“Never Mind The Reindeer”. 

The long awaited, often requested, reissue of the 1996 favourite classic Christmas album of seasonal music from The Ukulele Orchestra is now available. A bumper stocking-filler.

These are the definitive old carols, in instrumental form, orchestrated for ukuleles, with no singing. 

Some well known, some well loved and even some hackneyed carols, redeemed by the infectious musicality, good humour and joy of “the ukes”. 

Regarding the title of this album: Was “Nevermind” the name of one of Santa’s reindeer, or the title of an album by the Sex Pistols, or Nirvana?

Christmas can be seen as a celebration involving recognition of the birth of a world religion, while also containing the history of pagan rituals, and involving the struggle between the conflicting philosophies of giving and selling. Is there conflict between the mutuality of present sharing and the capitalist expressions of mammon? 

Let us aim to see, beyond the trappings, and costumes, what is there in the traditions, which shows us the truth.

Can the humble instruments on this recording, with their vernacular twanging and scratching, yet transport us to the realms of glory? Yes, we say! 

Merry Christmas one and all. Buy copies of this CD for all your family and friends. 

They, like many who heard it in the last century, when these recordings originally appeared, will treasure this recording as a timeless artefact, a relic of the old and good, and a talisman of jollity, happiness and tradition in a tumultuous world.