Lunar tunes: a celestial performance by u3a Ukulele Group

Ro, a member of the Isle of Man u3a and leader of its Ukulele Group, recounts the group's recent performance as part of an interstellar art installation in Peel Cathedral. 

Isle of Man u3a Ukulele Group perform beneath the moon

Recently the Isle of Man was privileged to host Luke Jerram's wonderful 'Museum of the Moon' artwork. Measuring seven metres in diameter, the moon features detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally lit sculpture represents 5km of the moon's surface.

The moon was suspended from a ceiling in Peel Cathedral and the Island's u3a Ukulele Group was asked to play a moon themed concert in the Cathedral whilst the moon was on display. It's a spectacular venue under normal conditions but, with the moon suspended above us as we played, it became truly magical.

Our Ukulele Group

In 2016 I had just started to learn to play the ukulele after the unexpected death of my son. It was a way to try and cope with the bereavement, to give me something to focus on. I was looking for some fellow strummers to play with and help me learn. There was nothing already on the Island so I went to a u3a open day where they suggested I start one! We now have over 35 members and have had to move to much larger premises. The group is amazingly friendly and welcoming, and new members are made to feel at home regardless of ability.

With over 300 songs in our repertoire, we play at all sorts of events around the Island and we're always in demand to play at retirement and nursing homes. Our membership is so large that most venues can't accommodate us all so we have to have a rota!

We have played on the stage at Port Erin Beach, at the newly renovated Queen's Pier in Ramsey and many more. This summer we've been asked to run some 'Ukelele Discovery' workshops at the Manx Museum's exhibition marking the 90th anniversary of the film 'No Limit' in which we'll help introduce children to playing the ukulele. 

Performing under the moon

As we're fairly well known in the community, the organisers of the 'Museum of the Moon' installation emailed us to ask if we'd like to perform one afternoon. There were several other events taking place 'under the moon' such as pilates sessions, teddy bear picnics, poetry recitals and choral evensong, in total attracting about a fifth of the Island's 80,000 population.

What a special moment it was for us. One of the songs we played was 'That's Amore', but we rewrote the lyrics:

Oh the moon's come to Peel, what a thrill and delight. Simply stunning.
Suspended above in the cathedral's nave, mesmerizing.
What a privilege to see and experience Luke's lunar creation.
23 feet of ethereal beauty and luminescent brilliance.

When you walk in the door and take in the view you'll be spellbound.
So, stay for a while take the weight off your feet and unwind.
We are here with our ukes to play a few tunes while you ponder
So why not join us and sing some songs whilst you look up in wonder.