Sterling MA – From My Window

Several months ago, I joined a ukulele group. We strum together each week, sharing songs from long ago right up to the present day. We also perform at local nursing homes, senior centers and town events. Our performances last summer included a Christmas in July celebration, a luau and a local town fair. It’s fun to see the smiles that ukulele music brings to the faces of our audiences. We also enjoy being part of the global resurgence of the ukulele’s popularity in the 21st century.

This affordable and portable instrument is capable of a wide range of styles and uses. Here, the ukulelist Cynthia Lin leads a simple Hawaiian rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow while hundreds play along. Here, virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro demonstrates the full capabilities of the ukulele with his rendition of of Bohemian Rhapsody.

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“Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow,
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rules,
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school.”
-John Roulstone

This beloved children’s rhyme is actually a true story, which had its origin in the little town of Sterling, Massachusetts. You can read a fascinating history of the rhyme here.

Mary Sawyer, born in 1806, did have a lamb she loved. And the lamb did indeed “follow her to school one day” (with a bit of help from Mary and her brother).