Ukulele

This group started in March of 2013

One of our Christmas 2025 concerts can be seen and heard here

A BRIEF LOOK AT THE A, B & C OF “WACKY WEDNESDAYS”

ACTIVITIES
The band has a repertoire of approximately 300 songs of all types but, in essence, with a little practice can take on any song presented to it; not always with complete success, I might add.
It performs at venues over an area stretching from Steep south to Portsmouth and Southsea and east to Chichester. The band has yet to venture west of Denmead!
The band sees its activity as being good for both health and wellbeing, not only for band members but also for members of the public attending live performances. That is why the band particularly enjoys entertaining elderly hospital patients and care home residents.

BEGINNINGS
The band was formed on 3^rd April 2013 with just 6 members in attendance. A year later there were 17 members, a good sign for the future.
It’s first live performance was in the August of 2013 when it entertained attendees at the U3A Open Day event. There was another notable performance for U3A members in 2014 at The Sacred Heart Church, Waterlooville, and 2015 saw Wacky Wednesdays perform its first paid performance at the Denmead Village Show.

CURRENTLY
Since those ‘heady days’ the band has grown in strength and ability and currently has a membership of 23 ukulele players, with a couple of banjuleles available to provide appropriate music style when needed; if you play a ukulele you can also play a 4-string banjo, sometimes referred to as a ‘banjulele’, because tuning is identical.
The band's repertoire of songs has increased considerably and is still growing. Furthermore, invitations to perform have also increased to the extent that, prior to the pandemic, each year presented the band with up to 24 bookings. Any payments received now go to the band's chosen charity - the Rowans Hospice in Purbrook, where we have entertained the patients.
We remained undaunted during the Covid Pandemic and met every Wednesday forenoon on Zoom. With the Government's eventual modifying of the Covid restrictions we returned to normality and resumed practice sessions every Thursday afternoon at Lovedean Village Hall from 2-4 PM. Bookings also returned with 23 during 2022. 2023-2025 were a little quieter with an average of 12 bookings. With many ukulele bands now in the area competition for concerts is stiff.