Ukulele finding its place, devotees say
LAUDER
TINY Tim has a lot to answer for, one of the organisers of the Lauder Ukulele Festival says.
Decades after the American singer made the ukulele a joke in his 1968 novelty song Tiptoe Through the Tulips those who choose to play the instrument are still trying to shake off the perception they are being purposely ironic.
Bruce Macdonald said attitudes to the instrument were changing as he and coorganisers Barry and Diane Benrose reflected on the third and final day of the festival otherwise known as Lauderukefest yesterday.
Now in its seventh year, this year’s event attracted a record 200 people to the tiny Central Otago settlement, despite Covid19 border restrictions ruling out any Australian contingent this year, Mr Macdonald said.
Admitting he would prefer not to hear another ukulele for a while, Mr Benrose said the festival brought together ukulele players at a ‘‘grassroots level’’.
The festival lured 20 acts and groups from Invercargill to Auckland for the weekend, which involved workshops, open mike sessions, jams, a segment, and concerts on both Saturday and Sunday.
The former Lauder Railway School and the Lauder Hotel acted as venues.
Mrs Benrose said the fallout from Tiny Tim and the ukulele winter that followed had dissipated.
‘‘It’s a very popular little instrument — people can pick it up and learn the basics very easily.’’
Chords were similar to a guitar but a ukulele was pitched five semitones differently to its larger relative and this meant any take on a piece of music in any genre would sound like a fresh interpretation, she said.
Mr Benrose agreed and said the ukulele offered people who had struggled with other instruments, such as piano, to find a place.
Mr Macdonald said guests at this years’ event included ukulele/guitar/bass player Savanna Stent, of Dunedin, and Sam Girling who has a PhD in music from the University of Auckland.
Originally from the UK, Dr Girling, a percussionist, had played with the Auckland Philharmonia, the Auckland Chamber Orchestra, and others and was a good indicator that any bad PR the ukulele had was being rectified, Mr Macdonald said.