After months of planning by Rye Ukulele Orchestra (RUO – the core group within the well-known Rye Ukulele Experiment), Pam Stroud and Justine Benbar, the main organisers of the festival, with their continued hard work of daily emailing, completing a successful funding application to the Rye Town Council and organising the visiting groups, 15 of them from all over England, brought to Rye a fabulous fun day of music on Sunday July 3. Our wish for sunshine was also granted.
The day started with us, RUO and friends, cleaning up the yard at the back of Cinque Ports pub, washing down the chairs, setting up the tombola and reception place, in general making the space a functioning but family friendly environment. Two professionals arrived to set up the PA system, followed at 11am by the first arrivals beginning to drift in and very soon most of the bands, too, were present. By lunchtime there must have been more than 400 people.
We had a tight schedule for the bands to go on so that everyone who had registered had their chance to play. However, because it needed time to re-arrange microphones depending on how many on the stage, the day was longer than anticipated. But no matter, there was a wonderful atmosphere and at the Big Busk we had about 20 musicians on stage and about 30 people playing the ukulele, including kazoos and singing amongst the crowd. Lots of children had joined their parents, from a 10 week old baby to teenagers. It was awesome!
Unfortunately we were let down by people who were to provide food but there was ice cream and a pizza stand with a proper oven which was able to bake two at a time, brilliant because there was no other food after the Cinque Ports pub ran out. The pizza providers worked their socks off, so thank you to them for stepping into the breach. Also many thanks to the Mayor, Jonathan Breeds, for providing the venue and whiling away the time with us.
It was a most successful day even if I say so myself, being part of RUO. Feedback was very positive and many when leaving said:” We had a wonderful day, see you next year.”
If you want to find further information, go the Rye Ukulele Experiment website.
Photos courtesy of the audience