“You all made important things happen for kids in Dixon this week, and for a teacher,” read the email to SFCV staff from Lisa Krebs. A beloved teacher in the Dixon Unified School District, near Davis, California, Krebs last month introduced two sections of her high school English class to SFCV ‘s WriteOn! project and to veteran writer Jeff Kaliss. He prepped the kids on the process of observing a musical performance, accompanied them and their teacher the next evening to a concert by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at the Mondavi Center in Davis, and on the following morning advised them on using their notes from the performance in writing well-structured music reviews. A sampling of the refreshing results appears here.
– Jeff Kaliss
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Mari Tokita
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain certainly stepped out of the box and proved us all wrong for stereotyping a ukulele group. They broke the mould of a strict ensembles as they performed with their own rhythm, which reflected itself onto the music they played.
Performing a wide variety of songs all the way from Lady Gaga to Cher, they had a taste for everyone’s palate. Different styles, genres, and tempos were all seamlessly executed through only four strings.
My personal preference was their classical piece Dance Macabre. I enjoy symphonies and orchestras and this was the highlight of the night for me. They began the piece with a comic introduction, acting “orchestra like” while tuning, which brought a chuckle from the audience.
Traditionally, the main melodies would be the jobs of the flutes, clarinets, and trumpets, but in this group of eight it was the soprano ukulele's responsibility. The part of the low brass section was played by the tenor, bass, and baritone ukuleles. With no conductor to cue, they executed every dynamic, articulation, and rhythm as precisely as possible. Their performance brought me to visualize a true “Dance of Death” and it was exhilarating.
As if their musical abilities were not enough to impress, they had brought their vocal skills to the stage. Their stamina was quite impressive as they played almost nonstop for approximately two hours with an intermission in between.
The ukulele is not just a smaller version of a guitar; it is its own instrument. Capable of an impressive range on four stings the different types all bring forth different aspects of the instrument.
It was an amazing experience to attend such an uplifting concert. Sitting in my seat I did not walk a step, yet I felt as if I had toured the world with them as they performed songs from around the world and through the ages.
Tyler Albright
I was placed at the top of the theater and this made it extremely difficult for me to focus on anything really because I felt so disconnected, not to mention I’m scared of heights. At this moment I was thinking that there were not going to be any vocals and it would be nothing but the strums of the strings on these instruments. I assumed that there would be more proper and/or upper class people there with proper manners, which was just me stereotyping from movies.
Then the members sat down and started to introduce themselves and by my surprise they’re cracking jokes and making the audience laugh like it was a comedy show. After laughing at the jokes they start to play “Running Wild” and just by the gracious sound of the different ukuleles, I felt more relaxed and caught myself moving along with the music they were making.
My favorite song they played was “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. I was thinking to myself, 'Oh no, some people aren’t going to like this.' Since this song is about gay equality, I looked around me to see the facial expressions of the viewers to see their reaction to the line “…no matter gay, straight, bi…” To my surprise, everyone was still listening calmly. I felt more comfortable at this point because I felt as though everyone around me was on my level and I didn’t feel lower than others.
So, all in all, I seriously enjoyed this orchestra for a first-timer. I was completely shocked about everything that happened, in a good way. I walked about of the Mondavi smiling and talking about it with friends all the way back home.
Joseph Azevedo
What would you ideal orchestra be? After Wednesday night, my answer will always be The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.
The orchestra's eight members use many different types of ukuleles to enhance the sound and feel of their music. From the blues to pop, even on an instrument that is known for Hawaiian dance to most of us, we couldn’t help but be enthralled by the performance. The performers themselves are quite good. They all sing at one point or another during the show and many of their voices are beautiful. The quality of their playing also did not slip; they plucked each string perfectly. My absolute favorite song they did was the theme from Shaft, by Isaac Hayes.
The musicians' comedic side showed between songs and even during a majority of them with body language. One of the best bits in the show came when the performer on the far left took a sip of water and the entire orchestra, one by one, took up the instrument of the person to their right. The comedy didn’t get stale and there was almost never a chance to stop laughing or smiling.
Fatima Bravo
This unique orchestra conquered songs from the classical genre and the pop genre; they played melodies and they played the hippest music that you might find on the top 100 of the Billboard charts. This music involved the audience and it made people want to get up and dance. From where I was seated, I could see everyone below me just moving their heads or tapping their feet; they were “giggin',” When a new song played, you coul feel the mood sweep through the audience, putting them into a trance. I felt as if I were being transported to different places through each of these songs.
Each ukulele had a different tone, representing different instruments in an original orchestra. The Ukulele Orchestra contained sopranos, altos, electrical, tenor, baritone, concert, and bass instruments. Toward the end of the concert, the orchestra members each played their ukulele and each sounded so beautiful: Some were as soft as a lullaby and others as deep as the ocean.
Everyone in the orchestra contributed to a song, each one sang, joked, introduced one another, and played the person to their right’s ukulele, which was a cool routine because each ukulele had a different tone to it, but every musician was able to play it.
Mallory Elliott
It’s easy to understand how many might think that watching an eight-person ukulele orchestra for two hours would be boring, However the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain managed to keep the audience entertained and mesmerized throughout the entire performance. One thing that really caught my attention in the performance is the musical and geographical diversity of the music they play – ranging from a beautiful Italian ballad to the more modern sounds of Lady GaGa and Pharrell Williams. Though the Orchestra played songs that may have been unfamiliar to certain age groups, they played them in a way that entertained and appealed to everyone.
Some time in about the middle of the performance, the members told us about the ukuleles. When they came to one of the smaller ukulele’s, one member commented, “This one’s just been born,” receiving a great laugh from the audience.
Riley Harte
When the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain said that it was their goal to “have fun and not lose money”, they meant it. Entertaining the audience was simply a bonus as the group poked fun at one another and doing comedy for all age groups.
But the crowd did not come to see a group of comedians. Performing an impressive variety of songs ranging from Lady Gaga to various medleys to the Italian song no one can seem to remember the name of, this oddball group showed the audience, many of whom had never heard of them before, exactly what their ukulele skills were made of.
A favorite song and comedy piece of mine was, in fact, not quite intended to be fully comic. Walking in after the intermission, the band began strumming a few occasional notes, sounding almost like they were tuning as a few others maintained long, low chords. With the acoustics of the room, it began to sound akin to Gregorian chants. Suddenly they jumped into playing the theme from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The man who did the lower echo part of the theme kept choking on his laughter, making the rest of the group grin as they attempted to contain their own chuckles.
Lauren Hasapis
Throughout the entire performance, the audience remained engaged and awake. The orchestra had incredible stage presence and was extremely entertaining.
The orchestra had an astonishing variety of musical arrangements, everything from David Bowie to Dolly Parton to Lady Gaga. When creating a set list, one of the most difficult challenges is being able to relate to all members of the audience and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain did an excellent job. The songs that were chosen were not only exciting to listen to and easy to clap along to, but they were also challenging pieces.
It was amazing to hear the ukulele play notes that I thought were not possible for the instrument. The peaceful and relaxing notes of the ukulele made the night truly enjoyable to everyone in the audience. There were points in some songs that everybody in the audience knew that the orchestra was being challenged, yet the members pulled every number off with impressive grace.
The eight talented members of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain played with such passion and each of them had significance in the arrangement that was being performed. Whether it is a solo during the number, or simply a head banging to the beat of the music, all the member were crucial and essential to giving out the message of the song.
I highly recommend the show to anybody who gets the same opportunity that I had. If they ever come back to the Mondovi Center in Davis, I will surely be there.
Gabriel A. Padilla
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is one of the best orchestras on the face of the earth. From Robert Johnson to Marvin Gaye, Pharell Williams, Dolly Parton, Kraftwerk, and many other artists and songs, the group played with great motion and soul. Not one song was played lazily: Everyone put all they had into the two hours of ukulele, and those two hours were heaven to my ears.
They did not just strum and pick at the strings, they used the ukulele and their own voices for sound effects. For example, they played the theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, the well-known “Wild West” theme, as they came back from intermission. They sounded eerie and creepy when they whistled like wind and picked the ukelele in a very uncommon way.
Mayra Rivas
When I learned I was going to see The Ukulele Orchestra performance, my mind went straight to thinking it was going to be tedious. And the fact that we had to dress semi-formally didn't help the case either. The night came, and we arrived at the Mondavi Center, everyone wearing their fancy clothes. Like the guys, I also wore button-up with a tie , black shoes , slacks and last but not least my black blazer, because dresses and heels were never my thing. I was nervous though, not at how my classmates were going to react , but about the elderly folks who are not used to seeing a girl dressed in boy clothes.
The house lights faded. Eight musicians came out with their instruments. When they finally got situated, they started to introduce themselves. Not even two minutes passed and the audience already started to love them. The confident manner of each one of them made me think how professional they are, and how many shows they have done.
I was writing down notes when I heard one of the female members start singing "my momma told me when I was young, we are all born a superstar." I stopped completely and shot my head up to see the performance. It couldn't be the song that I was thinking of, right? They were actually singing "Born This Way" by Lady GaGa, a song saying it's okay to be yourself, and love who ever you want with no judgment attached. I looked quickly to the viewers around me; they also seemed to enjoy it. Turning back to pay attention, all of that nervousness, and discomfort for being me, quickly faded away when I started to sing along. All in all the diversity of genres and the confidence with which they were played made the concert lovable.
Eric Rotteveel
Aside from the great musicality of skillful ukulele players, the orchestra also introduced a great range of comedy into their presentation. George Hinchliffe, one of the founders and directors of the orchestra, opened up by explaining: “There is a saying in the world of musicians about playing at venues.They say you will play once at a venue on your way up, and once on your way down. –We are happy to be back at this fantastic venue and we hope you enjoy the upcoming performance.” Throughout the show all eight members had a chance to speak and crack jokes. The comedy made the 2 and half hour performance enjoyable and comfortable.
Each member had a unique sense of style. Will Grove-White, the youngest player, sang with a rock style, which added a sense of punk passion to the performance. Peter Brooke Turner had a deep voice and, although his voice was not the most experienced, his bass made the arrangements all the more alluring. Each individual added to the show, down to David Suich, the man with the longest hair, who was head banging at one point to “Song 2” by The Blur.
Brittany Rubow
It is easy to lose focus when you cannot relate to the music that is being played; however, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain brings songs alive with only a few notes.
You don’t have to be a ukulele enthusiast to recognize the different sounds coming from the stage. The majority of the ukuleles are sopranos but the orchestra also consists of a tenor, a baritone, a concert ukulele, and a bass. Not only will you be listening to a night of great music and dry humor, you will learn a little about the different kinds of ukuleles.
Observe as eight musicians get lost in their music and see how passionate they are. With the ability to join in to the middle of a song without missing a beat, their excellence is remarkable. I particularly liked the touches of comedy that kept the audience focused and entertained throughout the entire show.
Although it is an orchestra, the feeling of the show is relaxed and at ease, which makes for a great night. My favorite part of the show was the medley, the first of the two encores. It was quite interesting seeing and hearing how well seven different songs including “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Love Story,” “Autumn Leaves,” “Like a Child,” “Killing Me Softly,” “Hotel California,” and “I Will Survive” can be played together. It takes true talent to be able to find songs that have similar chords and be able to play them all together without missing a beat.
Justin Stromness
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is a phenomenal performance for boys and girls of any age. In their performance, over 23 songs were played on a wide variety of ukuleles, including baritone, bass, concert, soprano, and tenor.
However, say that someone just is not that into music, and only went because their girlfriend forced them. Well fret not, because the orchestra has a comedic side as well. Often between songs, or when tuning their ukuleles, the British instrumentalists will tell jokes.
All right, so someone likes the variety of song and the playful banter included, but they loathe sitting for a two-and-a-half-hour performance and only hearing music on ukuleles. Don’t worry, the orchestra brings with it vocals as well. While not the best set of voices in the world, one could hardly tell the deviations in pitch in combination with the beautiful and unique music produced by the various ukuleles.
Ariel Sutliff
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain came in with a sense of pride and that classical feel. All dressed in black and white concert dress to draw less attention from their music, they soon changed the mood with the first chords of “Running Wild.”
I was pleasantly surprised by the sudden rock. They all swayed and the music flowed with ease. Then the words were flowing musically with a great harmony. The intonation from the variety of ukuleles was impeccable.
The night continued with some British humor. The crowd roared when one of the men brought out a petite ukulele and another compared his fingers to sausages. The first retorted back with “no, they’re more like hot tamales.” Following this came the song “Hot Tamales” by blues artist Robert Johnson. The lighting changed to suit the mood of the song.
The diverse music continued with famous pop hit “Happy” by Pharell Williams. They engaged the audience by getting them to clap along and sing if they knew the words to the song. The vocals were harmonized beautifully with each other.
Minerva Tejeda-Patino
The perfect mixture of talent and humor is how I would describe the performance of The Ukulele Orchestral Of Great Britain. The orchestra played a variety of songs from “Joshua” by Dolly Parton to “Limehouse Blue”s and alternated between upbeat songs and relaxing melodies.
Lighting would change onstage depending on what song was playing. For feel good songs it was the colors blue and purple. The physiological meaning behind blue is relaxing and sad but for purple it's sophistication,wealth and royalty. I was wondering why they would want those colors for happy songs if blue is the opposite of happy. When they played classical music the blue and purple faded away and there was a bright white light on the members of the orchestra and everything else become black so you could tell that they wanted you to focus only on them for that song.