The original band that made up the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain started out as “friends of friends” playing in pubs in 1985. The orchestra has continued to play ever since and usually perform 120 shows a year.

Only four members of the original band still play in the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. The ukulele band chooses their members in “an organic process” rather than hosting an audition.

“In a way it’s been like a self-selection process. Some others didn’t fancy sticking around, and others did,” said George Hinchliffe, one of the founders and a director of the orchestra.

Covering songs from various genres, the group plays songs that they enjoy as well as culturally popular songs. 

“Usually we try to stay very faithful to the tapes and the melody and the harmonies,” Hinchliffe said. 

The orchestra, comprised of only ukuleles, plays in different keys rather than playing on only one type of ukulele. The sopranino, soprano, concert, tenor, baritone and bass ukuleles, allow the band to cover and play their songs completely.

Hinchliffe said they included “ukulele orchestra” in their band name ironically in the beginning, but now the term is used more frequently.

“We think that the term ‘ukulele orchestra’ is something that first came with us. At the time, when we started, it didn’t seem important,” Hinchliffe said. “But over the years nobody has said to us ‘Hey there’s this group called the ukulele orchestra before you.’ … As far as we can make out, nobody has used those two words together in that way and now a lot of people use them.”

The orchestra plans to keep touring and playing their ukuleles together as long as they can.

“We like music and entertainment first and the ukulele third,” Hinchliffe said.

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain plays at Stephens Auditorium Sunday at 7:30 p.m.