotland, the Haggis whistle was forged to aid in the hunt for the elusive wild haggis. Here in Oz the haggis whistle will be indispensable in our efforts to keep the dreaded feral haggis under control!

Oddly these little critters seem to have taken a shine to Stick and have been following him about like puppies ever since the photo shoot. "They've been getting into the limo and bothering the goons!" complained Stick, "Cute little buggers though !" (I think Stick has found some new friends).

2nd December 2006 - Tour hit#7 Sydney Medieval Fayre.

Arrrrrr! The ye olde jousting and sword fighting championships, the clangor of steel and the thunder of hooves! Stick took one look at what happens to a jousting lance when a hit is scored and quickly hid under the doona in his cabana.

Authentic medieval music was provided by the fine troupe "Wayward" regaling the crowd with true renditions on hurdy gurdy, border pipes, and other period instruments.

Once again Oz Whistles ensured that pennywhistle took its rightful place in the historic panoply.Despite the soaking rain on Saturday afternoon, a good time was had by all with much good whistles, good food, good craftwork and ye jolly goode olde combat.

Next - onward to Peats Ridge!!

1st December 2006 - Oz Whsitles Christmas Specials!!!

Do you know that a D whistle is the perfect thing to fill-out the ankle bit of a Christmas stocking? Just imagine the Christmas tree decorated in coloured Feadogs!!! Christmas carols were absolutely made for playing on a Tin Whistle! There's still time - take advantage of our yuletide bonhomie and grab a bunch!

30th November 2006- Mahan Woodwinds whistles due to arrive soon!

Made by the Wandering Whistler Greg Mahan himself! These fabulous little treasures of fine hardwoods and brass in the key of D are here in Oz.

After years of providing excellent whistle reviews and online resources for pennywhistle devotees, Greg has boiled-down his extensive experience into an instrument he can be proud of!

Coming soon!

27th October 2006 - Tour hit#6 Music at the Creek! The Majors Creek Music Festival

Another fantastic little festival! This one was more focused on Celtic and Australian music. I am continually astounded by the level of proficiency demonstrated by Australian musicians - the late-night sessions were thronging with top notch players cranking-out some of the best music I've ever heard non-stop!

From the Vantage point of the Oz Whistles marquee, I had a great view of many noteworthy acts. In the center of the oval the Molonglo Mahem morris dancers were dancing a storm of sticks and jingles accompanied by a fine backing band replete with tabor pipe and drum! To my left was the main tent providing music all day - most noteworthy to my ear were the fabulous Wheeze and Suck Band and the addictive bluegrass sounds of Devlish Mary, the gret Celtic sounds of Triskel and so many more! But, to the right, my absolute favourite had to be Keith Preston's historic Punch and Judy show. Punch and judy is a long time favorite of mine and the Keith Preston rendition is authentic and dynamic - the no-holds-barred interplay, pratfalls, folly, intrigue, temptation, betrayal and violence between Punch, Judy, the Baby, the Policeman, the Crocodile and the Devil (looking suspiciously like our own prime miniscule) - all with the entrancing musical backing played by virtuoso whistler Tony Doyle. I love this stuff!

The weather of Majors Creek put on its own performance for the weekend, alternating from hot summer sun to fog to rain to lightning to wind to golden sunset and the clearest night sky I have seen in years. What a show.

Once again, the whistle level of Australia has been enhanced with a suitable number of Australians, young and old, now with a Clarke, Feadog, Generation, Susato, Chieftain, MK, Sweetheart, Syn, Burke, Dixon, Freeman, Shaw, Busman. Overton or Reviol to whistle them through the wonderful world of music.

Some Snaps!

Oz Whistles at Majors Creek

The Molonglo Mahem Morris Troup with tabor pipe and drum

Mr Puch gets a stern warning from the Policeman

The Fog!

Golden sunset

27th October 2006 - Tour hit#5 The Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival

What a terrific little festival! This one was the essence of a grass roots music festival with the blue grassroots intertwining with the Irish green and Australian red - a perfect palette producing a fabulous mosaic of fine performances.

Despite Stick's misgivings, good weather prevailed and a friendly atmosphere pervaded the whole weekend.

Alfresco bluegrass sessions lasted well into the wee hours as many of Australia's finest players demonstrated a high level of mastery on guitar, fiddle, mandolin and banjo. Not much space in there for whistling, but there were plenty of Irish and Bush music sessions during the day.

The Oz Whistles marquee became a thronging whistle-stop between shows for whistlers of all levels - from high-spirited kids to seasoned old players. And I must say that, after a few festivals, it is obvious how well the kids take to whistles! The mighty whistle is just the ticket for young people to begin their musical exploration - it warms my heart to see the pure, natural enthusiasm that children have for all things musical!

Once again, Australia's whistle quotient has been adjusted in the right direction - the Oz Whistles quest rolls-on! Next: Music at the Creek!!

Some snaps:

The forest of whistles sprouts at the Dorrigo showground)

One of the many workshops in progress

A lively Irish session alfresco

The Dorrigo festival frog looking a bit unimpressed after being stage-dived upon by a somewhat over-spirited youth.

14th October 2006 - Tour hit#4 The Katoomba Festival of Joy

In direct contrast to the hurly burly of Coastfest, the Katoomba Festival of Joy was much more relaxed. The setting at the Katoomba community organic garden made a serene backdrop for some great local acts. The atmosphere was decidedly Findhorn-esque. A very welcome call to the spiritual side of life.

Next weekend - Dorrigo!

6th - 8th October 2006 - Tour hit #3 Stick injured in Freak Windstorm!!! (Gosford CoastFest)

All pandemonium broke loose at Gosford Coast Fest on Sunday when a freak windstorm struck the site and flattened the stall district with wind gusts in excess of 100KPH. The Oz Whistles tent braved the onslaught magnificently with the well-appreciated assistance of passers-by who rallied to prevent the stall becoming airborne (having earlier nailed the stall down to the tarmac with 1-foot spikes also helped somewhat). Although the tent fared well, by and large, the back wall did blow-out releasing countless copies of the Clarke Tin Whistle finger chart which were subsequently distributed around North Gosford like some kind of musical snow.

Some of the other stall holders were not so fortunate. Once all the merchants had gathered themselves and fled, the lot was eerily vacant except for abandoned mangled marquee frames lying in drifts like some kind of strange metal elephant's graveyard.

Unfortunately, in all the confusion, no one noticed that stick had been thrown from his comfortable cabana in the rafters of the marquee and hurtled crushingly to the tarmac below. When the wind died down enough to hear his plaintive cries for help, we hastened to his side and made him as comfortable as possible given the serious nature of his injuries. He was rushed to the intensive care unit of the Oz Whistles Memorial Stick hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. When he awoke he was shocked to learn that the doctors could not save his stump and had to dock a half inch from his length. Stick was inconsolable and swore his career had been cut short. He became somewhat mollified, however, when the prophylactic specialists arrived to show him through their fine array of trendy extensions. After signing the usual waivers, stick was back on his stump within a few days and very pleased to be the star attraction, once again, at the photo shoot to show off his fashionable new look.

Stick's horrendous injuries.

Stick undergoes emergency surgery at the Oz Whistles Memorial Stick Hospital.

Stick loses half an inch!

Stick sports his new look for the paparazzi

Apart from that, the CoastFest event was a hoot, with many fine artists playing - some even paying the Oz Whistles stall a visit and purchasing a whistle or 2. Among these was Johnny Rotten McHaggis from "The Go Set" who obtained some good heavy-metal Chieftain whistlery befitting his craft. And I must say, I have never heard a Chieftain high D played so well!

The Go Set

Other very notable whistlers in attendance were those giants of Australian whistling:

Pam Merrigan and Alison Boyd

All in all a very successful festival.

25th September 2006 - Overton whistles on their way!

The iconic Overton by Colin Goldie is an absolute must for any whistle shoppe. Oz Whistles is proud to announce that selected keys will be here sometime mid October. We will be showing instruments in High C, D and Low D. As is the case with many high caliber whistles, pre-sales will not leave much until the next order arrives - be quick!

15th-17th September 2006 - Tour hit #2 The Gundagai Turning Wave Festival!

The Turning Wave festival at Gundagai was a great hit! Fabulous weather set the scene for an all-star tour of Celtic roots and music in Australia. All stages firing for the whole weekend along with street events, outdoor performances and late night sessions in every pub, Gundagai sure knows how to throw a festival!

Stick hobnobbing with notable whistler Ian Stewart

The famous Oz Whistles Forrest of Whistles

The Oz Whistles traveling shop sprouts an awning for the Afternoon sun

The main street of Gundagai winds up to a rousing session.

Turning Wave

11th September 2006 - New Burkes arrive!

The ever popular Burke high end whistles are now here at Oz Whistles! Resplendent in Brass, Aluminium and Composite, these precision masterpieces are a delight to play!

Stick would never miss a photo-op like this.

8th - 10th September 2006 - Tour hit #1: Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival!

Oz Whistles kicked-off this season's festival tour at the Kangaroo Valley Folk festival this weekend. We were expecting to make a big splash, but not, as it turned out, in such a literal way! With heavy rain for most of the weekend, everyone was making a big splash! Mud quickly became the make-up of choice for the fashion conscious - a perfect compliment for the Dryzabone! Although the rain did its best, nothing could put a damper on the festivities (apart from the excellent damper being served at the food stalls) and a good time was had by all. The OzWhistles mission of "No man woman or child should live in a poverty of whistles" was well served, with Kangaroo Valley now replete with an acceptable whistle level. And the crusade will continue until the Australian whistle index reaches a level we can all be proud of!

Despite the rain, the Kangaroo Valley Folk festival was hugely successful and is set to become a major landmark in the Oz festival landscape. Oz Whistles plans to be there next year for sure!

One down and more to go!

Here's a couple of Pics from Kangaroo valley.

Oz Whistles set up and ready for a soggy but successful Saturday.

View from the Oz Whistles tent overlooking the showground.

Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival

22nd August 2006 - Reviol Whistles arrive!

Maurice Reviol makes a great whistle in the tradition of Cillian O'Briain. We've been looking forward to offering these fine instruments for a while now.

I was prepared to be impressed, but I wasn't prepared to be impressed this much!

These whistles are absolutely beautiful - I have not seen low whistles this well presented. They sound fabulous with good balanced tones, great volume and perfect tuning. I imagine these will be sold long before Maurice gets back to his workshop in the new year!

Stick gets acquainted with the new beauties.

The exquisite presentation of Reviol.

8th - 10th September 2006 - Oz Whistles on tour!

Oz Whistles kicked-off this season's festival tour at the Kangaroo Valley Folk festival this weekend. We were expecting to make a big splash, but not, as it turned out, in such a literal way! With heavy rain for most of the weekend, everyone was making a big splash! Mud quickly became the make-up of choice for the fashion conscious - a perfect compliment for the Dryzabone! Although the rain did it's best, nothing could put a damper on the festivities (apart from the excellent damper being served at the food stalls) and a good time was had by all. The OzWhistles mission of "No man woman or child should live in a poverty of whistles" was well served, with Kangaroo Valley now replete with an acceptable whistle level. And the crusade will continue until the Australian whistle index reaches a level we can all be proud of!

Despite the rain, the Kangaroo Valley Folk festival was hugely successful and is set to become a major landmark in the Oz festival landscape. Oz Whistles plans to be there next year for sure!

One down and more to go! Here's where Oz whistles can be found over the next few months:

Fri-Sun 8-10th September 2006

Kangaroo Valley Folk festival (NSW).

Fri-Sun 15-17th September 2006

Gundagai Turning Wave festival (NSW)

Sun 1st October 2006

Leura Sunday Markets.

Fri-Sun 6-8th October 2006

Coastfest Gosford (NSW).

Fri-Sun 27-29th October 2006

Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass festival (NSW)

Sun 5th November 2006

Leura Sunday Markets

Fri-Sun 10-12th November 2006

Music at the Creek - Major's Creek (NSW).

And from there it's as many as we can get to until next May - some in other states - We'll post an update next month.

7th August 2006 - New SYN Low D Whistle!

The new Low D Whistle from Earle Bartlett is here at last! For those who love the look, sound and feel of SYN whistles, this is the Low D for you. The characteristic high backpressure and low breath requirement is evident in this whistle as with all whistles Erle makes. We've had the new whistle put through it's paces by Ben and Johnny and captured a few samples.

3rd August 2006 - Magen Saga Complete!

The search for the magic Generation whistle is now complete. One winner for best whistle and one winner for worst.

2nd August 2006 - First Flute at Oz Whistles is a real Sweetheart!

Well it had to happen sometime. Oz Whistles finally has a flute on the stands. The Dymondwood™ Sweetheart Resonance flute arrived today along with a particularly fine Blackwood Resonance Whistle. At $480 Oz dollars ($325 US dollars), the Sweetheart flute is incredible value and plays like a dream.

26th July 2006 - Raj Durga set complete.

The Durga set is now complete and will be on the Oz Whistle stands in a week or 2.

25th July 2006 - Top local whistlers commissioned to record for OZ Whistles.

We've had this one on the high-priority list for a while. All the whistles displayed in the Shop section will soon be accompanied by a sound-clip to help with comparing and choosing the right whistle online. Not everyone can get to Ozladdin's-Cave to try one out in person, but this should help. Local players Johnny Duffy and Ben Scott will showcase the instruments with tunes suited to each one. These clips will start appearing over the next month.

17th July 2006 - Dixon Trad now at Oz Whistles.

This is a quantum leap for Tony's stable of already great whistles. The new Trad is a winner - nice mellow 2nd octave, smooth tuning slide all with a great traditional sound.

13th July 2006 - Feadogs take the stands.

A large pack of Feadogs have taken the stands at Oz Whistles. At last, these nickel, brass and coloured legends, join other notables in the traditional affordable section. After the delivery this morning, Stick emerged from behind his hastily assembled wall of goons after I explained,

"No, the shop is not infested with dawgs! And - no, you will not be in danger of being 'fetched' !"

Although suitably mollified, he's keeping a few goons close just in case.

12th July 2006 - New Dixon TRAD on its way!

We caught Tony Dixon while he was at Willie-Week in Ireland to order a bunch of his new Trad whistles. These are causing quite a stir with glowing reviews all-round. The Trad is reputed to be louder than the usual Dixon high D and a big step towards the traditional Irish-style whistle. This represents a bold step for the Dixon line-up. There's even the new aluminium-bodied Low D coming too. OzWhistles is glad to have them winging their way to join the other fine Dixon's here in a few days.

11th July 2006 - Westwood Hawthorn C delivered after an all-star tour.

The, now famous, Westwood C in Hawthorn has arrived dressed magnificently in its handsome Iroko case. This is a very nice whistle.

10th July 2006 - Oz Whistles to venture out.

Oz Whistles will be participating more in the local weekend markets. We will start an events calendar to list the days we'll be out-and-about at markets festivals etc. To kick-off we'll be at the Blackheath Arts and Crafts markets Sunday 16th (Blackheath Civic center, Great Western Highway) then the Leura markets Sunday 6th August( Leura Public School, Great Western Highway - on the right before the Leura over-pass).

8th July 2006 - Oz Whistles to donate "Magen" to charity!

Dfernandez - a regular on C&F is running a raffle to help support his contribution to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (LA) in September. The prize for the raffle will be a fine selection of whistles! A worthy cause - please visit C&F and help - you might even win!

CLICK HERE

For it's part Oz Whistles will be donating the best playing Generation from the Great Generation Debate (see news item below).

Just to recap the story:

I decided to see if any of our Gens are legendary "Magic" ones (Magens). The magic ones come in 2 styles: Light Magens are said to be so good that they make you play like the all-time great whistle players (they must do because most of the great players seem to have one). Then there's dark Magens - these evil little beasties are supposedly so bad that they can turn a learner away from music for life, or even destroy a promising musical career. So we're testing them all. The highest scoring whistle we'll dub "Oz Whistles Magen 2006" and donate it to the raffle. The worst scoring one will be dubbed "Psychohazard" and burried in concrete at a secret location to prevent its music-destroying radiation from affecting Whistledom. Of course, all this is the stuff of legend - I can't guarantee the veracity of the stories. Pointing a Magen at things may not affect them a bit. Mind you, there is one contender that is showing some promise  

Here are some pictures of the testing process:

prime contender for "Light Magen"

current favourite for "Dark Magen"

27th June 2006 - Feadog New for Oz Whistles!

The entire range of Feadog whistles and tutors will be on the racks Mid July. I'm very pleased to have finally gotten these under our roof. I've been using a Feadog for 6 months now as my favourite cheapy. These are probably the most consistent of the mass produced style whistles. Very good straight off the shelf - but easily tweaked into a damn good workhorse. Mine's a beaten-up old green painted brass one, but I might trade it in for a Nickel "Pro" or a brass dawgie when they come in. They'll be in all the colours - green, blue, red, black and silver with the brass and nickel ones - all in C and D. The "Pro" nickels in D only. As well as this there's a bunch of tutors and CDs and packs with whistle, tutor and CD. Some songbooks as well.

21st June 2006 - Westwood Hawthorn C blessed by Phil Hardy and Tony Hinnigan!

Simon Syles of Westwood whistles has had some of his excellent whistles reviewed by Phil and Tony. One of these, a Westwood C in Hawthorn, is now en-rout to Ozwhistles - check it out at these links:

Phil's Review

Tony's Review

This fine instrument will join its brothers and sisters here sometime early July.

13th June 2006 - Burke whistles on their way!

The famous Burke whistles will be arriving at Oz Whistles soon! Stick was beside himself today after confirming his availability for the photo session! The Burke entourage will arrive with full fanfare in late July, to begin their perilous trek through customs-infested airports. We only hope the ransom is not too onerous.

12th June 2006 - Stick uncovers noble lineage!

Stick claims some notable ancestry (often and loudly) - Apparently, over a hundred years ago, a stick was used by the best flutemakers to measure finger spans by having the client hold the stick flute-wise and mark the finger positions with chalk. That was then used to determine tone-hole placement.

The modern stick is a lot more sophisticated - he wouldn't dream of allowing himself to be chalked (Of course, that doesn't count those wild after-shoot parties in his caravan where I suspect he gets royally "chalked").

6th June 2006 - The Great Gen Debate on trial.

One of the great whistle mysteries is going to the test soon! Is there such a thing as "The Magic Gen"? We'll test as many as we can to find out. This will take a while. Well, it will at least be a bit of fun and we might learn something in the process.

5th June 2006 - Oz Whistles Accessories!

After a bit of research and development Oz Whistles has commenced a range of whistle accessories! Our first accessory products are the new Oz Whistles Session-Strength whistle stands in a variety of models and Oz Whistles Whistle-Oil.We even do the occasional wooden whistle case. We'll be adding to this range of exclusive Oz Whistles accessories over the next few months.

1st June 2006 - Village Smithy on display.

New whistles from the anvil of Bill Whedon have sprouted in the Oz Whistle-forest. The current series from Bill are more than usually hand-made as Bill re-builds his workshop after his recent move to Alpharetta - Georgia USA. With the trade-markultra-trad, rough-as-guts appearance, Bill has spent a lot of time voicing these chrome molly monsters to good effect.

31st May 2006 - Erle Bartlet announces Oz Whistles to represent Syn and Black Diamond for Australasia.

Quoting Erle -(C&F May 31st)

"Thanks to all those whistlers who have persuaded me to continue to make Syn whistles.

In order to give myself more time in the workshop, and spend less in front of the computer, I now have a worldwide web of distributing whistle retailers.

May I commend you to visit; Big Whistle in the UK and Europe, Gaelic Crossings in the Americas, and, Oz Whistles in Australasia!

I will still be available via email for questions and assistance where needed, but am really looking forward to getting into some serious whistle development. I hope to increase production of Lancewood whistles and eventually make them available through the same sources as above. I'm also looking at a lightweight version of the Syn low whistles and hope to have these available soon too. I might even get around to finishing the keywork on my low low D! Cheers, Erle."

(Editor: I've seen this lightweight Low D in progress - it's looking and sounding very special! - can't hardly wait)

23rd May 2006 - Westwood Raj Durga trio-whistle set concept design complete.

After extensive research and collaberation with Simon at Westwood and others, the concept design of the "Raj" series Mysorean rosewood whistles is complete. The first of these will be a three-whistle set named the "Durga Trio" consisting of: "Mahish hah" a standard D whistle, "Shiva" a whistle in G Bhairav raag (Hijaz scale) with D bell note and "Durga" a whistle in G Durga raag (Major pentatonic) also with a D bell note. This named set will be the inaugural release as a set with the remaining Raj whistles as individual standard voiced instruments. The prototype #1 whistle is currently navigating customs red-tape on its way to final voicing as the foundation "Mahish hah" buffalo demon that sets the trilogy into motion. Special thanks to Talasiga at C&F for the invaluable information on Indic music and Indian legends and culture.

The set will be complete in the next month or so, with the remainder arriving as they are completed. Stay tuned for developments.

15th May 2006 - Shaw Whistles arrive.

The full range of the lovely sounding whistles made by Dave Shaw have arrived. These are completely hand made from start to finish, using stamped out blanks, rolled on a rolling horse, soldered the old fashioned way using a copper iron, polished, blocks cut, fitted and finally voiced. All Shaw whistles come with a clear plastic case.

9th May 2006 - New whistling website WhistleThis.com anounced on C&F.

Wynder, a regular of Chiff and Fipple, has started up this excellent website dedicated to online whistle learning. http://whistlethis.com is a great site to develop both your technique and repertoire or to give new players the benefit your experience. A must for beginners -It's definitely helping me.

8th May 2006 - The whistle FAQ page announced.

A new page will be started to help answer the many questions that confront beginners and experienced players alike. Although aimed at assisting new-players, there will be the odd item of interest to all. The page starts in its modest way soon and will grow as answers are recorded for questions new and old.

4th May 2006 - Oz Whistles virtual shopfront gets a makeover.

The Oz Whistles Shop front has undergone an image makeover!

Our thanks to Ayca and the great team at Slaughterhouse graphics!

One item of note is the whistle display stand that can be seen in some of the shots - this was designed based on the expert advice of Mack Hoover.

This stand can accommodate 120 whistles of all keys. We have 3 in use now and are likely to need a 4th before too long. Many thanks Mack - it works a charm!

3rd May 2006

Shaw Whistles soon to arrive!

The popular whistles hand made by David Shaw are soon to arrive. Oz Whistles is very happy to provide this range for devotees of the conical bore pennywhistle.

2nd May 2006 - OzWhistles commences CD sales!

After a lot of belly-button gazing, Oz Whistles has bitten the bullet and commenced a new CD page. The range will be limited to titles that are relevant to whistling and are obtained from artists direct. Oz local acts within the definition will also be supported. We begin with 3 titles and will add more as we go along.

1st May 2006 - First shipment of Village Smithy to arrive soon!

Bill Whedon of Serpent is ready to ship the latest Chrome molly masterpiece. We should have stock of these beauties in a week or 2.

22-23rd April 2006 Oz Whistles at Ironfest.

A large chunk of the Oz Whistles showroom will be transplanted this weekend to the vendor's district at Ironfest in Lithgow. This promises to be a memorable event. Along with a veritable forest of whistles, Stick has agreed to appear and will be available briefly to chat to his fans and sign autographs.

18th April 2006 - Busman at his best.

After meticulous preparation, the fabulous Paul Busman whistles swept in today. They join the growing Oz Whistles forest of distinguished wooden instruments.

14th April 2006 - Stick meets Freeman.

It's rags to riches all round this week as Stick co-stars in an epic of improved fortunes with the Jerry Freeman upgraded Gens! Stick remarked that "This was more than a labour of love. I have a certain affinity with the plot." We've been looking forward to these latest Freeman "Discoveries" participating in what is sure to be a blockbuster. Opening tonight - "Tweakers". Don't miss it!

12th April 2006 - Rumours of the Raj.

Word from Westwood is that a quantity of fine old Indian rosewood has been set aside for Oz Whistles. We will keep you posted as the Raj series begins to take shape.

11th April 2006 - Ancient Mariner docks at Oz Whistles!

And what a fine vessel she is! This whistle is pure character from tip to toe to carry-case. Each note on this instrument is a voyage of tone and timbre. Although quite happy to snap out a brisk hornpipe, the Ancient Mariner will be the instrument of choice for the playing of airs and solo work. Not enough can be said with words - we'll let the lady speak for herself.

10th April 2006 - A Generation of tradition.

Oz Whistles range of Generation flageolets is now complete. >From the little G to the Whacking Bb in Nickel Bluetop and Brass Redtop - And the brass green-topped Folk whistle too! Does the mystic dream Gen live amongst the hundred-or-so, here at OzWhistles? Only time will tell.

4th April 2006 - Stick Shines!

In his first payed appearance for Oz Whistles today, Celebrity Stick got to show us all what he's made of! 100% wood! (except for the bark bits). In a gruelling 30 minute photo session on location with the Kerry Whistles, Stick turned in a sterling performance in his support role playing "Measuring Stick" A drifter appearing in several scenes to highlight the true talents of the stars. When offered a bonus oiling for this outstanding performance, Stick is reported to have declined saying "It would ruin my naturally rugged good looks." I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of this promising newcomer.

3rd April 2006 Chieftains held hostage!

Tensions mounted over the weekend as the newsroom heard that the entire Kerry Whistles flock had been removed from their plane and detained by radical assailants. An anonymous note signed "Customs" was later received at Oz Whistles demanding a ransom for their release. After some furious emails, faxes and high-level negotiations, the kidnappers agreed to settle on an undisclosed donation to their secretive masters. By this morning, all hostages had been released safely. Although this reporter's sources have divulged that the prisoners had been forcibly humiliated in a degrading and unnecessary "sniffing", involving a number of very scary looking dogs! The sleek beauties looked none the worse for their ordeal and had time to freshen-up before the scheduled photo-shoot later today.

27th March 2006 - Weston's Ancient Mariner soon to set sail for Oz.

The first of Simon Styles' Westwood whistles created for Oz Whistles is nearing completion. This exquisite piece consists of matched whistle and case cut from the same mahogany recovered from a 250 year old barn in the Barrow-upon-Humber region (Circa 1750). The timber is rumoured to have originated from a Shipwreck which would make it even older still. Ironically, there was another historical item from Barrow-upon-Humber in the 1700's that made its way to Oz - a fine chronometer. The chronometer was designed by John Harrison for use in accurately measuring Longitude. It was part of the kit aboard the good ship Endeavour captained by the famous Cpt. James Cook who went on to "Discover" Eastern Oz in 1770. Cook, unfortunately, had a bad relationship with wood and came to an untimely end on a particularly pointy bit in Hawaii (1779). From its origin the whistle will be already familiar with the hornpipes and shanties that will be played upon it so I've dubbed it "The Ancient Mariner". Whoever ends-up owning it will be honour bound to whet its way with a taste o' rum (no ice!).  

22nd March 2006 - Chieftains take flight for Oz!

At last the great Kerrywhistles flock is airborne and headed for Oz. This will be a momentous landing with all the Chieftain and Kerry models touching down in OzWhistles in a few days. The Forrest Thickens!

21st March 2006 - Busman soon to be seen at OzWhistles!

We're honoured to announce that OzWhistles will soon be graced by the fine pennywhistles made by Paul Busman! These will be in wood and delrin. Paul has been good enough to send a few photos showing the creation of instruments destined soon to reside in the OzWhistles showroom!

20th March 2006 - Serpent at the Anvil hammers out Smithies for Oz!

Yes indeed, Bill Whedon of Serpent, 5 pound hammer in hand and his trusty railway spike is once again at the anvil hammering-out the real-man's whistle soon to arrive in Oz. Village Smithy whistles in Chrome Molly are the ideal instrument for robust sessions and gigs, and just a damn good whistle!

18th March 2006 - Second-hand top echelon instruments.

Oz Whistles has begun a new section in the showroom dedicated to top level second hand instruments. I am not inclined to post these to the website as I expect a lot of coming and going which will be difficult to keep up with. Instead, if you are interested in acquiring a specific instrument, I invite you to contact me to see if I have one. All these instruments will be in the (Aud) $200+ category and in good or mint condition. They will be acquired from reputable sources and verified before being passed into stock. NB Unsolicited offers will not be accepted.

12th March 2006 - News page debut!

The Oz Whistles news page is now up and humming. Please watch this page for all breaking developments, news, reviews and anecdotes at OzWhistles!

We start with our news so far:

10th March 2006 - OzWhistles Links page and stock catalogue introduced.

After much planning, consulting, double-checking, designing, testing and straining with software, the catalogue is now online! My thanks to all the supporters, makers, manufacturers and wise advisers for assisting OzWhistles get to this point. My Links page is intended to represent our gratitude. It is unfortunate that I cannot show a link for all those who have helped, but rest assured, every contribution is well noted and will not be forgotten. Biggest note of all goes to my wonderful-wife-and-webmaster Ayca and her hardworking cohorts at Slaughterhouse graphics! It doesn't get any better than this.

4th March 2006 - OzWhistles announced on ChiffandFipple!

I chose C&F to announce our debut simply because that is where much of my inspiration has come from. C&F lead me to meet many amazing and supportive people and allowed this humble noob access to a lifetime of musical richness. I salute Dale Wisely, his helpers and the wonderful folks that populate his virtual city-of-whistle. (Dale, you wouldn't be related to Santa Clause by any chance?)

1st February - 3rd March 2006 - BLACK DIAMONDand SYN Pennywhistles in stock.

I think it's fitting that the first instrument to be placed in the OzWhistles display should be Australian made. Not only Oz made, but accepted the world-over as a professional grade instrument. Erle Bartlett has been crafting pennywhistles for over 15 years. His latest offering, the Black Diamond, now joins the legendary SYN on the world stage as a must-have instrument for serious players. Other commentators have remarked on the extraordinary value these whistles represent an I agree - you get a lot for your money with these whistles. The Black diamonds come in D and C, while SYN are available in many keys and whistle+body sets. Oz whistles keeps D/C sets and D/C/Eb sets standard. We can accept orders for any combination D/C/B/A/E/Eb/Bb/Db - please inquire.

CLARKEtinwhistles in stock.

No tin whistle shop could be without Clarke. These represent a major part of pennywhistle history. Much of that history is still carried in these instruments. The Original Clarke Tinwhistle is still the same beasty I remember as a child, the rolled, seamed tube, the wooden fipple and the same distinctive diamond decoration in gold on black. The Sweetones and Megs are more recent and carry all the best features of the original but with the latest technology applied to make these the whistle in every sessioneer's kit. My personal favourite is the boxed Celtic Tinwhistle - based on the popular Meg, but with a beautiful green enamel finish, these look and sound as Irish as the music that is played on them. The boxed Original Victorian Pennywhistle is also another work of art in the typical Vic and Albert sombre black so much favoured during the reign of Queen Vic. Along with the very accessible range of Clarke tutorial books and CDs, the Clarke range provides an essential resource for beginners and advanced players alike.

SUSATO pennywhistles in stock.

It's gotta be said - ABS plastic has a lot of undeserved, and unfair baggage attached to it. With the indiscriminate application to every kind of product, plastics soon became synonymous with cheap and unreliable. In the case of Susato instruments, nothing could be further from the truth. The Susato company has skilfully captured top-line engineering into precision moulded ABS, These instruments are both elegant and reliable - proving that ABS is definitely appropriate for musical instruments of this type. But what of the sound? These instruments play reliably in tune and have a distinctive sound, due primarily to excellent design. Time and Time again, Susato has been the instrument of choice for professional use both live and in the studio. I am impressed by the effort put into the range - there is a Susato pennywhistle for every key and mood. I particularly like the Susato key system - when applied to a low D this simple but effective design allows easy and sensitive playing for those without hands as wide as shovels.

DIXON pennywhistles in stock.

What little gems these are! Tony has put a lot of thought into these whistles. They are warm, elegant and easy to play. In my humble opinion, Dixonwhistles are the ideal beginner's instrument with enough quality to ensure they will remain the practice instrument of choice for many experienced players. Most of these whistles are on the quiet side, but sound absolutely delightful. l am very happy to be able to present these because a big part of OzWhistles is dedicated to widening the entry-point for hopeless noobs like me! This is the very thing that prompted me to start OzWhistles and will always be a priority. Dixon fills the bill perfectly as my number #1 pick for an inexpensive first instrument that will be valued for life!

SWEETHEARTpennywhistles in stock.

Ah now. The first wood in OzWhistles. These are high end instruments without a doubt. The photos do not do them justice. The art of the luthier is well represented in a Sweetheart. For response and tone nothing can surpass a highly crafted instrument. I personally regard the blackwood as the more responsive, however, the Dymondwood is also astonishing. The low D is a masterpiece - with dot-on tuning and depth of tone to get lost in, this is the first non-keyed low D I have tried that does not challenge my stretch. Playable and rich. Every penny in these whistles is well spent. I would highly recommend the Sweetheart Low D as a first instrument for anyone serious about taking it on - a great investment in your musical journey that you will return to again and again.

Celebrity gatecrasher disrupts photo-shoot.

A small commotion was caused during OzWhistles photo-shoot today when an unidentified stick arrived unannounced among the top-end wooden beauties. At first we thought it was a relative of one of the stars, but subsequent enquiries revealed the intruder to be from a more common species and not even in the hardwood family. We assume the stick must be some kind of up and coming self made celebrity. Celebrity stick was more than happy to pose for a few snaps before moving off into the shop area.