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Bill McNaughton and Norman Holmes have a long history in all things
flutes
and woodwind.
In 1976 Bill worked as a Woodwind repairer and Norman was just
getting
started playing traditional music (mostly learning from Peter McGeary
of
Dungannon-Tyrone & Middlesbrough). They encountered each other
when one
instrument or another needed repair. They got on well together
in those
days and despite many changes in jobs and locations always managed
to stay
in touch. At some point in the late seventies or early eighties
they
discussed making flutes. There were a couple of reamers made and
a second
hand lathe bought but nothing came of it due to their respective
circumstances.
In the summer of 2003 they met up again over the sale of an original
Rudall
Rose. It was mentioned again that they both had an interest in
making
simple system flutes. This time there was no stopping them. A workshop
was
quickly found, reamers, blackwood and silver bought. They each
inherited
one reamer apiece from the 30-year-old venture of the early eighties.
They
surprised one another when they both found that they had kept the
reamers
from that time and now where able to reunite and use them!
They both had now accrued a wealth of experience in playing and
in woodwind
construction and response. They both have a good collection of
original
instruments to base their design of new instruments including Rudall
Rose,
Prattens Perfected Prowse etc. They also have access to the instruments
owned and played by their friends and colleagues in traditional
and early
music.
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