Uke-Alypts win big at New England Uke Muster

Local music group the Uke-Alypts recently attended the New England Uke Muster where they walked away with a range of prizes.

The annual New England Uke Muster was held in Tenterfield, a three-day event jam packed with ukulele groups from various regions attending.

Eight members of the Uke-Alypts went along to the muster where they joined fellow ukulele groups in the park on the Friday evening to play sea shanties to locals before officially registering on the Saturday.

More than 200 people attended the muster, with eight groups performing.

However, the biggest highlight from the trip was the unprecedented luck the group experienced.

“Everybody that registered went into a raffle draw, but then there were other prizes that you could put your $5 in or whatever,” Elaine Atkin, Uke-Alypts member, said.

“One prize was for a ukulele and there were a couple prizes in the craft category which John [Atkin] won a second place for which was a beautiful painting, and then I won a beautiful, handcrafted tenor ukulele.

“Then John won the registration prize as well, which was another handcrafted ukulele from Baron Ukulele from North Queensland worth $2300, and John gave that to Di [Hyatt]” Mrs Atkin said.

The Uke-Alypts formed between 2013 and 2014, with members from the original group still active members of the group and now have 15 members in the group.

They practice at the showgrounds twice a week on Monday and Friday.

Every month, they visit Alkira Aged Care in Gunnedah, Boggabri Nursing Home and Quirindi Nursing Home playing songs for the residents there.

“Even in the nursing homes, people that you think are maybe asleep or that they’re not really with it, you’ll see their feet going, their hands tapping. And you think, oh, that’s such a joy,” Mrs Atkin said.

“And if we make a mistake, they don’t care.”

That is not all though, as they regularly attend community events, recently playing at the mayor’s International Women’s Day event and playing at the Meals on Wheels Australia Day luncheon earlier in the year.

The love of music and connectivity is what keeps the passion alive for the Uke-Alypts.

“Music is something that brings everybody together,” Sandy Price, Uke-Alypts member and percussionist, said.

“It’s the joy that we give to others, that’s the greatest thing.”

Lori Baldock, Helayne Horder, Di Hyatt, Elaine Atkin, Robert Wells, Barry Baldock, Sandy Price, Fay Byrne and John Atkin. Absent from photo: Phil Gueritz and Jan Sumner.