CU Presents’ 80th-anniversary Artist Series season continues with a visit from the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, a group of 8 singing, strumming players from across the pond. The genre bending group performs covers of pop, jazz and country, along with a few holiday favorites, on Dec. 8 in Macky Auditorium.
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is known the world over for their funny, virtuosic, twanging, performances. The “much loved institution” of Britain (The Observer) can “extract more than seems humanly possible from so small and so modest an instrument” (The New York Times). Their international popularity increases each year, the group’s signature humor has never wavered: They’re proud to declare that they’ve been called “unabashed genre crashers” (The Sunday Times), “depraved musicians” (an anonymous audience member) and “a musicologist’s nightmare” (Music Week).
Perhaps that’s because, as founder George Hinchliffe says, the orchestra was borne of merrymaking rather than seriousness.
“It was intended as the antidote to some of the more odious music business conventions which the performers had identified,” Hinchliffe says. “The aims were to have fun, to not lose money, to avoid getting caught up in cults of personality and to have a voice in repertoire, writing, making deals and record production. It seems to have worked.”
Hinchliffe’s journey to strumming stardom started early, when, his father came home from a trip with a ukulele in one hand and a model steam engine in the other. Ever the iconoclast, Hinchliffe tossed the model engine aside and took to his uke quickly.
Hinchliffe not only went on to form the most popular ukulele ensemble in history but also inspired new generations to pick up the affordable instrument and form groups of their own.
“The ukulele is a popular instrument right now,” he says, “because it seems inherently light-hearted and inclusive.”
It’s so inclusive, that the orchestra plans to invite audience members in Boulder to bring their own ukuleles and join in on a sing-and-play-along session during the concert. Anyone who wants to participate can download sheet music and watch instructional videos here.
Whether or not they participate, Hinchliffe says the audience can expect to hear some classic Christmas carols, covers of rock and pop music ranging from the likes of Joni Mitchell to Pharrell Williams, toe-tapping country and jazz and at least one Western theme.
“The orchestra usually makes sure, in this world of audio shuffling and wide-ranging playlists, that it includes a selection of musical material from many genres,” he says. “That way, people from all walks of life leave the concert hall smiling and feeling better about themselves and the world.”
The Boulder performance is on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Macky Auditorium. A to-be-determined event—either a lecture or a rehearsal for the sing-and-play-along—is held at 6:45 p.m. across the street from Macky Auditorium in the CU Heritage Center’s Old Main Chapel. Check our website closer to the event to find out more.
Tickets for this performance start at $20. To purchase, visit the CU Presents box office in person (972 Broadway), call 303-492-8008 during business hours or visit us online anytime.
Note: All online and phone orders are subject to a service fee. To schedule interviews or for other media information, contact Jill Kimball at jill.kimball@colorado.edu/.