Addendum to "The Nose whistle gourd"

Addendum to our previous post "Theatrical contraption : the nose whistle gourd"

...

I wanted to know more... and asked the seller of this theatrical gourd nose flute. The fact is the seller is the inventor-creator, the Pipe Major Norwood Baybridge, FSA Scot, Regional Commander of the Scottish American Military Society... nothing less.

The best I can do is just pasting the story the Pipe-Major told me, since it is so well-written and full of humour :

« This instrument was made about twenty years ago just as the last freezing and canning for the winter supply was finishing. At that time, in the late 1980's, the turbo-jet-powered, supersonic passenger jet, "ConCorde", was still flying; however, the owners of the organically grown gourd were poor people and couldn't afford a ticket. So they transported the gourd to a local furniture shop via motorized, wheeled transport. Though my memory is growing dim, I believe it was a Buick.

At the furniture shop, the gourd was cleaned, interestingly, by several of the employees who were listening to a record that teaches individuals the sounds of the instruments of an orchestra. Following this cleaning, a small hole was drilled into the gourd and a  self-hardening foam was pumped into it. This was to give the gourd additional strength; as well as to protect it from being later infested with the vermin that normally accompany some musicians.

Using modern, industrial machinery, an insertion point was power-chisled into the gourd for the insertion of the HumanaTone nose whistle; and, the finger holes were painstakingly drilled into the sides. It was an endeavor that put all of your senses to work, leaving men exhausted, but enthralled.

It may be stated from personal experience that the manufacture of this gourd nose whistle was much more difficult than cutting one's own hair for an important engagement.

The gourd nose whistle was played on many occasions at various fairs and country music get-togethers in makeshift bands usually composed of vagabond folk artists armed with an array of fiddles, jaw harps, tamborines, guitars, gamboozees and autoharps. »

The Pipe Major Baybridge may play for your special events, from wedding to ... funerals. You should visit his web page, clanpiper.com, full of beautiful and incredible pictures.