Langley Ukulele Ensemble

The Langley Ukulele Ensemble is a ukulele ensemble from Langley, British Columbia in Canada. The ensemble is internationally renowned and considered to be one of the top ukulele performing ensembles in the world. They were prominently featured in the 2008 award-winning document film, Mighty Uke.[1][2] The group is composed of 20 musicians, aged twelve to eighteen years, who perform 50-80 concerts a year. The group originated with the J. Chalmers Doane's musical program in the 1970s that reached over 50,000 students across Canada and the United States.[3] They have performed in Canada, Florida, Texas, California, Nevada, the Pacific Northwest, Japan and Hawaii. The ensemble was named Langley's Entertainer of the Year for 2005, and their musical director was named Langley's Leader of the Year for the same year.

The Langley Ukulele Ensemble in 2015.

Tours

Since 1994, the Ensemble has been traveling to Hawaii every July as part of their annual tour. During their stay there, they are sponsored by the Sheraton Waikiki.[4] In addition to performances at the hotel, they play at schools and Rotary Clubs in Hawaii.

In summer 2007, the Ensemble participated in the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax, and opened at the Stratford, Ontario Summer Music Festival. In 2013 they were invited back and performed once again at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

In addition to their annual tour to Hawaii, in October 2009 they were the headline performers at the 3rd International Ukulele Ceilidh in Nova Scotia, Canada.[5]

In 2015 they paid a return visit to perform on the River Avon at the Stratford Summer Music Festival, and then traveled to perform on the International Stage at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.

The Langley Ukulele Ensemble is one of the featured groups in Mighty Uke: The Amazing Comeback of an Underdog.[6] The documentary includes following the ensemble on their annual Hawaiian trip.

Alumni

Alumni of the Langley Ukulele Ensemble include James Hill, who pursued a career as a solo artist and was described by Stuart McLean of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as the "Wayne Gretzky of Ukulele".[7]

Other alumni include Paul Luongo (the ensemble's current director), Elizabeth Zielke (current director of the junior ensembles), and acoustic group Exit 58.

Discography

The Ensemble has released fourteen recordings on CD, some of which are sung in the Hawaiian language. Musical styles include Classical, Jazz, Gospel, Rock and Roll and international music.

  • Langley Our Home, Precision Sound (1998) ASIN: B0000C1W2R
  • Our Hawaiian Heart, Precision Sound (1999) ASIN: B0000C1W2S
  • 20th Anniversary Commemorative Edition Ukulele Family Album (2000)
  • I'll Be Home For Christmas (2000)
  • The Enchanted Ukulele, Precision Sound (2000) ASIN: B0000C1W2U
  • Cruisin' Ukuleles, Precision Sound (2001) ASIN: B0000C1W2W
  • Ukulele: The Legend Continues, (2002) ASIN: B0000C1W2X
  • The Pacific Ukulele Connection, (2004) ASIN: B0002EXKHE
  • Strings Attached (2004)
  • 25th Anniversary Ukulele Celebration (2005)
  • Ukulele Christmas (2005)
  • Our Hawaiian Heart Anniversary Edition (2009)
  • Langley Ukulele - Live in Concert DVD (2010)
  • Ukulele Rock 'n Roll Review (2013)

References
  1. Ukulele-playing takes Langley schoolkids from Hawaii to Olympics, The Province, February 16, 2010 Archived January 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Mission Statement, Langley Ukulele Association Archived 2013-12-29 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Dixon, Daniel (2011). Ukulele: The World's Friendliest Instrument. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-4236-0369-6.
  4. Ukulele-playing takes Langley schoolkids from Hawaii to Olympics, The Province, February 16, 2010 Archived January 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Ukulele Cailidh, Nova Scotia
  6. Mighty Uke Press Kit
  7. Tranquada, Jim (2012). The Ukulele: A History. University of Hawaii Press. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-8248-3634-4.
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