Langley Ukulele Ensemble

 

 

In July, 2003 John Berger, entertainment critic for the Honolulu Advertiser declared, "Langley, British Columbia is the nexus of ukulele outside of Hawaii." His comment was made after seeing the Langley Ukulele Ensemble at home on stage with the Islands' greatest ukulele legends.

 

The Langley Ukulele Ensemble has been in existence for nearly 30 years under the direction of Peter Luongo. During this time the group has developed a reputation at home and abroad for excellence in musical performance. Ensemble members range in age from 13 to 20 years, and are students attending elementary, middle, secondary, or post secondary institutions.

 

Performing as many as 80 concerts per year, they have traveled through out Canada and the U.S., as well as to Japan during the summer of 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a great video done by Shaw Cable on the Ensemble:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are proud that Peter Luongo, his son Paul (a rising ukulele star), and various other ensemble members play Mya-Moe instruments. We are also pleased to be affiliated with the ensemble. We have included them in the Gorge Ukulele Festival, and in addition to having our instruments played by members of the ensemble, we also supply all the members of the LUE with D6 string sets. We would be remiss in not pointing out that Peter and Paul and other ensemble members are longstanding players of G-String ukuleles, and continue to actively play those instruments as well. We are in fine company!

 

The members of the LUE, as with many Canadian students, tune their ukuleles to D6 (a-d-f#-b), which is one full step above the more widely used C6 (g-c-e-a) tuning. While C6 strings can be tuned up a full step, this puts 26% more tension on the instrument. This increased tension has several bad side affects including, shorter sustain, lower volume, and shorter string life.

 

We designed custom string sets, available in Fluorocarbon, Clear Nylon, and Nylgut, specifically intended for D6 tuning. Our D6 strings operate at approximately the same tension as C6 strings, thus providing a better voice and longer string life.

 

 

 

Each year, the director of the LUE chooses one student to receive a custom Mya-Moe Ukulele. The receipient is chosen for their performance in 3 areas:

1. Leadership - the student actively participates in the teaching of other students

2. Musicial Ability & Potential - the student displays talent & skill in playing the ukulele & shows continuous improvement

3. Dedication & Teamwork - the student is dedicated to the activities of the LUE & is committed to ongoing participation

 

 

 

The first recipient of the Annual Mya-Moe Director's Award was Bianca Czihaly. We had the pleasure of delivering her Mya-Moe Custom Koa Tenor in July, just before the LUE embarked upon their annual trip to Hawai'i. Congratulations, Bianca!

 

The second recipient is Liz Zielke! She'll be receiving her custom ukulele in December.