The Sum of the Parts (music)

Jack n Jel n Mac n Wal House Concert, with Cathy Crowley
2024-05-19 17:00 - 19:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | Wallum Art Space, 6/9 George Rd, Salamander Bay, NSW, 2317, Australia
An intimate house concert up at Port Stephens with Jack n Jel n Mac n Wal: Newcastle’s most famous ukulele export.

Mark Jackson and Jane Jelbart are back with Ruth McCrae and John Wallace with the irrepressibly funny and gorgeously voiced support act of Cathy Crowley.
Guarantees of fine harmonies, diverse instrumentation, snide humour, sometimes odd, sometimes touching lyrics. A wee bit of food provided by our gracious host Susie H-T.
BYO wine or other selected beverage and containers for said beverage.
5 fabulous musicians in amongst fabulous artwork (bring $ to buy!) for a rare and sublime occasion. Uke, voice, guitar, voice, banjo, voice, trumpet, voice, bass voice, and a bit of cajon. And comedy. Yes. Some comedy. 40 tickets only.

Sunday 19 May 2024 5pm – 7:30/8pm

Held at Wollum Art Space in Salamander Bay NSW 2317 (address supplied on ticket purchase)

Go here to buy tickets and find more details.

June Newsletter out now
2024-06-11 - 2024-06-17
Here be the link for our latest Newsletter/Mailchimp.

Jack n Jel n Mac n Wal House Concert, with Cathy Crowley
2024-06-15 17:00 - 19:30
An intimate house concert in Belmont North with Jack n Jel n Mac n Wal: Newcastle’s most famous ukulele export.

Mark Jackson and Jane Jelbart are back with Ruth McCrae and John Wallace with the irrepressibly funny and gorgeously voiced support act of Cathy Crowley.
Guarantees of fine harmonies, diverse instrumentation, snide humour, sometimes odd, sometimes touching lyrics.
5 fabulous musicians in a beautiful home on acreage in Belmont North (who knew?!). These are (usually) sublime occasions featuring uke, voice, guitar, voice, banjola, banjo, voice, trumpet, voice, bass voice, and a bit of cajon. And comedy. Yes. Some comedy. 35 tickets only.
BYO beverage, nibbles, suitable cups/plates, a small portable camping chair (not your big ones – please!), and a little mat (or towel) for your chair (to protect the floor).

Saturday 15 June 2024 5pm – 7/7:30pm

Held at a beautiful house in Belmont North(address supplied on ticket purchase)

Go here to buy tickets and find more details.

One Song Sing for LMCC The Dobell Festival
2024-06-16 15:00 - 16:30
Come sing Pompeii by Bastille
Pearson St Mall, Charlestown
Tickets are here

Beginners Ukulele Workshop
2024-07-07 12:30 - 14:30 | Carrington Bowling Club, 1c Cowper St N, Carrington, NSW, 2294, Australia
If you can’t do a Tuesday evening, try this Sunday one! Register here or more info.

Central Coast Ukulele Festival - Ukastle Ukestra performance
2024-09-20 - 2024-09-22 | Diggers @ The Entrance, 315 The Entrance Road, The Entrance, NSW, 2261, Australia
Witness our finest in all their glory! Join us for the performance!
Click here

Newkulele Festival 2024
2024-10-18 18:00 - 2024-10-20 17:00
Friday 18th to Sunday 2oth October. At the Newcastle Conservatorium (Saturday) and the Carrington Bowling Club (Sunday).
More information is here.

Christmas and New Year Break
2024-12-15 08:00 - 2025-01-03 17:00
Our last ukestra for 2024 is on Saturday 14 December. Apart from the One Song Sing (19th Dec) we will take a break over the Christmas period until classes resume Saturday 4th January 2025. Have a marvellous time over the New Year and see you in 2025.

One Song SIng for Christmas
2024-12-19 18:00 - 19:00 | Wheeler Place, Wheeler Place, Newcastle, NSW, 2300, Australia
Tim Minchin’s “White Wine in the Sun”.
Come to the Wheeler Place for another iconic Australian Christmas sing along.

Blue Mountains Ukulele Festival
2025-02-08 16:30 | Carrington Hotel, 15-47 Katoomba St, Katoomba, NSW, 2780, Australia
Ukastle Ukestra performs at Blue Mountains Ukulele Festival – wanna join us?

Four choirs at Hamilton Hive
2025-04-06 13:00 - 16:00 | Hamilton Hive Beaumont st
Come along to watch Ukestral Voices be part of a four choir lineup at the Hamilton Hive (Beaumont st) on Sunday 6th April. This is fund raiser for offshore refugees. Donations on the door and light refreshments available too. There will be a chance to sing along at the end.

Ukestra/Choir National Folk Festival Celebration at Home
2025-05-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Carrington Bowling Club, 1c Cowper St N, Carrington, NSW, 2294, Australia
Our Choir AND Ukestra recently performed at the National Folk Festival in Canberra. 50 of us had the *best* time, and oh, we won the Infinite Song Competition. We wanna share more of that winners feeling with you. One set from the choir, one set from the ukestra, Love, Ace, Deuce!!!
No tickets, although a donation at the door would be appreciated.
Register your best intentions to go at our Facebook Event

One Song Sing: Halo by Beyonce
2025-06-29 15:30 - 16:30 | Charlestown Square, 30 Pearson st, Charlestown, NSW, Australia
Come sing Beyonce’s song Halo with all your friends at the Charlestown Square Centre Court, Level One, outside Myer. The event starts at 3.30pm. Buy your $10 (&bf) tickets here.
This event is part of the Dobell Festival sponsored by the Lake Macquarie City Council.

Ukestral Voices free concert on the steps of the City Hall
2025-07-18 13:30 - 14:00 | Newcastle City Hall, 290 King St, Newcastle, NSW, 2300, Australia
Come enjoy the atmosphere of singing to the Newcastle University Graduates on the steps of the City Hall (opposite Civic Park) Friday afternoon 18 July from 1.30 to 1.50pm.

Freo Workshop - My Girl – the door to Improvisation on the Ukulele
2025-08-06 19:00 - 21:15 | Fremantle Park Club, 36 Ellen St, Fremantle, Western Australia, 6160, Australia
Mark and Jane (from Newcastle, NSW) are bringing their special formula to Fremantle, with a workshop that builds uke-players improvisation skills using the iconic My Girl and a suite of songs that are fun, maybe familiar, and awfully good at hooking you into understanding how and what to improvise, and when.
The workshop will be followed by a brief performance from Jack n Jel (their alter egos) to show you little instruments can bear more fruit than hum and strummed nostalgia.
Book Now!
For 16 years, Mark and Jane have taught 1000s of uke-curious people to become musicians and lead them into the mysteries, beauty and joy of community through musicianship.
Their ukestras (5 every week!) have enthralled ukulele festivals around the country and even in Hawai’i! Their Improvisation and Ukestration workshops are renowned at those same places as well as in Canada and the US.

Ukestral Voices choir term
2025-08-13 18:30 - 2025-09-10 20:00 | Adamstown Uniting Church, 228 Brunker Rd, Adamstown, NSW, 2289, Australia
Starts Wednesday 13 August and Friday 15 August. A five week term.

Wednesday night (6.30-8pm) dates are 13, 20, 27th August and 3rd and 10th September
Friday afternoon (4-5.30pm) dates are 15, 22, 29th August and 5th and 12th September

Cost is $100 for 5 weeks, $90 for 4 weeks (taken over the five weeks)
Please enrol here or contact us for more info.

Jack n Jel in concert with friends
2025-09-06 18:30 - 21:30 | The Savoy Theatre, 18 Alma Road, New Lambton, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
The Hunter Valley and Newcastle Folk Club is hosting a gig featuring us! Yes! your very own teachers are also musicians!
Mark Jackson (Jack), and Jane Jelbart (Jel) are joined by some friends , so come and see our music that we enjoy making in our ‘spare time’. Original songs, reimagined covers and (of course) witty banter, wielded on ukulele, banjo, trumpet, guitar, bass, percussion and three part harmony singing.
We are also asking two friends to join us, namely Jo Maunsell and someone who wishes never to be named. The show also features another Newcastle musical couple; The Doctor’s Wife.

Tickets are here – Please come along to enjoy/appreciate our musicianship outside of a ukestra!

Central Coast Ukulele Festival 2025
2025-09-13 - 2025-09-14 | Diggers @ The Entrance, 315 The Entrance Road, The Entrance, NSW, 2261, Australia
This 3 day festival is held at The Diggers Club at The Entrance.
The Ukastle Ukestra is scheduled for 12:30pm on Sunday 14 September.
Our rehearsals are as follows

Tuesday 12 August – Cricketers Arms Hotel – 6:30pm
Sunday 24 August – Carro Bowlo – 10am – 12midday
Sunday 7 September – Carro Bowlo – 10am – 12midday

To Register and get more rehearsal details go here.
And there is also a One Song Sing programmed at 3pm on Sunday 14 September.
Festival costs $15 for 2 day pass. (still $15 for 1)
The tickets can be purchased at Try Booking for CCUF 2025
https://www.trybooking.com/CZORH

Choir term 4 weeks
2025-09-24 08:00 - 2025-09-26 17:00 | Adamstown Uniting Church, 228 Brunker Rd, Adamstown, NSW, 2289, Australia
Term September to October 2025
This term will be 4 weeks starting Wed 24th Sept and Friday 26th Sept. It will run for 4 consecutive weeks for Wednesday nights but there will be a one week gap for Friday choir people as we have a festival to attend (10th Oct). The term for Wed and Friday will end on Oct 15th and 24th respectively.
This short will cost $80 for all 4 weeks, or $70 for 3 weeks.

The Maes Singing Workshop
2025-10-28 18:15 - 20:00 | Adamstown Uniting Church, 228 Brunker Rd, Adamstown, NSW, 2289, Australia
Legends of the Australian folk and singing scene – Maggie and Elsie Rigby are coming to Newcastle for a performance and workshop.
Book here!

One Song Sing
2025-11-02 15:00 - 16:30 | The Savoy Theatre, 18 Alma Road, New Lambton, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
I Want To Dance With Somebody
3pm-ish start. There will be a bar and hot food available.
Get your 80s disco and hair on with Whitney
venue: The Savoy, 18 Alma Road New Lambton
Get your tickets at Trybooking ($20)
(On the door on the day $25).

One Song Sing for Christmas
2025-12-22 17:30 - 19:00 | Wheeler Place, Wheeler Place, Newcastle, NSW, 2300, Australia
It’s the Monday before Christmas……
Come sing at Wheeler Place (outside the Civic Theatre) with hundreds and hundreds of other people. The Christmas song “Last Christmas” (Wham) will be mashed up with “Birds of a Feather” (Billie Eilish). Tickets are free, courtesy of the Civic Theatre, but if you book you can get the music sent to you. Go to this website.

One Song Sing
2026-01-31 15:00 - 16:00 | Adamstown Uniting Church, 228 Brunker Rd, Adamstown, NSW, 2289, Australia
Sing to Chappell Roan’s The Subway with your friends. All shower singers are welcome to sing this 2025 pop hit! Have a listen to the song (youtube link below).
Getcha tickets here!

Blue Mountains Ukulele Festival 2026
2026-02-13 08:00 - 2026-02-15 17:00 | Carrington Hotel, 15-47 Katoomba St, Katoomba, NSW, 2780, Australia
We expect the program to be released soon. Join us for the performances by the Ukastle Ukestra and Ukestral Voices! Register here!

Newcastle Fringe Festival 2026
2026-03-15 15:00 - 16:00 | The Exchange Hotel, 125 Denison Street, Hamilton, NSW, 2303, Australia
The Ukastle Ukestra and Ukestral Voices are putting on a show at the Newcastle Fringe Festival.
Put this date in your diary. More details to follow!

Beginners Ukulele Workshop
2026-05-24 10:00 - 12:00 | Carrington Bowling Club, 1c Cowper St N, Carrington, NSW, 2294, Australia
Please register here.

Newkulele Community Music Festival
2026-08-21 17:30 - 2026-08-23 20:00 | Carrington Bowling Club, 1c Cowper St N, Carrington, NSW, 2294, Australia
Our biennual festival is happening this year, full of ukuleles, choirs and other instruments. We are opening up our program to involve any community music endeavours, such as African drumming, or community choirs or local orchestras.
It will be based in Carrington, Newcastle around the Carrington Bowling Club, but not restricted to this venue. Numerous cafes and venues will open their doors to community music -The Pavilion, Moa’s, Earps Distillery, The Hemporium and the Young st Hotel to name a few.
So keep this weekend free!!!

Beginners Ukulele Workshop
2026-08-31 17:30 - 19:30 | Carrington Bowling Club, 1c Cowper St N, Carrington, NSW, 2294, Australia
Beginners workshop – Register here.
