Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
{{short description|English musical ensemble exclusively featuring musicians with a range of ukuleles}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain in 2018
| image = File:Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain Barbican 2018.jpg
| image_size =
| landscape = yes
| alt = The nine members of the Orchestra performing on stage, in evening dress.
| caption = The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the Concert For Kitty, at the Barbican Centre, London in 2018. A concert that celebrated the life of the orchestra's co-founder Kitty Lux.
From Left to Right: Dave Suich, Peter Brooke-Turner, Hester Goodman, Ben Rouse, George Hinchliffe, Richie Williams, Leisa Rea, Will Grove White, Jonty Bankes.{{cite web| url=https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2018/event/ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain| title=Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain Concert for Kitty| work=The Barbican| date=26 January 2018| access-date=10 August 2021| archive-date=10 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810194431/https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2018/event/ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain| url-status=live}}
| background = group_or_band
| alias = UOGB,
The Ukes,
George Hinchliffe's Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
| origin = London, England
| genre = Eclectic and wide range of Popular Music and Art Music genres, Music Comedy
| years_active = 1985–present
| label = Independent music
| associated_acts =
| website = {{URL|http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/}}
| current_members = George Hinchliffe
Dave Suich
Richie Williams
Hester Goodman
Will Grove-White
Jonty Bankes
Peter Brooke Turner
Leisa Rea
David Bowie
Ewan Wadrop
Ben Rouse{{cite web |url=http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/uke-members/ |title=The Ukulele Orchestra Players |work=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain |year=2015 |access-date=3 March 2015 |archive-date=23 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223100005/http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/uke-members |url-status=live }}
Laura Currie{{cite web |title=UOGBTV presents Ukulele World Service Episode 3 31 January 2021 |url=https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/world-service-part-03 |date=29 January 2021 |access-date=2 February 2021 |website=www.ukuleleorchestra.com |archive-date=7 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207163038/https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/world-service-part-03 |url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/uke-members | title=The Ukulele Orchestra The members of the Ukulele Orchestra... | work=GHUM LLP T/A George Hinchliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain | access-date=25 October 2021 }}
| past_members = Kitty Lux (1985–2017)
}}
{{Listen
|filename=Good Bad Ugly theme - Ukulele Orchestra GB.ogg
|title=Theme to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
|description=Sample of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain playing the main theme of the Film.
|format=Ogg}}
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (UOGB) is a British musical ensemble founded in 1985 by George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux. The orchestra features ukuleles of various sizes and registers from soprano to bass. The UOGB is best known for performing musically faithful but often tongue-in-cheek covers of popular songs and musical pieces from a wide variety of music genres taken "from the rich pageant of western music".{{Cite web |date=2018-04-09 |title='Started as a joke': Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain helps popularize 'bonsai guitar' |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/started-as-a-joke-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-helps-popularize-bonsai-guitar-1.3876935 |access-date=2022-03-26 |website=CTVNews |language=en}} The songs are often performed with a reinterpretation, sometimes with a complete genre twist, or well known songs from multiple genres are seamlessly woven together. Songs are introduced with light hearted deadpan humour, and juxtaposition is a feature of their act, the members of the orchestra wear semi-formal (black tie) evening dress and sit behind music stands, in a parody of a classical ensemble.
The UOGB has purposely remained an independent music group, unsigned to any record label. Along with Lux and Hinchliffe, David Suich and Ritchie Williams are original members; Hester Goodman, Will Grove-White, Jonty Bankes, Peter Brooke Turner joined in the early 1990s, Leisa Rea joined in 2003, Ben Rouse in 2014 and Laura Currie in 2021. Lux died in 2017, two years after retiring from the orchestra due to chronic ill health. Over the years the UOGB has released over 30 albums, but have spent most of their time touring around the world.
The UOGB has consistently received critical praise from the media for its concerts. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain has been called "not only a national institution, but also a world-wide phenomenon".{{cite web|date=19 August 2009|title=BBC Proms: Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/6054965/BBC-Proms-Ukelele-Orchestra-of-Great-Britain.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204835/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/6054965/BBC-Proms-Ukelele-Orchestra-of-Great-Britain.html|archive-date=24 June 2021|access-date=17 June 2021|work=The Telegraph}} The UOGB has also often been credited for being largely responsible for the current world-wide resurgence in popularity of the ukulele and ukulele groups.{{cite web|title=The pluck starts here ...|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/aug/16/ukulele-orchestra-great-britain-proms|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725203411/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/aug/16/ukulele-orchestra-great-britain-proms|archive-date=25 July 2021|access-date=25 July 2021|work=The Guardian|date=15 August 2009 }}
Formation
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (UOGB) was formed in London in 1985 when the multi-instrumentalist and musicologist George Hinchliffe gave his friend the post-punk singer Kitty Lux a ukulele for her birthday, after she had expressed an interest in learning more about harmony.{{Cite news |date=23 February 2012 |title=Totally addicted to uke |work=Sydney Morning Herald |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/totally-addicted-to-uke-20120222-1toia.html |access-date=26 July 2021 |archive-date=26 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726175131/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/totally-addicted-to-uke-20120222-1toia.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news|title=Ukulele masterclass: Four strings and a jolly good time|newspaper=The Independent|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ukulele-masterclass-four-strings-and-a-jolly-good-time-8142178.html|last=Hodgkinson|first=Tom|date=16 September 2012|access-date=3 April 2020|archive-date=27 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227001253/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/ukulele-masterclass-four-strings-and-a-jolly-good-time-8142178.html|url-status=live}} After first playing together, they purchased a few ukuleles for some of their friends, including David Suich and Richie Williams.{{cite web | url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/music/9294262.the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-grand-opera-house-york-october-11-and-12/ | title=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Grand Opera House, York, October 11 and 12 | work=The Press (York) | date=7 October 2011 | access-date=3 August 2021 | archive-date=3 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803154527/https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/music/9294262.the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-grand-opera-house-york-october-11-and-12/ | url-status=live }}{{cite news|title=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain: '˜It seemed like an outsider instrument'|newspaper=The Yorkshire Post|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-culture/ukulele-orchestra-great-britain-it-seemed-outsider-instrument-183880|last=Seaman|first=Duncan|date=21 December 2018|access-date=2 April 2020|archive-date=13 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613173758/https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-culture/ukulele-orchestra-great-britain-it-seemed-outsider-instrument-183880|url-status=live}} Williams recalled that his first ukulele cost "£17 with wholesale discount". 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."{{cite web|title=Kitty Lux obituary|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/25/kitty-lux-obituary|last1=Laing|first1=Dave|date=25 July 2017|access-date=11 June 2021|archive-date=11 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611141347/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/25/kitty-lux-obituary|url-status=live}}{{cite web | url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/13029113.orchestra-made-ukulele-cool/ | title=The orchestra that made the ukulele cool | work=The Herald (Glasgow) | date=28 April 2011 | access-date=19 July 2021 | archive-date=19 July 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719230208/https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/13029113.orchestra-made-ukulele-cool/ | url-status=live }} The ukulele was selected for its musical versatility rather than its novelty value. Hinchliffe informed The Chicago Tribune that the original idea included turning a derided instrument which lacked a serious repertoire of its own into a respected concert instrument. It was an "outsider instrument" with a "blank slate" that was not limited by the conventions of either classical or rock music.{{Cite news|last=Wren|first=Celia|date=2015-04-17|title=From the Nile Project, euphoric sound and a collaborative spirit flow|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/from-the-nile-project-euphoric-sound-and-a-collaborative-spirit-flow/2015/04/16/fc217c04-e202-11e4-81ea-0649268f729e_story.html|access-date=2022-01-13|issn=0190-8286}}
{{quote box
| width = 30%
| align = right
| quote = Hinchliffe explains to the Chicago Tribune why the Ukulele was chosen —
"It has a sweet voice, it's cheap and easy to play, and you can carry it as hand luggage" and because the ukulele has no repertory of its own "it allows us to do things that are both entertaining and creative without having to meet the technical requirements of being virtuoso classical players or image-conscious pop musicians"{{cite web | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-06-18-8902100776-story.html | title=Anything Uke Can Do... | work=Chicago Tribune | date=18 June 1989 | access-date=11 July 2021}}
}} Hinchliffe informed the Houston Chronicle that the post punk idea was for the orchestra to be an "antidote to pomposity, egomania, cults of personality, rip-offs, music-business-standard-operational nonsense and prima donnas," the orchestra members had previously worked in various music genres but were tired by the conventions, genre stereotyping and pretentiousness within the music industry.{{cite web | url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/Ukulele-Orchestra-puts-its-string-theory-into-13674871.php | title=Ukulele Orchestra is no joke. See for yourself at Houston's Wortham Theater | work=The Houston Chronicle | date=11 March 2019 | access-date=10 July 2021 | archive-date=10 July 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710150135/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/entertainment/theater/article/Ukulele-Orchestra-puts-its-string-theory-into-13674871.php | url-status=live }}{{Cite web|date=2015-11-23|title=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain members in tune with one another|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/74311920/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-members-in-tune-with-one-another|access-date=2022-01-20|website=Stuff|language=en}} UOGB has remained an independent music act which has deliberately not signed to a record label.{{cite web|last=Banks|first=Ron|date=2012-02-22|title=Totally addicted to uke|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/totally-addicted-to-uke-20120222-1toia.html|access-date=2022-01-01|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}} Hinchliffe stated to the Yorkshire Post the idea of the UOGB was to have bit of fun "where we're not having the agents and the managers and the record companies dictating terms."
History
The UOGB's first gig was at the Roebuck pub, just off Trinity Church Square in London. Although it had been intended to be a one-off, it was a sell out and after just one more performance the orchestra was on national radio. For a while the orchestra had a regular monthly session in the back room at the former Empress of Russia pub in Islington, London. Within three years the orchestra had appeared live on BBC Radio 1 and BBC One Television, released an album and performed at WOMAD festival.{{cite news | first1=Ivan | last1=Hewitt | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/6016991/The-Ukulele-Orchestra-of-Great-Britain-interview-for-the-BBC-Proms-2009.html | title=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain – interview for the BBC Proms 2009 | date=12 August 2009 | access-date=11 June 2021 | work=The Daily Telegraph | archive-date=13 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613173758/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/6016991/The-Ukulele-Orchestra-of-Great-Britain-interview-for-the-BBC-Proms-2009.html | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-xpm-2013-apr-02-la-et-cm-ukulele-orchestra-20130403-story.html | title=Plucked from obscurity, Ukulele Orchestra still strums up business | work=Los Angeles Times | date=2 April 2013 | access-date=18 February 2021 | archive-date=13 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613173758/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-xpm-2013-apr-02-la-et-cm-ukulele-orchestra-20130403-story.html | url-status=live }}
Hester Goodman, Will Grove-White, Jonty Bankes, Peter Brooke Turner all joined the orchestra during the early 1990s.{{cite web | url=https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/uke-members | title=The Ukulele Orchestra The members of the Ukulele Orchestra... | work=GHUM LLP T/A George Hinchliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain | access-date=2 July 2021 | archive-date=11 April 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411120750/https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/uke-members | url-status=live }} In 1995 the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain performed at the 50th anniversary of the Victory in Europe Day celebrations in London's Hyde Park before an estimated audience of 170,000. Leisa Rea joined in 2003.
For most of its existence the orchestra has been on actively touring the world from places ranging from Spitsbergen, Svalbard in the Arctic Circle to Chongqing Taindi Theatre in China.{{cite web | url=https://www.nwemail.co.uk/leisure/16448419.summer-return-for-world-famous-ukulele-orchestra/ | title=Summer return for world famous Ukulele Orchestra | work=The Mail (Cumbria) | date=18 January 2017 | access-date=29 July 2021 | archive-date=29 July 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729224112/https://www.nwemail.co.uk/leisure/16448419.summer-return-for-world-famous-ukulele-orchestra/ | url-status=live }}{{cite book|first=Will|last=Grove-White|title=Ukulele for Beginners: How To Play Ukulele in Easy-to-Follow Steps|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HBm7AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA29|date=20 October 2014|publisher=Octopus|isbn=978-1-84403-819-0|pages=29–|access-date=6 July 2021|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709191017/https://books.google.com/books?id=HBm7AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA29|url-status=live}} They have performed at diverse venues and events from local village halls to world famous venues including Ronnie Scott's jazz club, The Royal Festival Hall, the UK Houses of Parliament, Cambridge Folk Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Hay Festival, Glastonbury Festival, New York's Carnegie Hall, and the Sydney Opera House.{{cite web|last=Syke|first=Lloyd Bradford|date=11 March 2012|title=Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain|url=http://www.australianstage.com.au/201203115241/reviews/sydney/ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312013940/http://australianstage.com.au/201203115241/reviews/sydney/ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain.html|archive-date=12 March 2015|access-date=3 March 2015|work=Australian Stage}}{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/content/articles/2008/01/16/theatreandart_ukuleleorchestra_feature.shtml | title=Stringing it's Way Here | work=BBC | date=16 January 2008 | access-date=5 July 2021 | archive-date=9 July 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185927/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/content/articles/2008/01/16/theatreandart_ukuleleorchestra_feature.shtml | url-status=live }}
In 2005 the orchestra planned to release as a single their popular reinterpretation of Kate Bush's art pop song "Wuthering Heights", reworked as a swinging cocktail-jazz crooning number—complete with a Cab Calloway-style "Heathcliffe!" call and response.{{Cite news|last=Walters|first=John L.|date=10 February 2004|title=Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Barbican, London|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/feb/10/popandrock|url-status=live|access-date=3 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402213701/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/feb/10/popandrock|archive-date=2 April 2015}}{{cite web|date=24 April 2014|title=Tales of the City: Everything but George Formby|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/columnists/john-walsh/tales-city-everything-george-formby-9276403.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920212144/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/columnists/john-walsh/tales-city-everything-george-formby-9276403.html|archive-date=20 September 2021|access-date=15 June 2021|work=The Independent}} They were prevented from doing so, and instead they released a prohibition-era honky-tonk rendition of "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee" (a 2002 hip hop song by Ms. Dynamite). The UOGB cover reached No. 78 in the official UK pop charts.{{cite web|date=28 January 2005|title=Help me put some decent music in the charts|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/columnists/miles-kington/help-me-put-some-decent-music-in-the-charts-488457.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210718112323/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/columnists/miles-kington/help-me-put-some-decent-music-in-the-charts-488457.html|archive-date=18 July 2021|access-date=18 July 2021|work=The Independent}}{{cite magazine|date=20 March 2006|title=Plucked in Their Prime|url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1174748,00.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920212142/http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1174748,00.html|archive-date=20 September 2021|access-date=18 July 2021|magazine=Time}}
On Tuesday 18 August 2009 the UOGB performed a concert as part of the BBC Proms 2009 Season at London's Royal Albert Hall, where they were the fastest selling late night prom in history.{{cite web | url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/A-Ukelele-Christmas-The-UKELELE-ORCHESTRA-OF-GREAT-BRITAIN-Brings-A-Holiday-Twist-To-The-McCallum-Theatre-20161129 | title=A Ukelele Christmas? The Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain Brings A Holiday Twist To The McCallum Theatre | work=BroadwayWorld | date=29 November 2016 | access-date=27 July 2021 | archive-date=27 July 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727092702/https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/A-Ukelele-Christmas-The-UKELELE-ORCHESTRA-OF-GREAT-BRITAIN-Brings-A-Holiday-Twist-To-The-McCallum-Theatre-20161129 | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/prom09-45-0809.shtml | title=Prom 45: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain | work=musicalcriticism.com | date=21 August 2009 | access-date=27 July 2021 | archive-date=16 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616043136/http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/prom09-45-0809.shtml | url-status=live }} The concert included a version of Beethoven's Ode to Joy in which at least 1,000 audience members with ukuleles participated.{{cite web | url=http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/prom09-45-0809.shtml | title=Prom 45: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain | work=MusicCriticism.com | date=21 August 2009 | access-date=15 June 2021 | archive-date=16 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616043136/http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/prom09-45-0809.shtml | url-status=live }} The performance was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and received critical acclaim. They returned to the Albert Hall in 2012. Ben Rouse joined the UOGB in 2014. For their 2014 tour of China, the British Council described the UOGB as an orchestra "celebrated for its rapport with audiences, and eliciting a joyous feel-good reaction".{{cite web | url=https://www.britishcouncil.cn/en/programmes/arts/upcoming-arts-activities/uogb2014 | title=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain 2014 China Tour | work=British Council | date=October 2014 | access-date=12 June 2021 | archive-date=24 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195004/https://www.britishcouncil.cn/en/programmes/arts/upcoming-arts-activities/uogb2014 | url-status=live }} In 2016 the UOGB entertained Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle at a private party to celebrate the queen's 90th birthday.
The orchestra has appeared on a wide range of television and radio programs both in the UK and internationally.{{cite web |url=http://www.officialantanddec.com/videos-tv/view/robbie_plucks_up_the_courage-1303 |title=Robbie Plucks Up The Courage... |work=Official Ant & Dec |date=7 April 2014 |access-date=3 March 2015 |archive-date=20 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920212146/https://www.antanddec.com/video/view/robbie-plucks-up-the-courage |url-status=live }} The UOGB has collaborated with David Bowie, Madness, Robbie Williams, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), the Kaiser Chiefs, the Ministry of Sound, and the film music composer David Arnold. While the orchestra sell its albums directly from their official web site, most of their income is derived from touring with 110 concerts a year according to the New Zealand Stuff news website (while the British Council stated in 2014 that over the previous 29 years the UOGB had performed a higher figure of 9,000 concerts).{{Cite web |last=Page |first=Emma |date=2015-11-23 |title=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain members in tune with one another |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/74311920/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-members-in-tune-with-one-another |access-date=2022-03-26 |website=Stuff |language=en}}File:The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (geograph 3856680, cropped).png
=Online performances during COVID-19 =
During the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic, Orchestra's members unable to tour due to the lockdowns and separated in their various homes released 13 music videos as a group on YouTube, called the Ukulele Lockdown series (these were collected together and released as the virtual opening concert for the 2021 San Francisco Performances PIVOT Festival),{{cite web|date=30 March 2021|title=San Francisco Performances offers innovative PIVOT concerts online|url=https://www.sfexaminer.com/entertainment/san-francisco-performances-offers-innovative-pivot-concerts-online/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420213722/https://www.sfexaminer.com/entertainment/san-francisco-performances-offers-innovative-pivot-concerts-online/|archive-date=20 April 2021|access-date=20 April 2021|website=San Francisco Examiner}} plus a series ukulele video tutorials and other ukulele videos, followed by five original 'The Ukulele World Service' online pay to view concerts.{{Cite web|title=Watch a ukulele orchestra cover a whole bunch of pop songs|url=https://www.avclub.com/watch-a-ukulele-orchestra-cheerily-strum-the-backbone-o-1846934641|access-date=2022-01-15|website=The A.V. Club|date=20 May 2021 |language=en-us}}{{cite web |title=Ukulele World Service |url=https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/world-service |date=29 November 2020 |access-date=2 January 2021 |archive-date=18 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118035216/https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/world-service |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Ukulele Lockdown The Ukulele Orchestra of Self Isolation |url=https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/lockdown |access-date=21 July 2020 |archive-date=21 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721122814/https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/lockdown |url-status=live }} In 2021, Laura Currie became a full time member of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. She had previously been a stand-in since 2019 and had toured with the orchestra, she edited the lockdown videos.{{Cite web|title=Laura Currie|url=https://sunderlandculture.org.uk/events/laura-currie/|access-date=2022-01-10|website=Sunderland Culture|language=en-GB}}
Line-up
File:Uke sizes and scale lengths.jpgSince 2005 UOGB performed as eight or seven musician vocalists with ukuleles in various registers including: sopranino, soprano, concert, tenor, baritone, and a bass ukulele.{{cite magazine|last=Vittes|first=Laurence|date=11 September 2019|title=Founding Director George Hinchliffe Talks Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain's Upcoming World Tour|url=https://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/news/founding-director-george-hinchliffe-talks-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britains-upcoming-world-tour|url-status=live|magazine=Ukulele|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923232704/https://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/news/founding-director-george-hinchliffe-talks-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britains-upcoming-world-tour|archive-date=23 September 2020|access-date=3 April 2020}}{{cite web|date=29 September 2012|title=Incredible string band|url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/incredible-string-band|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803155529/https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/incredible-string-band|archive-date=3 August 2021|access-date=3 August 2021|work=The Spectator}}
= Members (as of 2022) =
Information from the official UOGB website.
- George Hinchliffe (joint founder 1985)(also the UOGB's music director)
- David Suich (Joined 1985).
- Richie Williams (Joined 1985, rejoined 2003)
- Hester Goodman (Joined 1990)
- Will Grove-White (Joined 1991)
- Jonty Bankes (bass ukulele) (Joined 1992)
- Peter Brooke Turner (Joined 1994)
- Leisa Rea (Joined 2003)
- Ben Rouse (Joined 2014)
- Ewan Wardrop
- Laura Currie (Joined 2021)
- Dave Bowie (Joined 1985)
=Past members=
- Kitty Lux, band member and co-founder with George Hinchliffe, died on 16 July 2017, aged 59, after suffering from various chronic health issues. Lux recovered from a kidney transplant only days before the Proms concert. She retired from public performances after suffering a stroke in 2015. Some of the UOGB members display a small red and white polka dot bow-tie on their clothing or ukulele, in memory of Lux, who always wore an item of clothing with polka dots while performing.{{cite web |url=https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/lockdown |title=Ukulele Lockdown The Ukulele Orchestra of Self Isolation: 'Q&A – The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain' |time=10.00 minutes |publisher=George Hinchliffe's Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain |date=19 May 2020 |access-date=25 July 2020 |archive-date=21 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721122814/https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/lockdown |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=The Ukulele Orchestra |url=https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/uke-members/ |website=George Hinchliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain |access-date=2 April 2021 |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411120750/https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/uke-members |url-status=live }}
Artistic style and repertoire
File:UOGB AlbertHall19082009 byMattPerdeaux.jpg concerts at the Royal Albert Hall on 19 July 2009. Hinchliffe at the time announced from the stage: "a fragment of Beethoven for 1,008 ukuleles".{{cite web|date=29 September 2009|title=No Tiptoeing Through the Tulips|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/arts/music/30ukulele.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210211043/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/arts/music/30ukulele.html|archive-date=10 February 2021|access-date=29 March 2021|website=The New York Times}}]]File:Five Members Of the UOGB playing one Ukulele.jpg
A typical UOGB concert according to the New York Times is a "genre bending array" of musical covers that spans from Richard Wagner's The Ride of the Valkyries to the Sex Pistols’ Anarchy in the U.K.{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/arts/music/04uke.html | title=Cutting Up, Rocking Out and Jamming on Ukuleles | work=New York Times | date=3 November 2010 | access-date=17 June 2021 | archive-date=20 September 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920212144/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/arts/music/04uke.html | url-status=live }} The Chicago Tribune reports that the orchestra is "happy to pillage anything from the rich pageant of western music" as it roams freely across the wide range of popular music and art musical genres.{{cite web | url=https://sfperformances.org/media/blog.html | title=5 Great People 1 Good Question: George Hinchliffe (Founder, Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain) | work=San Francisco Performances | date=24 August 2020 | access-date=17 June 2021 | archive-date=6 March 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306105620/https://sfperformances.org/media/blog.html | url-status=live }} The Ukulele orchestra is known for reworking popular song classics, sometimes changing tunes' music genres so that the expectations of the audience are subverted. For instance, the power pop Pinball Wizard turns into a harmonized a cappella with a vaudevillian lead vocal by Hinchliffe, while the Sex Pistol's punk rock call to arms "Anarchy in the UK" is performed in the style of a Simon & Garfunkel cosy campfire sing-along folk song where the audience is encouraged to join in.{{cite web|date=21 November 2010|title=Concert Review: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Auckland Town Hall|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/concert-review-the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-iauckland-town-halli/BN74HMCGTTI72NUR3TR53K6G6Q/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614183552/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/concert-review-the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-iauckland-town-halli/BN74HMCGTTI72NUR3TR53K6G6Q/|archive-date=14 June 2021|access-date=14 June 2021|work=NZ Herald}}{{cite web|date=23 October 2011|title=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Radio 4|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-radio-4-856386.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624234540/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-radio-4-856386.html|archive-date=24 June 2021|access-date=21 June 2021|work=The Independent}} The group takes George Formby's 1937 song "Leaning on a Lamp-post", but changes it into "Lenin On A Lamppost" performed in a Russian Cossack style.{{Cite news|date=23 June 2003|title=Orchestra makes ukulele cult hit|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3004964.stm|url-status=live|access-date=12 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051113052930/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3004964.stm|archive-date=13 November 2005}}{{cite web|year=2015|title=Anarchy in the Ukulele (DVD)|url=http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/dvd-s/anarchy-in-the-ukulele.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402195427/http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/dvd-s/anarchy-in-the-ukulele.html|archive-date=2 April 2015|access-date=3 March 2015|website=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain}}
The Kansas City Star considered the UOGB's medleys as "perhaps their most impressive feats, layering lyrics from disparate sources over a chord progression."{{cite web|date=13 April 2015|title=Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain combines music and humour in return performance|url=https://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/classical-music-dance/article18428063.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802151401/https://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/classical-music-dance/article18428063.html|archive-date=2 August 2021|access-date=2 August 2021|publisher=Kansas City Star}} Several songs from different genres are combined in one "soup of contrasts" – for example, David Bowie's "Life on Mars?" is melded seamlessly with "My Way", "For Once in My Life", "Born Free", "Substitute", and more. In another piece after a mock argument about what to play next Hinchliffe plays a solo Handel's G Minor Suite No.7 for the Harpsichord," while all the other members sing in turn different songs on top the Handel base "Fly Me To The Moon", "Love Story (Where Do I Begin)", "Autumn Leaves"," Killing Me Softly with His Song", "Hotel California" and "I Will Survive", ending with all genre variations performed simultaneously in harmony together.{{cite web|date=12 October 2012|title=The Week Ahead Oct. 14 — 20|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/arts/oct-14-20.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611221010/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/arts/oct-14-20.html|archive-date=11 June 2021|access-date=11 June 2021|website=The New York Times}}{{cite web|date=2 February 2014|title=Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Assembly Hall, Worthing|url=https://theartsdesk.com/node/72520/view|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611202659/https://theartsdesk.com/node/72520/view|archive-date=11 June 2021|access-date=11 June 2021}}{{cite web|date=12 October 2011|title=Review: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Grand Opera House, York|url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/music/9302148.review-the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-grand-opera-house-york/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712180238/https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/music/9302148.review-the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-grand-opera-house-york/|archive-date=12 July 2021|access-date=12 July 2021|publisher=The Press (York)}}
All members generate ideas for new pieces and all play around with ways the piece work. The limitations of the ukulele causes the orchestra to think creatively about how to cover a musical piece, popular tunes are broken down to their constituent parts and then with each musician sticking a distinct part, the combination of different soprano, tenor, baritone and bass registers of ukuleles are used (with separate members playing the melody, others the rhythm, others chords on the beat and offbeat etc) to recreate the originals musical textured wall.{{Cite web|last=Kohlhaase|first=Bill|title=Uke-box heroes: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain|url=https://www.santafenewmexican.com/pasatiempo/music/uke-box-heroes-the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain/article_6e6c6a2f-292d-5826-a8fe-95755aabc36a.html|access-date=2022-01-13|website=Santa Fe New Mexican|date=22 March 2019 |language=en}} The Australian stage described the UOGB cover of Wheatus' pop rock "Teenage Dirtbag" as the "same delicacy and finesse as Ludwig's 9th, giving it a whole new complexion" Differentiation during a concert is further created by the fact that each member of the orchestra, each with their own singing style, takes turn to be vocal lead on a cover. The Ukulele Orchestra tries to adapt its programme to match the location of the venue or the occasion, musical numbers with a regional flavour are often included especially when touring overseas, for instance they play Sibelius' Finlandia when they perform in Finland.{{cite web|date=11 September 2019|title=Founding Director George Hinchliffe Talks Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain's Upcoming World Tour|url=https://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/news/founding-director-george-hinchliffe-talks-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britains-upcoming-world-tour|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613173759/https://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/news/founding-director-george-hinchliffe-talks-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britains-upcoming-world-tour|archive-date=13 June 2021|access-date=14 June 2021|work=ukulele mag}}
= Visual image and humour =
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain perform their gigs in a light-heartedly parody of a 'very prim and proper, staid sort-of orchestra', wearing traditional orchestra dress for performances, with the men in black tie (black suits and bow ties) and the women in smart evening wear, seated behind music stands.{{cite web|date=10 April 2018|title=BWW Interview: George Hinchliffe of Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at Peace Center|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwclassical/article/BWW-Interview-George-Hinchliffe-of-UKULELE-ORCHESTRA-OF-GREAT-BRITAIN-at-Peace-Center-20180410|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613173758/https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwclassical/article/BWW-Interview-George-Hinchliffe-of-UKULELE-ORCHESTRA-OF-GREAT-BRITAIN-at-Peace-Center-20180410|archive-date=13 June 2021|access-date=6 May 2020}} The humorous side of the UOGB came by accident during their first live session, when joking began after they unintentionally played in two keys at the same time. The comedy element is of the old fashioned British dry and self-deprecating kind, supported by orchestra's musical close chemistry and their adept timing. The New York Times noted that the orchestra often light-heartedly mock the "ludicrousness and pretentiousness" of famous tunes with deadpan humour and pun-filled banter with numbers introduced with a light hearted humour. The Guardian and Gigwise noted that the orchestra's deadpan delivery had the ability to dismantle the pretensions that might be connected to a musical piece.{{cite web|date=24 June 2008|title=In praise of ... the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/jun/24/2|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204020/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/jun/24/2|archive-date=24 June 2021|access-date=21 June 2021|work=The Guardian}}{{cite web | url=https://www.gigwise.com/reviews/34686/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain---precious-little-ukulele%E2%80%A6-released-090707 | title=The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain - 'Precious Little' (Ukulele…) Released 09/07/07 | work=Gigwise | date=13 July 2007 | access-date=2 August 2021 | archive-date=2 August 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802160647/https://www.gigwise.com/reviews/34686/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain---precious-little-ukulele%E2%80%A6-released-090707 | url-status=live }} Alternatively physical comedy is incorporated with the musicianship, for instance when up to five members bunch together to play a single small ukulele.{{cite web|date=28 March 2021|title=Orange Blossom Special – The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K-b9OykfW4|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328165944/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K-b9OykfW4|archive-date=28 March 2021|access-date=28 March 2021|website=UkuleleOrchestra}}
Critical reception
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain has been described by the Daily Telegraph, Guardian and others as a "much-loved" British institution" that has become a "worldwide phenomenon" with an "international cult status".{{cite web|date=2 July 2015|title=Judge rules in battle of the ukulele orchestras|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/02/judge-rules-in-battle-of-the-ukulele-orchestras|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611141348/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/02/judge-rules-in-battle-of-the-ukulele-orchestras|archive-date=11 June 2021|access-date=20 February 2021|work=The Guardian}}{{Cite web |title=The ukulele: where it originated from and how it become popular |url=https://www.classical-music.com/features/articles/where-did-the-ukulele-originate-from-and-how-did-it-become-popular/ |access-date=2022-03-02 |website=Classical Music |language=en}} The orchestra has received positive reviews of its concerts from critics.{{Cite news |title=Nirvana meets George Formby |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3641924/Nirvana-meets-George-Formby.html |last=Green |first=Thomas H. |date=12 May 2005 |access-date=3 March 2015 |archive-date=3 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403071650/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3641924/Nirvana-meets-George-Formby.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/prom09-45-0809.shtml | title=Prom 45: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain | work=MusicalCriticism.com | date=21 August 2009 | access-date=12 July 2021 | archive-date=16 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616043136/http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/prom09-45-0809.shtml | url-status=live }} Manchester Evening News said of the orchestra that it had "a beautiful chemistry that represents fun, innocence, daftness and a genuinely enjoyable showcase of unique talent."{{cite web | url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/ukulele-orchestra-great-britain-review-10051908 | title=Review: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, The Lowry Theatre, Salford Quays | work=Manchester Evening News | date=14 September 2015 | access-date=18 July 2021 | archive-date=15 July 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715012919/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/ukulele-orchestra-great-britain-review-10051908 | url-status=live }} The Kansas City Star considered the orchestra had "taken the comic aspects and musical capabilities of the ukulele and blended them together into a well-honed act, delivered with marvellous nonchalance and impressive versatility." The Financial Times Laura Battle applauded the orchestra members’ "consummate skill" and said that the "sophisticated sound they make both percussive and melodic is at once hilarious and heartfelt."
BBC Radio 4 and the Canadian Now described the Ukulele Orchestra as a union of skilful musicianship with a subversive post punk delivery{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00c67jq | title=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain | work=BBC | date=16 September 2017 | access-date=31 July 2021 | archive-date=13 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613173757/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00c67jq | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://nowtoronto.com/music/album-reviews/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain | title=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain | work=Now | date=4 November 2010 | access-date=20 July 2021 | archive-date=25 July 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725175047/https://nowtoronto.com/music/album-reviews/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain | url-status=live }} and The Press (York) added that they used the limitations of the ukulele "to create a musical freedom that reveals unsuspected musical insights". Classic FM described the UOGB's rendition Ennio Morricone's The Good, The Bad And The Ugly as both "sprightly" and a "delightfully delicate" that remained true to the epic composition of the original work, while the Australian Stage.com called the UOGB's cover "jaw-dropping".{{cite web|date=7 January 2021|title=The utterly joyous sound of a ukulele orchestra playing Morricone's 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'|url=https://www.classicfm.com/composers/morricone/good-bad-ugly-ukulele-orchestra-great-britain/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117161518/https://www.classicfm.com/composers/morricone/good-bad-ugly-ukulele-orchestra-great-britain/|archive-date=17 January 2021|access-date=20 July 2021|work=Classic FM (UK)}}
Legacy
Several sources have mentioned that the orchestra is "often blamed for the current ukulele revival which is sweeping the globe", with other ukulele orchestras and groups, following UOGB's lead, have "spawned" over the years in most major cities around the world.{{Cite web|date=2015-07-02|title=Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain wins duel with German 'copycat'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-wins-duel-with-german-copycat-10362261.html|access-date=2022-01-20|website=The Independent|language=en}} The UOGB began the approach of orchestrating songs so that each ukulele played a separate part ~ “since then we’ve seen the concept of ensemble ukulele playing flourish right across the world.”{{cite book|first1=Gavin|last1=Pretor-Pinney|first2=Tom|last2=Hodgkinson|title=The Ukulele Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ve4_AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA61|date=1 January 2013|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-1-4088-3629-3|pages=61–|access-date=26 July 2021|archive-date=26 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726102433/https://books.google.com/books?id=ve4_AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA61|url-status=live}}{{cite book|first=Alistair|last=Wood|title=Ukulele For Dummies, Enhanced Edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=usmvLWaQEEsC&pg=PT401|date=30 June 2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-119-97604-2|pages=401–|access-date=26 July 2021|archive-date=26 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726102424/https://books.google.com/books?id=usmvLWaQEEsC&pg=PT401|url-status=live}} Asked by the Sydney Morning Herald to explain the success of his orchestra, Hinchliffe replied "the world has gone ukulele mad". The question Why is everyone suddenly playing the ukulele? is asked by a Daily Telegraph article, research by ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), the exam board of the Royal Schools of Music, has found that the ukulele is replacing the recorder as the instrument of choice for school ensemble music lessons.{{cite web |date=29 November 2021 |title=Why is everyone suddenly playing the ukulele? |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/everyone-suddenly-playing-ukulele/ |access-date=1 December 2021 |website= Daily Telegraph}} There are a multiple reasons for this, the ukulele has become a popular instrument to take up, with the Classical Music website of the BBC Music Magazine stating thas the UOGB "has played a major part in popularising the ukulele, with sales at music stores booming and the instrument becoming a mainstay of schools’ music curriculum". The UOGB itself has donated large batches of ukuleles to schools over the years. The orchestra also often run Ukulele workshops for fellow ukulele players and school children in the afternoons before gigs, including with thousands of young players in a stadium in New Zealand.{{cite web | url=https://www.papercitymag.com/arts/george-hinchliffes-ukulele-orchestra-great-britain-ukulele-instrument/ | title=George Hinchliffe's Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain Shows Houston the Power of Four Strings | work=papercitymag.com | date=22 March 2019 | access-date=12 July 2021 | archive-date=12 July 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712180240/https://www.papercitymag.com/arts/george-hinchliffes-ukulele-orchestra-great-britain-ukulele-instrument/ | url-status=live }} Prior to gigs the orchestra also gives out advance notice of an audience participation tune so that those that wish to participate can bring along their own ukulele and play along with the orchestra.{{cite web |title=Another Kind of String Theory, Plinking Up Where Tiny Tim Left Off |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/22/arts/music/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-at-carnegie-hall.html |date=21 October 2012 |access-date=18 February 2021 |website=The New York Times |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624194926/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/22/arts/music/the-ukulele-orchestra-of-great-britain-at-carnegie-hall.html |url-status=live }}
Original works
In 2008, the group performed Dreamspiel, a ukulele opera, composed by George Hinchliffe and Michelle Carter for the Grimeborn Festival at London's Arcola Theatre. They have also, in 2010 and 2011, performed Ukulelescope where they played music to accompany silent movies from the British Film Institute archives. In 2012, Waly Waly on the Ukulele reworked arrangements of Cecil Sharp's collected folk tunes for performances at the Birmingham Town Hall and Cecil Sharp House in London. (Recordings from these shows were released in 2016 as the CD The Keeper.) In 2014, to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the start of World War I, the orchestra presented When This Lousy War is Over which reflected a range of attitudes from the time; patriotic, pacifist and feminist, and drew from gypsy music, music hall, soldiers' songs and even a song from the then radical avant-garde Cabaret Voltaire in neutral Switzerland.{{cite web |url=http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/blog/2014/10/26/press-release-when-this-lousy-war-is-over-2/ |title=Press Release: 'When This Lousy War is Over' |website=The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain |date=26 October 2014 |access-date=12 April 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225085101/http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/blog/2014/10/26/press-release-when-this-lousy-war-is-over-2/ |archive-date=25 December 2014}}
Legal dispute
In 2009, Erwin Clausen, a German producer, approached the UOGB with a request to set up a franchise version of the band in Germany. The UOGB denied his request, however Clausen assembled the United Kingdom Ukulele Orchestra (UKUO), which performed in a very similar style as that UOGB. Based in Germany, the UKUO just like the UOGB consisted of eight British musicians (six men and two women) who wore semi-formal evening dress sitting in a line behind music stands performing a similar range of cover versions of popular music and similar comedy. Judge Richard Hacon, sitting at the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court initially declined to issue an injunction to stop UKUO touring England in 2014 as proceedings had been issued too late. Ultimately, the court found that the German-based ukulele troop was causing confusion and so the claim of passing off succeeded. The Judge ruled Clausen had "acted outside honest practices" when he set up the UKUO, and evidence showed that confusion between the two orchestras' names did confuse the public "who recognise The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain as the trade name of a particular musical act, [and] that the two orchestras UOGB and UKUO are either the same group, or otherwise commercially connected." The court found that this had caused damage to the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain's goodwill, especially by way of the UOGB's loss of control over their reputation as artists. However, though similarities in the name amounted to passing off, the judge ruled that Clausen and the UKUO were not guilty of copyright or trademark infringement as far as the style of the performance was concerned.{{cite web | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11713964/Plucky-Britain-beats-Germany-in-ukulele-clash.html | title=Plucky Britain beats Germany in ukulele clash | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=2 July 2015 | access-date=20 February 2021 | archive-date=13 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613173759/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11713964/Plucky-Britain-beats-Germany-in-ukulele-clash.html | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33363229 | title=Feuding ukulele bands battle it out in court | work=BBC News | date=2 July 2015 | access-date=20 February 2021 | archive-date=8 November 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108091359/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33363229 | url-status=live }}{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/ukelele-feud-great-britain-rival-orchestras-go-war-over-name-9751725.html | title=The ukelele feud of Great Britain: Rival orchestras go to war...over a name | work=The Independent | date=24 September 2014 | access-date=20 February 2021 | archive-date=13 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613173758/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/ukelele-feud-great-britain-rival-orchestras-go-war-over-name-9751725.html | url-status=live }}
Discography
=Single=
- Miss Dy-na-mi-tee – 2005, Longman Records (CD)
=Studio albums=
- The Ukulele Variations – 1988, Disque Ethnique (LP); CBS/Sony Records (CD)
- Hearts of Oak – 1990, CBS/Sony Records (CD)
- A Fist Full of Ukuleles – 1994, Sony Records (CD)
- Pluck – 1998, Tachyon Records (CD)
- Songs for Plucking Lovers – 2000, UOGB(CD)
- Anarchy in the Ukulele – 2000, UOGB(CD)
- Eine Kleine Ukemusik – 2000, UOGB(CD)
- The Secret of Life – 2004, Longman Records (CD)
- Miss Dy-na-mi-tee – 2005, Longman Records (CD single)
- Precious Little – 2007, UOGB (CD)
- Christmas with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain – 2008, UOGB (CD)
- (Ever Such) Pretty Girls – 2015, UOGB (CD)
- Lousy War 2016, UOGB (CD)
- The Originals 2016, UOGB (CD)
- By Request (Songs From The Set List) 2018, UOGB(CD)
- The Only Album by the Ukulele Orchestra You Will Ever Need Volume Three – 2019, UOGB (CD)
- The Only Album By The Ukulele Orchestra You Will Ever Need, Vol. 9 – 2020, UOGB (CD)
- Never Mind The Reindeer – 2020, UOGB (CD)
- One Plucking Thing After Another - 2021, UOGB (CD)
=Live albums=
- Anarchy in the Ukulele – 2005 (CD)
- Live in London #1 – 2008, UOGB (CD)
- Live in London #2 – 2009, UOGB (CD)
- Still Live – 2011, UOGB (CD)
- Uke-Werk – 2013, UOGB (CD)
- The Keeper – 2016, UOGB (CD)
=Compilations=
- Top Notch – 2001, UOGB (CD)
- Bang Bang(My Baby Shot Me Down) EP – The Ukulele Orchestra Vs Ibiza Air – 2013, UOGB (CD)
=DVDs=
- Anarchy in the Ukulele – 2005, UOGB (DVD)
- Prom Night – Live at the Royal Albert Hall – BBC Proms 2009 – 2009, UOGB (DVD)
- The Ukes Down Under – 2012, Litmus Films (DVD)
- The Ukes in America – 2013, Litmus Films (DVD)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com Official website - which includes a link to the orchestra's official YouTube page']
- {{Discogs artist|The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain|The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:British instrumental musical groups
Category:British ukulele players
Category:Musical groups established in 1985
Category:Musical groups from London
Category:1985 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:English classical music groups
Category:English folk rock groups
Category:English jazz ensembles
Category:English pop rock music groups
Category:English post-punk music groups
Category:British comedy jazz ensembles