Ukulele Concert

Typically our evenings are taken up together with a movie or some YouTube, but we got a chance the other evening to listen to a local Ukelele Orchestra put on a Christmas concert.

We have struck up regular conversations with a couple who are neighbours of ours.  Irma and Walter are from Florida and travel full time in their Class A motorhome.  Walter is a ukelele player and has joined a local group to play regular concerts throughout the winter season.

The only ukelele song I thought I had heard before is Tiptoe Through The Tulips, so was not sure what we would be hearing at this concert.  I say ‘song I thought I had heard’ as I could not think of any song played by a ukelele other than that one.

We arrived at another RV Park clubhouse in plenty of time before the start, and saw a stage full of Elves, and Mr and Mrs. Claus.  I think I counted twenty-two people on stage in all, and they were dressed in all kinds of Christmas outfits and appeared to be raring to go.

The audience numbered probably close to 75 or 80 people and I presume most would have been from that park, although the parking lot had a fair number of cars.

Promptly at 1900 they started, not with Tiptoe Through The Tulips, but “We’re an American Band” by The Grand Funk Railroad.  Now the lyrics were changed somewhat to suit the season and with various ukelele references blended in, but that was a good way to start things off.

From there they introduced various people on stage with stories and backgrounds to songs they then played.  There was a single guitar, but otherwise everyone was playing a ukelele.  They did an excellent job changing the lyrics of easily recognizable songs just slightly to bring in some humour as they sang each song.  Once you start listening to some of the songs you recognize the ukelele, or in some cases the song was played with a ukelele instead of whatever would typically have been played.

I am sure there is a rule about posting copyrighted material or playing a song you hear at a concert so you will just have to google the songs yourself, or imagine the sounds and sing-a-long.  A short list of the songs played that I recognized is: Mele Kalikimaka, the Hawaiian Christmas song, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Elvis’s song Can’t Help Falling In Love, and Jingle Bells.

By the time the concert was drawing to a close an hour later, the songs were Christmas sing-a-long songs and everyone participated.

A welcome change to get out at night and experience a bit more of what Quartzsite has to offer.  Thanks to Irma and Walter for the invite and the Quartzsite Ukelele Orchestra.