browser icon
You are using an insecure version of your web browser. Please update your browser!
Using an outdated browser makes your computer unsafe. For a safer, faster, more enjoyable user experience, please update your browser today or try a newer browser.

Event Reviews

December 17, 2023 – Hurray! After a long pandemic we’re back. Our concert at the B’nai Brith House in Côte Saint-Luc  this afternoon was greatly enjoyed by both the residents and the performers alike. After a few introductory remarks,  the group played “You Are My Sunshine”. The audience was encouraged  to sing along and they sure did. Eliezer then played Laura Nyro’s “Sweet Blindness”.  Lorraine who arranged the concert, played “Sinnerman”. Great job Sunshine! Many songs were played during the duration of the concert and the  performers were all in good form. Some of the performances however, were outstanding. Ira gave an amazing and highly entertaining rendition of “The Rebbe Elimelech”. Eliezer had the audience trying to sing, “Gilly, Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By the Sea”. (Try getting your tongue around that one). The afternoon was filled with comedy, audience participation and pathos. Seasonal songs and songs reflecting difficult times were also played. Noriko however, stole the show. She provided everyone with shakers for her performance of “The Locomotion”. Click here to see a brief clip of one of her songs. She got audience members dancing. The concert consisted of solo performances, group ensembles and amusing and informative repartee. Much fun was had by all and we look forward to having many more live performances. Won’t you join us?

 

July 1, 2019 – This afternoon the After Dinner Ukulele Society Concert Ensemble, (ACE) performed a Canada Day concert for the city of Côte Saint-Luc. All of our songs were related to this great country of ours. The weather was sunny and very hot. Eliezer had reminded all of us to bring our water bottles. The group arrived at 3:00 to tune and to setup. The sound technicians spent too much time setting up and the job they did was exquisitely unremarkable. The beautiful and talented Noriko then warmed up the audience. We began our concert at 4:00 P.M. and it lasted for about an hour – an hour too long if you ask me. After welcoming everyone to the Canada Day celebrations, the group played ”Something To Sing About”. Each member of the group sang a solo verse of the song. Noriko’s harmonies with Freda were simply shocking. They were not well balanced. This was partially due to the incompetence of the so-called “Sound Technicians”. The screeching was followed by “Farewell To Nova Scotia”. Claudio then performed “Canadian Errant” en Français no less. His performance was the highlight of the show – that is until his voice cracked. The key was out of his range. The group then sang “This Land Is Your Land”. Lorraine did a fantastic job of pretending to strum her ukulele. Eliezer was the next to solo with his rendition of “Canadian Sunset”. He did a great job. May God forgive me for lying. “The Log Driver’s Waltz” was next on the programme. The less said about that the better. Eliezer then presented Gordon Lightfoot’s “Canadian Railroad Trillogy”. His performance was well received even though the wind blew his music away. The crowd greatly appreciated the intermission while the performers scrambled to retrieve his music. The group then played “O Canada” our national anthem. The audience reaction to this was a resounding “meh”. As an encore, young Rachel brought the house down with an original song. She has a great voice. The song was wonderful but it went on so long that I thought I’d die. During the “concert”, some of the audience members sang along with us. Thank goodness the battery in my hearing aid had conked-out.  Of course I’m only joking. Our concert was actually a great success. Both the audience and the performers had a super time. The technicians and the performers did a wonderful job. The After Dinner Ukulele Society would like to offer a huge thank you to Laura for her organizational expertise and to the City of Côte Saint-Luc for their generous support. I would also like to thank the citizens of Côte Saint-Luc for putting up with. – Just kidding.

 

June 13, 2018 –  This afternoon, some of the members of the newly formed After Dinner Ukulele Society’s Concert Ensemble, (ACE) performed for patients at Montreal’s Richardson Hospital. The concert was well received by both patients and hospital staff.  Freda, Len and I the three performers, easily established a rapport with the audience. Our light-hearted repartee was highly entertaining and much appreciated. Audience members sang along with us for many of the numbers.  I was amazed at how many of our songs the audience knew. The concert lasted for about two hours and several spectators expressed an interest in learning to play the ukulele at our club. Many group songs and solos were played. The following solos were especially appreciated: “If I Loved You” played by the beautiful Freda,  “Home From the Forrest” played by the talented and athletic Len, and “The Way We Were” performed by yours truly, the extremely handsome Eliezer. ADUS members may apply to become a part of this exceptional group of performers.

 

May 27, 2018 – We performed at the Catherine Booth Hospital today. Each of our two concerts were held on different floors. Our performers Freda, Ines, Claudio, Dave, Len and Eliezer were well received by both the patients and the hospital staff. Dave did a great job as our MC. He even provided posters for the event and remembered to thank the City of Côte Saint-Luc for all their support. Claudio spoke about his banjolele and then played a Johnny Cash number accompanied by Eliezer on the Ubass. Freda’s performance of “I Am What I Am” was simply wonderful. There were many group songs and solos played during the afternoon but Claudio and Ines stole the show with their rendition of a Spanish song entitled “El Muerto Vivo” One of the patients wrote us the following note: “It’s funny how we sometimes wish the hours away and yet pray that a certain moment could last forever like the group of people who played their music for us at the Catherine Booth Hospital today. Thank you After Dinner Ukulele Society.”

 

August 16, 2017 – Eliezer and I visited a gentleman at the Richardson Rehabilitation Hospital in Montreal. The gentleman has recently suffered a major stroke. We asked the man if he wanted us to sing for him but he didn’t want to listen to any music, so I thought that we probably shouldn’t play for him. Eliezer however, said that we should, and while we performed, I was amazed to see that the man was attempting to sing along with us. He seemed to become somewhat less agitated. As we were preparing to leave, he communicated that he wished us to continue playing. Hospital staff members took a bit of time to listen to us play and to our beautiful harmonies. The gentleman’s wife requested several songs as well. Hence a situation, which began in a negative way, turned into something extremely positive. After all, being able to make a difference is what counts in life. – Freda

 

August 6, 2017 – Our 2nd annual picnic in the park turned out to be a very special event. The weather was beautiful; the music was great and the camaraderie made everyone there really happy. Cotton candy and snow cones were provided free of charge for everyone in the park. Performers and park staff were additionally treated to cold ice tea, lemonade, cokes and bottled  water, compliments of the After Dinner Ukulele Society. The event was held at Rembrandt Park in Côte Saint-Luc. We ate our lunches at the picnic tables next to the toddler’s splash pad at about 12:30 P.M. and then we performed. People visiting the park sang along and some of them even danced. Freda played several songs for the young children there and encouraged them to sing. We played many songs both as solos and as a group. Plugging our ukuleles into an amplifier and singing into a microphone is always great fun. Many people in the park expressed an interest in learning to play the ukulele. We hope to see them at the meetings. A special thank you to the City of Côte Saint-Luc and the staff at the park for all their help and encouragement. Stay tuned for future events.

 

May 25, 2017  – The Mariposa located at 5434 Cote St-Luc Road in Montréal, was the place to be last night. This small café has a really nice ambiance and the talent of the open mike performers was nothing short of amazing. Musical arrangements were tastefully done. I especially enjoyed the incredible jazz numbers. Several of our members came with friends and spouses just to observe and to be part of the audience. Freda was the first to perform. She sang Mancini’s “Moon River” and was accompanied by Eliezer, on the tenor ukulele. The audience really enjoyed Freda’s stylish rendition of the song. Mariposa technicians efficiently set up the microphones and amplifiers for each performance. The four time-slots used by ADUS members were distributed between guitar, voice, harmonica, and violin performances. The audience sang along with us during “Jamaica Farewell” our group song. Later on in the evening, Eliezer played and sang. “I’ve Got a Crush On You” and “Seduced”. His repartee was great and was well received. Claudio played Johnny Cash’s “Don’t Take Your Guns To Town” on his banjolele. He looked great in his ADUS ukulele hat. He then borrowed a guitar and played and sang an Argentinian tango in honour of the birthday of that country. It came as no surprise that Claudio is a great performer. The Mariposa doesn’t have a cover charge, per se, but they do require a $7 minimum food purchase. Great food, great ambiance,  and a wonderfully entertaining and enjoyable evening. What could be better?

 

December 25, 2016  – The Hawaiian themed children’s Chanukah party at the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue, was a successful event due in part to the presence of the After Dinner Ukulele Society. The event was well attended by children, their parents, and friends. Each person entering the hall received an Hawaiian lei, Hawaiian pizza (pineapples on top) and as much Hawaiian punch as they could drink. There were lots of other foods too such as fruit, and of course,  sufganiyot. Sufganiyot are round jelly doughnuts eaten in Israel and around the world on the Jewish festival of Chanukah. The doughnuts are deep-fried, filled with jelly or custard, and then topped with powdered sugar. Yummy! There were many stations where people participated in various arts and craft activities. The After Dinner Ukulele Society provided some of the background music. After this, the concert began. Schachar Orenstein the Synagogue’s Rabbi, sang the appropriate  blessings as he lit the Chanukah menorah. This was followed by several children singing two traditional Chanukah songs. Freda played the Lava Song on her soprano ukulele. Everyone loves her voice. We played many Chanukah songs during the course of the evening but our rendition of Peter Yarrow’s “Light One Candle” was especially well received. Peter, Paul & Mary would have been proud. Rabbi Orenstein played his guitar and sang along with us during this and other songs. He is quite an artist in his own right and is learning to play the ukulele, at least when his daughter allows him to use her uke. The evening was successful and everyone had a really great time.

 

September February 5, 2016 – Our first annual “Picnic in the Park” was a great success! The picnic was called for noon but several of our eager members arrived about an hour earlier. The event was held at Rembrandt Park in Côte Saint-Luc. The park itself is beautiful and is suitable for people of all ages. Watching people interacting with their children and grandchildren left me with a warm feeling of nostalgia. This park is a place where memories are made. We set up by the picnic tables next to the toddler’s splash pad and began playing after feasting on our picnic lunches. Kosher cotton candy and snow cones were provided at no charge to everyone in the park compliments of the After Dinner Ukulele Society. Even Ryan of the CSL Parks and Recreation Department, was seen waiting in line for some cotton candy. The songs we played were varied and plentiful. Helen and Issie knew and sang many of the songs found in our songbook. They will be joining our club the near future. Both had never played the uke before. Brenda, who also joined us for the first time today, played and sang beautifully. Everyone enjoyed plugging their ukuleles into our amplifier and singing solos using our microphone. Guy’s wife helped Guy and Claudio sing a song about chasing a mosquito away from a burrito in three languages no less. My wife who professes to dislike the ukulele, was spotted on a park bench clapping her hands, smiling and singing away a short distance from the performers. The weather was beautiful and everyone in the park had a wonderful time. 

 

February 20, 2016 – The annual Gravy On The Side variety show was simply put, an amazing and fun filled evening. This was the “Leave your Hearts at the Door, After Valentine’s Aftermath Edition”. There was singing, comedy, musical stylings, magic, ventriloquism and of course, ukulele. The show was held on a Saturday evening at the Greenspon Auditorium in the Côte Saint-Luc City Hall. There was an admission fee of five dollars for non-performers. We arrived at the theater at about 7:15 PM for sound checks etc. The show was really fun to do and we enjoyed watching all the other acts from within the audience and from backstage. For the group songs “I’m a Believer” and “Blue Moon”, Claudio used his banjolele . We sounded great and the audience sang along with us. After the first song, I told Loraine that I couldn’t hear her singing. She replied that she was. The audience found this to be quite funny. Claudio played and sang “El Muerto Vivo” as a solo. He was a bit nervous because they forgot to plug his ukulele into the amplifier. No problem though. The stage microphones and the intimacy of the hall allowed him to be heard quite well. He did a wonderful job and he looked really great in his hat. I played “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” and dedicated the song to my wife who was in Boston at the time. This ballad allowed me to express how I missed her and set a somewhat nostalgic and romantic mood. It was well received. The audience enjoyed the fun we were having too. I also performed some magic in both the first and second part of the show. There was a lot of audience participation as well. If you were not there, then you missed something really special. Oh well, there’s always next year.

 

February 8, 2016 – Forward House is a non-profit organization designed to help special needs adults attain an autonomous lifestyle and relative independence within the community. Our concert there was for residents only. Performers arrived at 5:30 PM in order to get to know the audience and to set up. The benefit concert was informal in nature and was held in the home’s parlour. Audience members were between the ages of 21 and 70. The concert was really fun and was thoroughly enjoyed by both clients and staff alike. Several songs were requested and we were happy to add them to our set list and to have our audience sing along with us. We did experience a problem however. Local parking was for permit holders only and we had to walk about two blocks in the freezing cold while carrying our equipment. The concert was really good though, and we did enjoy performing.

 

July 20, 2015 – Our Concert at the Farmer’s Market in Côte Saint-Luc on Sunday the 12th was a great success. There was plenty of positive feedback from the people visiting the market. It was almost to hot to play though and I would have liked to gone swimming in the beautiful out-door pool at the CSL Aquatic Centre. (Check out the “Feedback” page under the Members heading above.) Speaking about the Aquatic Centre, we are changing our location and will be moving there for our next meeting. The facility is wonderful and we wish to express our gratitude to the city for their generosity and support. Check out the “Next Meeting” page for the address. This concert was great fun. 

 

December 13, 2014 – Our concert at the Cote Saint-Luc city hall was a great success largely due to Maureen. This fabulous lady had the entire audience singing along with her, during her performance of “Bye, Bye Love”. She has an amazing personality and a great stage presence. – Not bad for someone who’s 80 years old! People of all ages congratulated us and asked for our card. My rendition of “Chanukah in Santa Monica” was also enjoyed by the crowd and in addition to the singers, dancers and musicians, Wally and I performed some ventriloquism. A great time was had by all. The After Dinner Ukulele Society wishes all our friends and supporters a very happy and healthy holiday season. See you next year!