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  Well, I guess that definition is out of date.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

Jan 23 2024 - Ukulele Bands

 

Ukulele bands are popular.  Why would that be?  They are considered one of the easiest instruments to learn.  They are inexpensive and portable, and come in cute colours.   It is easy because it has only four strings, has frets so easier to play in tune, has soft nylon strings, and only a few chords can get you playing. The small size of the instrument reduces wrist tension making the notes reachable without stretching.    One advertisement says:  Toss it in the back of your car.  Take it to be beach. Bring it on a plane.  Drummers and tuba players should be so lucky! It is described as having a happy, joyful tone, so is also considered a social instrument.   Niagara-on-the-Lake's Ukesters have a Facebook page full of videos of members playing.  That facebook page has 1,300 followers.  They meet for a weekly jam.   Supposedly Canada had a wave of ukulele education in the 1960s with J.Chalmers Doane using ukuleles as a practical teaching instrument.  At its peak, 50,000 school children learned the ukulele through the Doane Program.  I don't remember this at all.  Too bad.

I am sticking with the spring flower theme this winter.   Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblogspot.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

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Aug 8 2021 - Ukulele is your friend

 

What about our relationship to musical instruments?  I was listening to CBC radio yesterday and the interviewees kept calling the ukulele their friend and your friend.  Do a search on ukulele is your friend and it definitely is considered a friend by many and there's even a store named Ukulele Friend that welcomes you with Aloha!. Now do the same for guitar and the top post is "5 Reasons My guitar might be my best friend".  Not so confident here. Now search for "banjo is your friend" and the top retrieval?  "What a friend we have in Jesus" YouTube video.   Moving on to other strings:  "My violin was my best friend.  Then I realized I needed people..." When we hit the wind instrumentsL "You've got a friend in me - Trumpet" print and download the trumpet sheet music from Toy Story.  That one does occur for every instrument, but it hits the top for trumpets. Pianos come into the mix:  "My Friend the Piano" is a novel... "As the woman endeavors to rid the house of the piano, the girl helps her friend escape to the sea."  Alternately you can impress your friends with easy piano lessons for beginners. We must turn to the drums/percussion and what is the story here?   "When your friend is a Drummer... we all have that friend that plays drums everywhere!". And to conclude what are the thoughts on "musician is your friend"?  Of course:  "There are 5 ways to support your musician friends." I was in Toronto yesterday on Wynford Drive for Brian's medical procedure.  Almost across the street was the Aga Khan Museum and garden.  These are pictures of Russian Sage against the structure's white walls.

Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca