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Though I never knew of Dave Williams, my deepest sympathies and condolences to his family and friends and to all of you on this list who have been personally affected by this tragedy. I'm sure he will be greatly missed.

I was told by a flute-player that Dave had passed away. In trying to find out more about the circumstances, I found the word 'gentleman' keeps being used about him on message boards - I'm sure in its original meaning - 'a gentle man' .
Always good-natured and good company and a maker of sweet-toned chanters - he'll be remembered each time they are played.

Duncan

Sad news.
It might interest you to know that when Paddy Keenan and Tommy O'Sullivan played the Tyneside Irish centre,as part of the annual Irish Festival, last night,Paddy dedicated the concert to the memory of Dave - who had made the Pipes that he was playing.
The music was a worthy tribute to Dave Williams prowess as an instrument maker.

I also have not met Dave but I am saddened by the death.

I was just thinking of getting a D chanter reed from him for my Rogge chanter and was hoping to do reed making classes with Dave at William Kennedy piping festival when his was booked for.

I have heard Dave's pipers in person which sounded great.

1) Paddy Keenan Full set D with Chanter by Koehler & Quinn
2) John Mc Sherry Fullset D with Chanter by Martin Preshaw
3) Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn Full set D with Chanter by Eamonn Curran
4) Jarlath Henderson Fullset D
5) Fred Morrinson Fullset D
And othe pipers I met at the William Kennedy piping festival.

I think that the photo of GWB is out of place on this forum , to say the least ! and what is more on this topic !!! Neither GWB nor John Kerry have their place here because as far as I know any of them play the pipes !
It's simply in bad taste and it's my point of view !
Rest in peace Dave .

Tragic news.

I was in SanFrancisco this past June, in the Lark in the Morning store down on the waterfront, in a glass case, hidden underneath a stack of Pakistani sets was a vintage Dave Williams half set. The Chanter and drone reeds were ruined, and some of the brass work needed repairing. Nevertheless, with a little bit of restoration it would make nice set for someone. I bet it's still there.

Jeff

It was with great shock that I heard the terrible news. I have joined this forum in order to express my deepest regret at the loss of someone whom I greatly admired. My sympathies go to the Williams family.

Dave, thanks for the pipes and the many fond memories.

Kevin L. Rietmann wrote:I remember seeing Dave's stuff in the Lark in the Morning catalog: "The best pipes we've seen," and wondering what they were like. Over the years I've never heard anybody describe him as anything but a gent and very helpful to one and all.
Also when I saw Paddy Keenan at the Alberta Street the pipes were just sitting on the stage. Paddy didn't have to tune up at all. The hop shaped tuning pins weren't something you'd see every day. Or the fellow with the metal regulator caps. Great stuff - you'd almost detect a sense of humour in it.

que vient faire Georges W ici ??? C'est incroyablement stupide et grossier !! Les admirateurs de cet homme politique distribuent-ils leurs tracts dans les cimetieres lors des cérémonies ????

Kevin L. Rietmann colle cette image de GW sur chaque message. Excuser mon français.

thank's Lorenzo for your reply in French (it's nice to read an old language from the "Old Europe" in that forum...) and I apologize for my poor english, but your french seems to be almost perfect

I agree with Yvon about the actual image Choosed by Mr Reitman. Nothing to do with pipes...but everybody can choose his way...
The previous "image" choosed by Mr Reitman was from "full metal jacket" was'nt it ? there were different images in that film, and the difference between that image and the new one is very simple(remember...); GWB has not hat on his head ...on this photograph...so we can conclude that Mr Reitman is constant in is opinion...except the hat...but what's under the hat ?????? (that question creates a great stress now for the bigest part of this world)

Another thing: Mr Royce is really horrible...how can you let a man like that send messages in that forum ? I like to think that pipers are gentlemen or gentle men ...but that must be a dream. If he continue like that he'll be promised to "Connaught Heifers"

Whatever, we're all very sad about Dave's Death, for his family, because nothing can replace one man (pipemaker or not) for his family.
I'll be by mind with William's family next Thursday.



best regards

Pierre

Lorenzo : Tu parles le français aussi bien que moi ! C' est justement ce que je reproche à Rietman : de mettre cette photo dans tous ses messages . L' administration de ce forum devrait supprimer tout message faisant allusion à la politique ou à la religion .
Merci à Pierre et Yvon de m' avoir suivi . Pierre : j' ai perdu ton adresse E Mail . Peux-tu me l' expédier ?
Au fait BZH29 c' est Jean-Luc G. Gan Ainm .

Althoug I never had the honour of meeting Dave , all the replies tell me a Great man and pipemaker has left us. I just sended him a letter a few weeks ago inquiring about a practiceset. Sadly enough he never will get the chance to answer it. What more can be said than all the good and warm words already spoken. My sympathies and condolecances are for those who stood nearest to him and all the other people who knew him as a very good pipemaker and gentleman. For all of us who he left behind: Enjoy every day the Lord gives us because life is very fragile. So make your life worthwile like Dave did!

Jan J Doff

Sorry for the late posting here, I was in Gort at the Cooley Collins when I heard the news. It was impossible to believe.

I knew Dave for more than 25 years and it was always a joy to be in his company. He was a big man and he lived a big life to the full, enjoyed a good tune, a few drinks and revelled in the craic of good company. He was devoted to his family, proud of Rowan and a thoughtful carer for his Mum. He took as much interest in the progress of my own career and family and our other friends who enjoyed a tune with him locally. By any definition, he was a true friend.

His craftsmanship was beyond question of the very highest calibre, not just in the flutes and sets of pipes he built but in the mainstaking restoration work he did on old sets. I forwarded a few pictures of an Egan he restored to Pat D'Arcy's site. He was planning to document the work and had rakes of photos of the project at every stage. It is a loss to all pipers and pipemakers that he was not able to complete that history.

Dave had the remarkable ability to make you feel that you were the most important customer he had, and it is no surprise that everybody who dealt with him thought him a complete gentleman.

He was a lion of a man and we who knew him count ourselves privileged to have him as a friend. Dave, you will be missed by all of us, but your legacy will outlast us all.

Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.

Ken

"He was a lion of a man and we who knew him count ourselves privileged to have him as a friend. Dave, you will be missed by all of us, but your legacy will outlast us all. " KenR

My deepest condolences Ken. Thanks for your piece about Dave. I agree with you. I first met Dave in the beginning of August, 1979 at his house/workshop in Newark, Notts. I knew absolutely nothing about the pipes, except that I loved the sound, I'd heard Finbar Furey, and they were the instrument I just had to learn to play. I 'd made my annual pilgrimage from Sweden to the Cambridge folk festival, and purchased a half set, made by Glenn McCarthy, straight from the Hobgoblin stall there. Two days later up in Lincoln I saw an advert in the Lincolnshire Echo, "Uilleann pipes & concert flutes made to order, Dave Williams" So I rang Dave and he was very interested in seeing the McCarthy half set and said he could help me set them up and get them going. The Hobgoblin people at the stall, knew even less than I did about the pipes. So I drove over to Newark the next day, about a 25 minute drive, and found Dave's small terraced house.

Dave was living there with his then girl friend Rose Barton. I believe Rose was from Galway or nearby, a lovely woman, an artist, who made bodhrans and sewed corderoy flute rolls and made the bag covers for the pipes. Dave had his workshop in a very small shed at the bottom of the back garden. There were bits of pipes in various stages of completion lying around, and I saw enough to realise that here was a fine craftsman, especially when I compared the McCarthy set I just bought to some of Dave's finished sticks. Dave soon got the McCarthy set going, and played som tunes on the McCarty set. I was very impressed, this was the first time I'd heard a set of uilleann pipes played live. I couldn't help but notice a chanter and parts of pipes that Dave had made though, and after comparing them with the set i'd just purchased I decided there and then to order a half set with tenor regulator from Dave. Dave had completed a two year course at the famed Newark School of Violin Making where he'd learn to make clarinets, flutes and repair woodwinds, and he told me he'd been making uilleann pipes and flutes since 1977. Dave said he could have a half set ready in a year, and sold me a copy of the Armagh piper's tutor as that would be all I had to get by with back in Sweden. We sat and talked and Dave told of his years at sea, of travels to Australia, of his own relationship to the pipes, of a sister-in-law who'd had organ lessons with Seamus Ennis' daughter. I told him about my life and we got on great.

The next year 1980 I was able to pick up my half set with tenor regulator in the month of August and I continued to visit Dave and was able to see in 1981 the wonderful set based on Felix Doran's "silver" set which Dave made for Big John Rooney. This was before it was assembled mind you, pieces laying about in the workshop, just back from the silver smith. Dave's tales of visiting Felix's wife in her caravan with Felix's pipes under her bed. Dave's quest to find the maker of Felix's pipes, that is Frank Gorky in Manchester, who made the new regs and stock to go with the Rowsome chanter and drones (Felix sold the original Rowsome regs and stock to Tom Mulligan). Dave's meeting with Johnny Doran's sister at Johnny's grave. Dave was passionate about the pipes and piping and was great craic, I'll miss him greatly. I hope to meet you too sometime Ken.

Thanks for the stories. I knew Dave, not very well but enough to know that he was a remakable person and pipemaker. I remember spending the night with dave at Allan Mollers house in North Wales. We had been playing music all night and eventually crashed out about 5 am. Dave was woken by Allans dog a few minuits later. We both couldn't sleep so we swapped stories and tunes.
I hadn't seen him for a good few years, but I will always remember him as a real gentleman and always willing to impart his skills and knowledge.
yes... A Lion of a man.