The penny whistle originally was made of tin and cost a penny. It is a
standard instrument in Irish music. In many Irish bands, the person who
plays the bag pipes (the Irish version, not the Scottish) will also play the
penny whistle.

The penny whistle, when played with one extended note, can imitate a Varied
Thrush quite well. If you know what a singing Varied Thrush sounds like,
you have an idea of the tone of a penny whistle.

Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA

osprey at nwinfo.net