The cheery sounds of ukulele strings filled Freshies last Saturday with the second free concert in the Jingle Jam series.
The Fernie Children’s Ukulele Orchestra strummed to various Christmas carols for the packed café.
As part of the free mini-concert Jingle Jam Series, each week a different local musician makes an appearance at a Fernie venue to spread Christmas cheer and music to patrons.
Jingle Jam organizer Anie Hepher said that it gives local musicians the opportunity to perform and shine light on their talent.
“It was this idea of getting more free, local music out into the community,” explained Hepher. “There’s plenty of local musicians who don’t get play time opportunity and also a lot of people like to hear Christmas music.”
The “Cukes” (child ukulele players), as Hepher likes to call them, is composed of a handful of eight-year-olds who take ukulele lessons from Hepher between September and December.
She also runs an adult version of the group with jam sessions happening biweekly.
“The whole point is not as much technical prowess or musical theory, it’s more just about singing and playing music together in a group and listening to each other,” said Hepher.
Although the mini concert was free to attend, Hepher had set up an empty ukulele case for donations to be made in order to raise money for Fernie local four-year-old Lily Earl who suffers from leukemia.
The eager listeners who crowded into Freshies also treated the Cukes to coupons for hot chocolate.