Strumming up ukulele history

Photo: JASON OXENHAM

UKE-TOPIA: The UkuBaylees from Bayfield Primary will be part of the world’s largest ukulele orchestra tomorrow.

Armed with ukuleles of every size, shape and colour imaginable, Bayfield Primary students are making history.

The Herne Bay-based UkuBaylees joined a crowd of 800 fellow ukulele players last week to rehearse for their attempt at the world record tomorrow.

The group formed a giant ukulele shape on the sports field at the Mt Smart Athletics club, raising their instruments in the air as a plane flew over to capture an aerial shot.

Tomorrow the 1300-strong Kiwilele orchestra, from schools around the country will celebrate the BNZ Ukulele Festival by converging again to stake their claim in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest ukulele orchestra.

Although they only started learning the instrument this year, the UkuBaylees already know 25 songs.

"We picked it up really fast," says Jamie Todd-Brown, 11.

"It's mostly basic chords," Jamie says.

The group agreed it was "awesome" to be part of the world record attempt.

Cosmiana Brown says she loves playing the ukulele because it's an "all-rounder".

"New Zealand's pretty lucky to know about ukuleles," she says.

The UkuBaylees have been enjoying their growing popularity since debuting in March this year at the school fundraiser Music on the Field, where they shared the spotlight with Kiwi bands Autozamm, The Checks and Scribe.

After being spotted by a TV producer, they were asked to perform on national television for the Big Night In in June. Since then they have performed at the Marimba Festival, the Kids for Kids Concert, the APPA Music Festival, the Jump Jam competition and their own school production.

For more information on the BNZ Ukulele Festival, visit the website at www.bnz.co.nz/ukefest.