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Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Hands clapped; feet stomped; beer flowed; mouths whistled, laughed and sang along; energy was high and a merry, ruckus group of fans had gathered at the Cecil Sharp House to listen to one of the greatest Orchestras I’ve ever had the pleasure of bending my ears to—the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.
The
Orchestra is a simply unbelievable show—and not in the way you sceptics would
believe. I knew before the first string was
plucked that I would enjoy the show, but, then, I’m an oddball who likes
and—dare I say it—even appreciates the ukulele.
I will admit that even I, a self-proclaimed ukulele fan, am shocked at
the degree to which I and the rest of the audience enjoyed the multiple-genre
performance.
The show
started out a bit unassuming with the Orchestra members filtering from the back
of the room to the stage, dressed in penguin suits and carrying their
instruments, but all pretences were quickly lost as they launched into their
first song; a fast-paced, beautifully harmonious version of Marilyn Monroe’s
“Runnin’ Wild.”
Each of the
musicians plays wonderfully, and each, it seems to me, has a different style or
technique—some strummed quickly, their fingers flashing across their
instrument’s neck; other picked at the strings, teasing out notes and melodies. The different instruments and playing styles
result in an enveloping wave of sound—a polished, harmonious, and enjoyable
sound unlike any I’ve heard before.
In addition
to playing songs from all eras and styles—the Orchestra gave entertaining and
well-performed renditions of a wide variety, including Nirvana’s “Smells Like
Teen Spirit,” Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild” and the ukulele classic, “Leanin’
on a Lamppost”—the Orchestra is a bit of a comedy act. Between, and during, songs, they crack jokes,
make fun of one another, and recount entertaining, if not entirely true,
stories. The members of the Orchestra
have been playing together for decades, and their closeness and camaraderie is
apparent onstage.
One of my favourite
songs from the performance was the encore; a medley of five or six different
songs played at the same time, each performer singing different lyrics. It should have been hectic and out of control,
but the result was thoroughly entertaining and even enlightening—the
Orchestra’s medleys manage to point out the similarities that exist among so
many songs. Because each of the songs in
the medley has the same basic chord structure, the oddball technique just works.
I
definitely recommend attending one of the Orchestra’s performances—it’s a show
unlike any other you’ll stumble across, and you’re guaranteed to be
entertained. For more information about the
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain and a list of upcoming shows, visit
www.ukuleleorchestra.com/.
Review by
Summer Song
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