Inspired by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (actually an octet) and their performance of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy at the Proms last August, Forest Hill Friends in south London have formed their own Quaker Ukulele Orchestra, or QUO. The twelve beginning strummers have as their teacher the ‘beginner-in-chief’, Chris Richards, a retired music teacher who says she is learning along with the group but keeping one step ahead.

The group spans ages from primary school to well past retirement, but QUO members share an interest in the ukulele and the fun of learning. They come to their ukuleles with a variety of musical backgrounds or none at all. ‘The ukulele is really easy to learn’, says Chris encouragingly. They are practicing the chords they have already learned under Chris’s tutelage and strumming along, more or less in unison, to ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’ and ‘Kum-ba-ya’. (You can’t begin with the Ode to Joy, after all.)

They are practicing the chords they have already learned under Chris’s tutelage and strumming along, more or less in unison, to ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’ and ‘Kum-ba-ya’

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Comments

• Posted by Sarah Colloby on November 22, 2009

  As a long-time fan of both the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain and of the spiritual importance of singing, dancing and messing around with my mates, my only grumble about this is that it’s in London (and I’m in the Midlands). What a wonderful thing to do!