Speaker has been added to your wishlist.

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

Back to previous page

• Comedy & Cabaret

Topics:

• Musical Cabaret

The Ukulele Orchestra is a group of all-singing, all-strumming Ukulele players, who use instruments bought with loose change, and who believe that all genres of music are available for reinterpretation, as long as they are played on the Ukulele.  Ideally suited for a musical cabaret for any event especially to make any awards ceremony or after dinner that little bit special. 

The Ukulele Orchestra Concert

A concert by the Ukulele Orchestra is a Funny, Virtuosic, Twanging, Singing, Awesome, Foot-Stomping Obituary of Rock-n-Roll and Melodious Light Entertainment featuring only the "bonsai guitar" and a menagerie of voices; no drums, no pianos, no backing tracks, and no banjos. A collision of post-punk performance and toe-tapping oldies. See the universe in the grain of a Ukulele. You may never think about music in the same way once you've been exposed to the Ukes' depraved musicology. The Orchestra use the limitations of the instrument to create a musical freedom with Ukuleles (little ones, big ones, high ones, low ones) revealing unsuspected insights into popular music. From Tchaikovsky to Nirvana via Otis Reading the Orchestra takes you on a world tour with only hand luggage and gives the listener "One Plucking Thing after Another".

The Beginning....

The Ukulele Orchestra started as a bit of fun in 1985. The first gig, intended as a one-off, was a sell out, and after one more gig the Orchestra had been on national radio. Since then there have been hundreds of appearances on radio and TV worldwide including BBC's 'Jools Holland Hootenanny', 'Blue Peter', "Resonance fm", "The Today Programme", "Richard and Judy", XFM, and Radio 4's "Loose Ends".

There have been sold out concerts in America, Canada, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Ireland and Japan, in venues as diverse as Ronnie Scott's world famous London jazz club, The Royal Festival Hall, Glastonbury Festival, Chicago Chamber Music Festival, The Big Chill, Cropredy and The Edinburgh Festival.

Who Makes Up The Orchestra?

The Orchestra has rhythm, bass, baritone, tenor, soprano and lead Ukulele players, creating a rich palate of orchestration possibilities and registers. Sitting shoulder to shoulder in a semi-circle, they dress in black tuxedos like a Symphony Orchestra, reworking classics of rock 'n' roll, punk, jazz and classical music. In highlighting both the beauty and vacuity of the material, the Orchestra revel in the triviality and the self-reverence of popular and highbrow music, while being both serious and light-hearted. Sometimes a foolish song can move an audience more than high art. Audiences like to have a good time with the Ukulele Orchestra, which shows that musical intelligence and levity are not incompatible with acoustic versions of heavy metal, performance art techniques and the homage of a live karaoke.

"Subversive, rare and very precious. Catch them before the Government slaps an injunction on them in the name of anti-terrorism. Frighteningly talented and awesome."
Time Out

"The Ukelele Orchestra is a unique musical phenomenon - absolutely the Best of British." Michael Palin

"The best musical entertainment in the country."
The Independent

For further information or to book The Ukulele band of Great Britain, call us on 020 8365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk