Sunday, September 30, 2018

Some of our members attended the Prairie Jamboree Ukulele Festival hosted by the Ukulele Club of Winnipeg at the Viscount Gort September 28-30th.

Heather, Lorna, Lana, Louise, Zenith, Thelma and Verna took part in a number of workshops featuring instruction from two-time Grammy Award Winners Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer from Washington D.C., edUkecator Kevin Carroll from Austin, Texas, Ukester Brown from Apple Valley, Minnesota, and KateFerris and Fred Casey from Gimli, Manitoba.

The event began Friday evening with the opening ceremonies, an open mic and a jam circle. After fantastic workshops on a wide variety of ukulele playing topics throughout the day on Saturday, attendees and the public were invited to a gala concert on Saturday at the beautiful and acoustically outstanding Crescent Fort Rouge church. Performances by the guest instructors, the Prairie Aloha group and the Brandon Ukulele Club were followed by another fun ukulele jam circle back at the Viscount Gort. 

Heather, Zenith, David Remiger aka Ukester Brown, Lana, Lorna and Louise.

On Sunday morning participants were invited to take part in a Hallelujah Hootenanny where Ukester Brown led those assembled in some rousing gospel tunes, explaining some of the background on the tunes along the way.  

While some guests stayed for the Ukulele Club of Winnipeg's twice monthly Strum & Suds at the Viscount Gort, Heather was pleased to drive David Remiger out to Carman to meet some of our members at Syl's for lunch.

Since it was cold out we took our Syl's food to the school where we ate in the library (don't tell the librarian!). We then moved to the music room where David showed us warm up stretches to help prevent pain while playing ukulele and gave us a very enlightening workshop on playing moveable chords.

Attending the ukulele festival and our Carman visit with Ukester Brown was an informative and fun experience. I was pleased to drive David back to the airport where he jetted off back to his wife in Minnesota. David said they both may make a visit out to Manitoba - perhaps to take in our Boyne River Ukulele Picnic and Strum - now that Ukester knows where to find Carman.  

It sounds like a second Prairie Jamboree Ukulele Festival is planned for 2020 so stay tuned for more information.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Judy, Ang, Lynn, Lana, Heather, Cathie, Linda, Louise, Lorna, Zenith, Thelma, June and Barry attended.

We played: Silver Wings, Moon River (picking pattern of 1, 2, 3, 4, 2 as per version on drive), Only You in C, Breaking Up is Hard to Do, Cryin’ Time, Cotton Fields, You Belong to Me, Wait So Long (from Lynn, Lana will make a new sheet with bigger font in a key easier to sing), Michael Row your Boat, Puff the Magic Dragon, We are Going to be Friends, Don’t Be Cruel, Down on the Corner, Early Morning in G, Four Strong Winds, Saskatoon Moon, I love How You Love Me, Goodnight Irene, Go Lassie Go, Hard Times in C, Amazing Grace, Home I'll Be (with picking), Grow Old with Me, Flowers on the Wall, Let Me Be there in C, and our signature set-ending song.

Heather, Cathie, Linda, Barry, June, and Lynn have committed so far to playing at the MCC annual meeting in Elm Creek on November 14th. UPDATE: Marge and Thelma will also be joining us :) We will be playing for 15 minutes after supper and have been invited for the supper just before.  Supper is at 6 p.m. at the church in Elm Creek. We will play from 6:45 until 7:00 p.m. So far we are considering: Uncloudy Day, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, I’ll Fly Away, 50 Miles of Elbow Room, I Can’t Even Walk and Amazing Grace. Please check that your versions match those on the drive so we are playing the same version in the same key. If you have a chance before next Wednesday try playing all of the songs, timing them and seeing which key you prefer if there is more than one version of a particular song posted on the drive. We likely only need five songs but it won’t hurt to have an extra in case we need an encore J

I have re-sent the discount code for the new Ukulele Club of Winnipeg song book. These will be distributed at the Prairie Ukulele Jamboree this weekend. I will be there Friday night until Sunday morning and a few other members will be there Saturday as well. Although your invoice will say $20, when I tried it a couple of days ago, I was only charged $15 on my online bank statement. Please let me know if you ordered a copy and I will try and pick up any ordered from our club and bring them back Sunday. If you order later than Oct. 1 the code will apparently no longer apply and you will have to pick up your book likely at one of the twice monthly Sunday UCW strums at the Viscount Gort.

-         Heather

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

We welcomed Ang Grenier to the group.  A guitar player who has turned to a better option, she was strumming and fingerpicking without losing a beat.  Also present: Marge, Judy, Lorna, Lynn, Louise, Lana, Zenith and Cathie.

We sang lots of old favourites and Marge's new addition-- "Doo Ron" Ron and Lana's contribution "Home I'll Be", a beautiful Cape Breton song by Rita MacNeil.

- Lana

Another soon to be new member, Kathy sent regrets for last night as, like me, she couldn't make it at the last minute. Hope to see you all next week :)

- Heather

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2018

Strummers and singers were; Linda, Lana, Zen, Louise, Lynne, Lorna, Marge, Barry, June, and Thelma.


Tunes chosen were: Walk Away, We Are Going to be Friends, Where Have all the Flowers Gone, Daydream Believer, Jambalaya, Can’t Take my Eyes off of You, I’ll See You in my Dreams, Lakes of Ponchatrain, Moon River, Saskatoon Moon, Sloop John B., Wild Flowers, Working man, Cotton Fields, Blowing in the Wind, Down on the Corner, Don’t be Cruel, Suitcase in my Hand, Ukulele Lady, Uncloudy Day, The Cuckoo, Let me be there, Log Driver's Waltz, I Can’t Even Walk, Rock’n Roll Beat, I’ve Got Rhythm, Silver Wings, 50 Miles of Elbow Room, and our signature set ending song.

Lynn had celebrated a special birthday on the 3rd so we sang for him.


We also were thinking of Judy as she celebrated yesterday.

- Thelma

Sounds like you played some great songs including one of my favourites, The Log Driver's Waltz. :) Just a reminder to give Lana any songs from when Marsh visited to her to scan. The Mass Appeal Ukulele event is this Thursday evening at St. Vital Park. That is also the day of the open house and awards day at out school so I will be unable to attend but hopefully someone can. Tickets to the Prairie Ukulele Jamboree the weekend of Sept. 28-30th have sold out. But, remember even if you can't attend, Ukester Brown will be meeting us at Syl's at about 12:30 on Sunday, Sept. 30th. Bring your ukulele!

- Heather