Ukulele - Ukes 4 Fun
“The ukulele is such a fun, happy instrument that it should be available on the National Health Service.” So says one of Britain’s cheeriest and best-loved musicians, Joe Brown. And he should know. He has been playing the ukulele for years. His love of the instrument is shared by the members of the Stanway U3A’s very own Ukes 4 Fun group which meets every Friday morning in the Lexden Methodist Church on Straight Road.
Under the leadership of Val Barclay, a retired music teacher, the group members have progressed through the beginner stages of Ukulele playing and now focus on extending and developing their skills and techniques as well as practising the group's individual arrangements for many different songs and genres. With the members supporting each other and happy to share their own experiences, learning has never been so much fun!
And all those new skills are put to good use from time to time when Ukes 4 Fun ‘hit the road’ to play at church fetes, local music festivals and residential care homes. The group has recently agreed to open up membership to those who play complementary string instruments, including the mandolin, guitar and banjo. We also enhance our rehearsals and performances with plenty of varied percussion accompaniment.
A warm invitation is extended to anyone who thinks they would like to join the group to come along one Friday morning to meet everyone and see/hear us in action. A basic knowledge of your instrument is required to enable you to get the most out of what the group has to offer. The Lexden Methodist Church is near the London Road end of Straight Road and it has excellent facilities including the use of a large car park just 20 or so yards from the premises. Public transport couldn’t be easier, with plenty of buses running along London Road to Straight Road.
The group meets at 10am and finishes around 12.30pm with a break in the middle for a chat over a cuppa. For further details, please make contact with the group leader via the Bluebird contact button at the side of the page.