Dressed in custom made costumes and headgear, they give gardening tips,delve into gourd lore, brag about their vast, if questionable, ethnomusicological knowledge, and generally try to explain themselves. But mostly they play "gourdeous " music. "I planted a seed and grew an orchestra!" proclaims Arthur " Professor of Gourdology" Stephens.
The Orchestra performs at schools, galleries, museums, garden clubs, weddings, parties and festivals. Recently they created, for a film festival, an original score that is performed live with the 1922 silent documentary " Nanook of the North ". In schools they teach workshops and give lecture demonstrations. Once a year they take a pilgrimage to the worlds biggest gourd show, in Mt. Giliad Ohio, where they perform for the crowning of the Gourd Queen.
"We're out standing in our field " says Arthur. And that's probably where you'll find them.
Please check out their wonderful web site at www.gourdorchestra.com to learn more and hear their music.
The Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra will be performing at the Bohemian Banquet at 4:15 ..so don't be late because you won't want to miss them!
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