Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

Join us from 6:30-7pm for Program Notes. Discover why the ukulele has become one of the most fun and accessible instruments to play. Lead by Queen Bee Music Association’s Lindsay Taylor, we’ll take a short dive into the history of the instrument, while singing and strumming. A limited number of Ukuleles will be provided, please feel free to bring your own! 

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain returns to the Lensic by popular demand. Formed in 1985 as the antidote to mindless pop, egocentric rock, and the indulgent bluster of the music business, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain donned black tuxedos and began giving ‘concerts’ in tiny rooms above old pubs.

Four decades later, they’re still thrilling audiences with their off-beat humor and four-stringed virtuosity. There are no drums, pianos, backing tracks, guitars, or banjos, no pitch shifters or electronic trickery, just an astonishing revelation of the rich palette of orchestration afforded by ukuleles and a menagerie of voices in a collision of post-punk performance and old classics.

Come and celebrate the fortieth anniversary of this much-loved institution on a white-knuckle shopping-trolley dash through every kind of musical genre. From ABBA to ZZ Top, Tchaikovsky to Nirvana, bluegrass to Broadway, all played on the ‘bonsai guitar.”

Lindsay Taylor, co-founder and Executive Director of Queen Bee Music Association, has rooted her career in the nonprofit and public sectors, building engagement strategies for organizations of all sizes. A former middle and high school Spanish and theater educator, she gained her nonprofit and marketing expertise in Denver, working for performing arts organizations and concert producers. In Santa Fe, she has worked for Communities In Schools and the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, building brand recognition, online presence, and driving fundraising. As an educator, she has worked with thousands of students, teaching theatre, Spanish, folk dance and music. Whether in public schools or summer camps, she loves watching learners of all ages explore their own talents and possibilities. She also performs with Glorieta Pines, playing original folk music inspired by the American southwest. Photo credit: Moonlight Studios.