Every first and third Wednesday of the month, Wesley’s Plaza Hall resonates with laughter and chords. The Ukulele group’s journey began in 2014, woven with strings, chords and unwavering faith.
Founded by the passionate Mr Francis Ngui, the Ukulele group is called “Le L’Uke”. The name is derived from the Gospel of Luke, signifying that they are a Christian group, with the three-letter ‘Uke’ after the apostrophe as the abbreviated version of “Ukulele”. For the uninitiated, the original Hawaiian pronunciation is “oo-koo-leh-leh”. Le L’Uke is under the Wesley Glowing Years Ministry (GYM).
Sharing the Gospel through Serenading Souls
Le L’Uke’s mission is to share the gospel message through serenading souls. The group weaves threads of love, forgiveness, joy, and salvation through hymns and contemporary songs. The ukulele becomes a vessel that resonates with music and exercises and challenges the mind.
Many seniors in the group find solace in the ukulele’s embrace. Strumming on the ukulele helps to fight dementia as members learn chord patterns, lyrics and rhythms. All these helps to evoke and train the memory.
Playing the ukulele challenges the brain to remember the chord patterns, song lyrics, music rhythms and different strumming styles. These require the timely coordination of both hands, as well as the foot for tapping to the rhythm. Besides the usual strumming of chords, members also learn to finger-pluck the tablature music notes for playing solo chord melodies and classical music. These two techniques require precise plucking of the correct notes. They also bring out the versatility and rich sounds of the instrument.
Of Songbook of Faith and Culinary Notes
The repertoire of this group spans languages and hearts. The group plays English hymns that echo through centuries and familiar Chinese and Malay tunes. Beyond their physical meetings, the group members also rehearse independently through their private Facebook page, Raykulele. Members strum and sing along with the videos, song sheets in hand. All the jamming sessions are captured so that they can be shared for members to practise at home.
During physical meetings, at half-time, they feast as the chefs in the group bring culinary delights such as mee siam, curry chicken, laksa and chicken pie, to nourish everyone through their “fei-loh-ship” (an affectionate term to mean fellowship through food).
With a ukulele, you can travel! The dedicated Wesley ukulele group travels across Singapore, weaving hope through music. From the lively GYM Happy Hour to the comforting halls of St Luke’s Hospital and Eldercare, from St John’s Home to the Singapore Cancer Centre, their melodies touch hearts. The group believes that every note carries a message of joy and resilience — a message that transcends walls and resonates with all who listen.
Hear from the Le L’Uke group members!
Chua Teck Hock:
I do not have any music background and I wondered if I would ever pick up a musical instrument until I joined Le L’Uke a decade ago. I am quite good at it now and I consider this as a gift from God to allow me to praise and worship Him and to bring joy to others who are less fortunate. It’s also an opportune platform for Le L’Uke to share God’s Word and glory through our musical outreach endeavours.
Allan Lim Han Yong:
I joined Le L’Uke since its inception as I wanted to learn to play the ukulele and to serve God through the Music Ministry. Raymond has been a devoted and diligent trainer and leader in upgrading the skills of Le L’Uke in the Happy Hour worship programme as well as in outreach events. Raymond has inspired many Le L’Uke folks to embark on a musical journey by sharing his knowledge and experience. Above all, his earnest passion has etched a deep impression on the Le L’Uke team.
Agnes Khoo Poh Choo:
Le L’Uke gives me the opportunity to serve and glorify God through music and songs. Through Le L’Uke, I can be an active participant at GYM Happy Hour and other outreach events. The regular jamming sessions enable me to further my ukulele playing skills.
William Choo:
In the recent past, including last year, we had a jukebox booth at the Wesley Food Fair. Our visitors chose a song, and we played it for them while they enjoyed their food. It is our way of contributing to a church-wide event to raise funds for the needy.
Join our group today!
Compassion knows no bounds. If your heart yearns to strum a melody to reach out, entertain, or enjoy as a hobby, come join us. Let’s strum faith, one chord at a time, to bring God’s blessings to others through ukelele. Please contact Raymond Ang at 9827 3128 for more information.
Photos courtesy of Wesley Glowing Years Ministry (GYM)
Read also: Hearts United in Our Glowing Years
