Year-three pupils from Whytemead First School learned a piece of music composed especially for them as part of the festival and their performance received rapturous applause. They were taught to play by Andrew Walker and spent many weeks practising in the run-up to the event. On the first day of the three-day festival, children aged seven and eight performed 60 Ukeleles for 60 Children in collaboration with songwriter Sean O’Hagan at the St Paul’s Centre. Incredibly, only two had any prior experience of playing the instrument.
The festival continued with players from all over the world performing at St Paul’s and the Assembly Hall. Daniela said at the time: “Wukulele was a great success, really well attended by performers and audiences alike. It was fantastic to see the whole town buzzing, with people stopping to play the ukulele on the seafront and others asking how to play the instrument and getting involved.”