Apr 10 2025 - Ukulele Orchestra

 

What do you think of a ukulele orchestra?  It seems absurd as in 'theatre of the absurd'.  It is not just that it is a single instrument orchestra, but we're talking about ukuleles.  I recently heard an ad on the radio for the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - they are coming to Toronto for a concert.  It does seem absurd to have a ukulele as the instrument of choice and for it to represent Great Britain (if it does). Very grand sort of thing.  I guess there does have to be irony and satire involved in this musical group:   "Hinchliffe named the new musical group with a deliberate oxymoron, 'The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain', "and suddenly we were the world's first ukulele orchestra." The ukulele was selected for its musical versatility rather than its novelty value." Are there more orchestras like this that I don't know about?  Yes there are:  The University of Toronto has a ukulele orchestra, there is the Boston Guitar Orchestra, the University of Toronto Guitar Orchestra, and a few more. There are drum orchestras.  There are woodwind orchestras.  There are brass orchestras.  So I guess orchestras are whatever you want them to be. So maybe we have a narrow view of orchestra left over from the 20th century when philharmonic and symphony orchestras seem to dominate our live music and our television shows.  We think of an orchestra as the traditional definition - a large ensemble composed of wind, string, brass and percussion instruments and organized to perform classical music.  Well, I guess that definition is out of date.  Given the ukulele is involved, I expect that the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is entertaining, with lots of comedy included. The concert is April 16th at Korener Hall in Toronto. I admit I don't really want to listen to ukulele's for an entire evening.  Listen to their version of the Good, The Bad and The Ugly HERE.  And their Ode to Joy at Albert Hall where they ask audience members who have brought their ukuleles to hold them up - and it is a lot of people - it is  HERE.

I found this picture of the 13th Street Winery from just after the removal of the barn and before the big patio was put in.  Poor Magnolia tree did not survive - it dwindled down and was gone the next near.  It had been beside a greenhouse so likely was living in a much warmer growing zone with all that reflected light - it looks like it is some sort of survivor of a catastrophe in this picture.  Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca