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Ralph's Blog

Ralph Shaw, our Illustrious Leader, writes:

My purpose in starting this uke-log of the meetings and activities of the Vancouver Ukulele Circle is to give those people who are unable to be at the a meetings a chance to get a flavour of what they missed. I can tell you now that not all the information will be entirely accurate. As I sit down to update this uke-log in the days after any given meeting I will be sure to have forgotten some key moments and one or two worthy performances and I hope that feelings won't be hurt. I will do my best but if you notice any omissions or major inaccuracies please feel free to email them to Wendy Cutler so that corrections can be made.

Note from Wendy: Ralph has been keeping this blog since the very first meeting in September, 2000. The full set of previous years' entries is available in the 
Blog Archives.

Vancouver Ukulele Circle Meeting - Tuesday January 19, 2010

Yes that’s right I have more Zombie news from the Vancouver Uke Circle this month…but first!!!! Next month – Feb 16th we will be hosting the Vancouver Ukulele Olympic Games. We have: an organizing committee (VANUGOC), a Logo (featuring 5 ukuleles instead of 5 rings) and some kind of a plan to use a burning ukulele as an olympic torch to start the whole thing off. If nothing else we’ll set the smoke alarms off.

Here’s how it works: The games will be in lieu of the usual performance time. Before they begin you need to get in touch with Ron (our trusty and beloved bass player) and tell him your name and the event that you want to be entered for. If the event doesn’t exist yet then make one up! That way you have a better chance of winning. Email Ron at ron@usher.ca More details to come.

January used to be a time of hunkering down and quietly getting through the winter. This year doesn’t feel like that at all. One can just feel the crazy energy in this city building as the big event looms ever closer. Roads are being closed one by one. And dignitaries and stars and media attention is coming in from all over the world. Who would have thought our Ukulele Games would cause such a stir!

Performances tonight began with: Els who sang Elizabeth Cotton’s pawnshop song - Shake Sugaree (that’s also the lady who wrote Freight Train). Btw. It was Els’ dad Ron who played piano with us towards the end (he’s here from New York), Shira (of the egg shaker) sang with Peter the Beatles song All My Lovin’, Bert did the Tennessee Waltz and had a few verses that I ain’t done never heard before (I wrote that last bit in a Tennessee accent – good eh).

Super Jill and Mythical Man (he’s the one with the euphonium) sang a quaint follow up to their Zombie Love Song. Zombie Separation. A sad but true ballad of a Zombie lover who goes around eating other girl’s brains. Apparently they tried Zombie counselling but he ate the counsellor too. In the end their relationship fell apart…like the rest of him really.

Wendy did a lovely old-timey clawhammer number called I Wish I Had My Time Again. Paul and Louisa did a very Island sounding Brown Eyed Girl. Chris made his uke circle debut with the Arrogant Worms’ song Pear Juice is Murder. There were people singing along. Did I miss something?

Ken brought out his yellow Mahalo once again. This time a Disney song which he once played for his 3 year old niece who responded with, “I like LOUD music”. The song was from 1937 Some Day My Prince Will Come. A real nice jazzy version too. Hey Ken you tell that rock-fan, head-banging niece of yours she should go and grab some taste out of the cookie jar. We think you’re good even if you aren’t LOUD.

Cynthia played her smooth Bossa Nova stylings to A Certain Smile. Rock sang I Love You Less Today Than I will Tomorrow. Cumbersome title if that’s what it’s called. Maybe its called something else hmmm.

Steve and Band (Jill and Martin) Sang Spinal Tap’s Gimme Some Money. What a groove. It had me clicking my pen in time. Dan (first time) sang Crazy and I did the Elvis song: If I Can Dream. This was written shortly after Martin Luther King’s death and contains bits from his speeches. Yesterday was Martin Luther King day. It was Edmund Burke who said: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." But, in my opinion, there is far too much 'doing' being done all round. Therefore let's concentrate on getting the bad men to do nothing too and then we can all strum our ukuleles in peace. See you at the Games!!!

Ralph Luther King (of the ukulele)  

The Ukulele Entertainer!!
www.RalphShaw.ca  

Learn ukulele and get a free ukulele chord chart when you subscribe to my newsletter! Newsletter archive at: http://theukuleleentertainer.blogspot.com/

The full set of previous years' entries is available in the Blog Archives.