; Fun! Fun! Vancouver!: Ukulele Circle - The Happiest Place in Vancouver

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Ukulele Circle - The Happiest Place in Vancouver

Last night I attended what could easily be known as the Happiest Place in town - the Vancouver Ukulele Circle! They have been meeting at Our Town cafe (Kingsway and Broadway) every third Tuesday of the month since 2005, and last night was their swan song there before they move on to a bigger pasture in August at St. James Hall (3214 W 10th Ave. at Trutch) in Kitsilano.


It was the perfect magical summer evening, with a packed to the rafters audience/participants, everyone at the Vancouver Ukulele Circle were singing along and strumming on their instruments. Led by host Ralph, who is a show in his own right, the first half of the night had everyone in a group sing-and-play-along, to tunes like Singing In The Rain, Daydream Believer, Can't Help Falling In Love, and many more. There was a kazoo, lots of whistling, a harmonica cameo, and lots of smiling happy people!


Part two of the evening features performances from members of the group, and you best sign up early because the slots get filled instantly! We had some ukulele performer virgins take the stage, to be greeted and received with standing ovations. We had a song in Mandarin done by a duo from Taiwan. And we had several folks who wrote their own original songs to share with the crowd. One of my favourite moments of the night was when a regular named Roman took the stage and sang a heartbreaking rendition of the Everly Brothers' "Love Hurts."  His voice, his emotion, you could hear a pin drop in the room because we were all so captivated by and lost in the song.

The evening ended with several farewell songs, but we were reminded by the Monty Python classic to "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."



The next Ukulele Circle will be held August 20, 2013 at St. James Hall. You can also check them out on Facebook!

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