The tin whistle has a long and well-documented history in the folk traditions of the British Isles. The first mass-produced version was made by Robert Clarke in Birmingham in 1843, and the instrument quickly took a central role in the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England. The low whistle followed much later — developed by Bernard Overton in England in the early 1970s — and rapidly found its place as one of the most distinctive voices in Celtic music.

But the whistle´s appeal has never been confined to these islands. Today, tin whistles and low whistles are played and loved on every continent, by Celtic diaspora communities, world music enthusiasts, film composers, and beginners picking up their very first instrument. It is a simple, affordable, and extraordinarily expressive instrument — and its global community of players is larger and more passionate than ever.

"The whole idea of Big Whistle is that whistle players — wherever they are in the world — deserve a truly specialist shop. Not a corner of a larger catalogue, but a place dedicated entirely to their instrument." — James Pannell, Managing Director, Big Whistle

That conviction is the founding principle of Big Whistle, now the world´s largest and most specialist tin whistle and low whistle retailer. With around twenty makers represented in its catalogue, Big Whistle stocks a wider range of brands than any other shop or website on the planet: entry-level learner whistles alongside hand-crafted professional instruments, and everything in between. Whatever a player is looking for — their first whistle, their tenth, or the specific, elusive instrument they have been hunting for years — Big Whistle is the most likely place to find it.

One of the things that sets the shop apart is how seriously it takes the diversity of what players are actually looking for. Tone and timbre matter enormously to whistle players, and the choice of material — brass, aluminium, nickel silver, wood, or modern polymers — makes a significant difference to the sound and feel of an instrument. Keys vary too, from the workhorse D and C to a wide range of alternatives that players collect and swap between. And then there are more practical considerations. "A loud, projecting whistle is a joy in a session," says Pannell, "but if you´re practising in a flat at ten o´clock at night, that´s probably not what you want." Big Whistle stocks instruments across all of these parameters, and Pannell and his team have the knowledge to help customers navigate them. "Talking to customers every day, we’re pretty tuned-in to the sheer variety of what people are looking for. Working with so many different makes, we aim to have instruments for every one of those needs — and to be able to point people in the right direction."

Big Whistle champions a network of independent craftspeople whose instruments might otherwise be difficult to find. From Scotland, Big Whistle stocks Misha Summerville’s MK Whistles, which have earned a devoted following for their responsive tone and precise intonation. From Ireland, they stock Tommy Martin´s beautiful wooden Thornton Whistles, which come steeped in the trad tradition. And from England, they sell David O´Hagan´s popular Howard Low D whistles, offering a warmth and playability that have won admirers across the playing community.

The shop´s reach extends well beyond the British Isles. From Portugal, Rui Gomes brings a maker´s precision and a musician´s ear to instruments that have found fans across the world. And from Australia, Erle Bartlett´s Syn Whistles demonstrate just how international the whistle world has become — serious, beautifully made instruments from the other side of the globe.

"The whistle community is wonderfully international. We ship to Japan, to Brazil, to Scandinavia, to the United States. People everywhere have fallen in love with this instrument, and it´s a privilege to be able to connect them with the best makers in the world." — James Pannell, Managing Director, Big Whistle

From its base in Sheffield, England, Big Whistle ships worldwide, and the breadth of its catalogue reflects the breadth of the whistle-playing community itself. Whether you are a seasoned session player or just starting out, there has never been a better place to find your next instrument.

Discover more at bigwhistle.com

The world´s largest dedicated tin whistle and low whistle shop