Musical Instruments used by Castlebay

These are the instruments used for the performances on this recording.

Note: If you happen to see us in Europe we have basically the same kit but different instruments. It makes the trans-Atlantic flights a whole lot easier.

Celtic Harp

Harp Samples

Slow air

Julia Lane plays the Celtic harp, also known as the folk harp or lever harp. This type of harp, with a triangular frame, probably originated in southeastern Scotland about 1400 years ago. There are carvings of harps on some of the Pictish stones.

The harp was the instrument of kings and chiefs for many centuries. The harper, along with the bard, was responsible for passing on the songs, stories, genealogies, laws, legends, and myths in the pre-literate societies of northern Europe. The harp went into decline due in part to political upheaval that started in the 16th century and later because of the increasing use of chromaticism in the music of the aristocracy. The folk harp had a brief period of renewed interest with the "Celtic Twilight" movement of the late 19th century. The current popularity of the harp in the United States began about 1970 with the first publication of the Folk Harp Journal by Robbie Robinson. Until 1990 or thereabouts the FHJ was published primarily for builders and the knowledge was freely shared amongst the luthiers. Consequently the quality of instruments available in the United States is very high. There are a few companies which employ some dozens of workers and any number of individual luthiers doing very fine work.

Julia's harp is a custom 5-octave instrument built by Fred Gosbee in 1998. The inlay on the pillar is an obvious custom feature. Less noticable is the oversize sound box. This harp holds about 40% more air than most other harps in its range, which contributes to the resonance.

Julia plays with her fingernails, which is an older technique than is usually practiced today. This gives each note a distinct attack and leads to a wonderful clarity of the musical line.

Julia began her career as an accompanist and still frequently uses her harp to support her own vocals as well as accompanying other instruments

12-string Guitar

12-string Guitar Samples

Fingerstyle

Song Composed in August

Fred Gosbee's primary instrument is the 12-string guitar which he began playing in 1973. It is strung with six double courses giving it a fuller sound than a normal six-string guitar - it also takes a bit more effort to play. The first two courses are in tuned as unisons and the remaining courses tuned as octaves. Most 12-strings are tuned below standard pitch because of the tension of all those strings. Fred keeps his guitar tuned down two semitones, usually with the lowest course in "dropped D" (actually "C").

Fred's current 12-string is a custom instrument built for him by Nikos Apollonio, from Rockport, Maine. The neck is a bit wider than the standard 12-string. This is to accommodate the finger-picking style Fred often uses. This guitar has a big, warm bass and clear treble. It also sports a double compensating bridge which allows accurate intonation all the way up the fingerboard.

Violin/Fiddle

Violin/Fiddle Samples

"Violin"

Neil Gow's Lament on the Death of His Second Wife
Salmon Tails Up the Water
Lord Lovat's March

People often ask the difference between a violin and a fiddle. There may be a few very subtle differences in the set up, but basically it's the same instrument - just played differently.

European art music is heavily influenced by the Italian technique - lots of wide vibrato and varying bow pressure to accent notes. Scottish fiddle music has, until recently, been heavily influenced by the Italian school as well.

Irish fiddle music is more influenced by the baroque school - less vibrato, the use of open strings and varying bow speed, rather than pressure, for accents. There are also many ornaments in fiddle playing that differ significantly from art music, as well as a subtle "swing" that can only be approximated in notation.

The violin used on Islands In Time was built by the Rudolf Wurlitzer Company of Cincinnati in 1917 under contract to the U.S. Navy. The label it designates it a "first violin".

Pennywhistles

Whistle Samples

High D brass whistle

Harvest Home

The whistle is among the most ancient of instruments. A fragment of a bone whistle found recently in Germany has been carbon dated to 20,000 years old.

The pennywhistle, also known as the "tin whistle" became popular when the Clark Company made whistles out of tin which, in 1840, cost one British penny. Both names have become inaccurate. While the Clark company still makes the original tin whistle, most makers are working in brass, wood, plastic - even sterling silver!

Fred has a whole box of whistles in a variety of keys. The whistle used on Islands In Time is a brass whistle in D, made by Burke. Fred has another excellent whistle by Burk, in aluminum , key of C. He also has plastic whistles by the Susato company in A and low G. Fred has built low whistles from PVC water pipe based on a Gordon Bok design, and a couple of aluminum whistles in low D made from shower curtain rod. He also has several dozen Generation whistles of various keys playing in various states of inaccurate intonation.