Named the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, what may have seemed like an unlikely musical group is now on its 40th Anniversary Tour. The number of musicians playing at any one time varies, though currently the orchestra has 12 regular members.
The group was founded in 1985 by Kitty Lux and George Hinchliffe. People continued to join over time until the group reached its current size. Kitty Lux passed away in 2017, but with that exception, the membership has remained stable.
The orchestra’s first performance was at a pub in the UK, and was supposed to be one performance only, but the show was sold out, and after a second performance, the orchestra found itself on the radio, and worked steadily after that.
The Ukulele Orchestra is known for reworking musical classics, often with comedic results; for example, taking punk anthems like “Anarchy in the UK” by the Sex Pistols and performing it in the style of a Simon & Garfunkel folksy ballad. Their humor is a hallmark of their concerts, leading The Dartmouth to call them:
"A comedic musical powerhouse.”
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain will be at the Taft Theatre on April 13. When they book a concert like this, organizers may use brochure printing to create programs that describe the performers.