A month before playing Brecon, the Ukulele Orchestra played their first Prom at the Royal Albert Hall with a special programme which includes a rendition of that Last Night favourite, Parry’s Jerusalem, as never heard before.
The Ukulele Orchestra started as a one-off bit of fun but the first gig was a sell out and, by the third gig, they had been on national radio and knew they had to make an album. Since then, the Orchestra have featured on the Today Programme, Front Row, Richard and Judy, XFM, Loose Ends and Start the Week, and toured the world with only hand-luggage, from Canada and Japan to the USA.
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, they dress in formal evening wear 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.
‘Audiences like to have a good time with the Ukulele Orchestra,’ said Andy Eagle, Theatr Brycheiniog’s director, ‘which just goes to show that musical intelligence and levity are not incompatible.’
The Ukulele Orchestra play Brecon’s Theatr Brycheiniog on Thursday 17th September at 7.45pm. Tickets cost £16.00 (£14.50 concs) and are available from www.theatrbrycheiniog.co.uk.
Theatr Brycheiniog is funded by the Arts Council Of Wales.
