THE TIN whistle also called the penny whistle is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument similar to a short flute. If you watched the movie “Titanic,” you have experienced the hauntingly beautiful and lyrical music that a well-practiced whistle player can produce.

The whistle is simply a metal tube with six finger holes and a mouthpiece, which is blown from the end much like a recorder. This instrument is commonly made from metal, thus the source of its name.

A Barnesville resident might disagree as to the point of simplicity of this little instrument as his journey into whistle-making may have produced the most significant change in the design of these whistles which have been dated back to the Neanderthal culture in 81,000 B.C.

Bill Cullingford is a trained musician who played the oboe for many years before his interest in playing traditional Irish or Celtic music sent him on a quest for a better whistle. Bill and his wife, Ela Robertson, performed together in the classical vein for more than 20 years. “We first met when a friend introduced us, knowing Bill was looking for a cellist to play chamber music with,” said Robertson.

“We are now concentrating on Celtic music,” Roberston said. “What we love about these airs, reels and jigs is that they appeal to just about everyone and can touch people in both a joyful and deep way. “

The couple traveled to Ireland and Scotland in 2005 to experience this traditional music. “We heard some great Celtic music and visited a museum in Dublin which featured historical instruments, harps and whistles,” she said.

The former math and science teacher explained that while the instrument has the rustic authenticity of the original, it also inherits the design flaw of the prototype. “There are essentially only two open notes, a note, then the note an octave higher when you blow harder,” he explained. “When you play up an octave, the tone is inherently flat.

“While simple, these instruments costs can range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars,” said Cullingford. “Some of the best players prefer the cheaper brands.”

Having tried both the expensive and more traditional “Penny Whistle,” the accomplished musician was dissatisfied with all of his choices.

Without a degree in engineering and analytical calculus, it may be difficult to understand the intricacies of making such a simple whistle, however, after being disappointed by the selection of whistles on the market, Cullingford set out to design his own.

People often ask how he knows how to design a mouthpiece or what size to make the tubing and, of course, “How do you know how big to drill the holes?”

His simple answer is: “Math.” However, the more complete answer is: “I calculate the positions with a spreadsheet I developed.”

The former math teacher said that after researching the dynamics of the woodwind instrument by reading a book that appears you would need a degree in physics just to check out of a library, he created a modified spreadsheet design based on the original designed by Peter L. Hoekje. “The modifications are perturbations,” he stated. “Or to put it more simply, they are variations in the bore from a pure cylindrical or conical shape which improve intonation.”

His modifications have solved the historical flaw in the instrument and allow the player to jump an octave without any pitch correction.

With the design work finalized, Cullingford began experimenting with different materials for the whistles. “I use commonly available water and electrical plastic pipe to make whistles.” He explained that he uses both wood and plastic for his products, “I have used cocobolo, bloodwood, Brazilian cherry, purple heart, and Manzanita, a local wood from where we used to live in northern California.”

“When I started making whistles, my home was on the Pliocene Ridge looking out over the canyon where the Middle Fork of the Yuba River came together, hence the name of my business,” Cullingford said, noting that Middle Fork Music was formed after others who share in a passion for the instrument wanted to purchase his whistles.

Key signatures commonly found in Celtic music are “D Major” and “G Major.” By default, all whistles are in a major key, however, by modifying his spreadsheet design he can produce a custom whistle in any pitch. There are high whistles and low whistles, two-piece and three-piece tunable whistles, four-piece or three-sections pocket whistles that come with a handy carrying pouch.

Some people don’t realize you can actually tune a tin whistle,” said Cullingford. “You do so by sliding the metal barrel of the whistle in and out of the mouthpiece head, similar to other members of the woodwind family.”

The prices range from $60 to $200 for the products on his Web page: middleforkmusic.com.

Cullingford also has designed his own traditional Celtic Harp. Known as Folk Harps or “lever” harps, once again the design was to come from a spreadsheet. “These take longer than the whistles to make,” he said.

While his wife doesn’t consider herself a very good harpist, the pair did perform some Irish folk music with Bill playing his whistles and Ela accompanying on her cello. Hearing them perform the music together. it was easy to see that they love playing together and sharing that love with others.

“This music also invites people to learn music and provides a fun and inspiring repertoire for both beginning and experienced students,” said Robertson. “We taught a Celtic Session class at Friends Music Camp and plan to be doing so again this coming summer.”

In the meantime, you may see Bill casually strolling along a street in Barnesville, playing one of his creations. If so, stop up and say hello, he welcomes talking about his music and, of course, his whistle.

Palmer can be reached at palmer@timesleaderonline.com.