Clarke History Book

The History of the Tin Whistle book tells the story of how the original tin whistle was created, and how it became one of the single most popular instruments in the world of folk music.

When Robert Clarke invented his tin whistle in 1843, little did he know that it would have such a great impact on so many different music genres.

Created in Coney Weston, a country village in Suffolk, the first tin whistles were given to Robert’s delighted friends and, as the word spread to neighbouring parishes, he was able to start charging for them.

From the Original Tinwhistle to the development of the Sweetone, you can follow the journey which made this traditional instrument what it is today.

The Clarke Tinwhistle is in itself a dream made into music, beauty and joy. Here, in Norman’s book, it is also made into History, indicating a hopeful musical path to anyone interested in making music.

– Marcia Contador

Norman Dannatt has done some excellent primary research and uncovered many hitherto unknown details about Robert Clarke and The Clarke Tinwhistle Company. A must-read for Tinwhistle history buffs!

– Bill Ochs