Did You Know? - The ukulele (/ju?k??le?li?/, ew-k?-LAY-lee, from Hawaiian: ?ukulele [??uku?l?l?], OO-KOO-le-le; British English: ukelele) sometimes abbreviated to uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments; it generally employs four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings.

The ukulele originated in the 19th century as a Hawaiian interpretation of the machete, a small guitar-like instrument related to the cavaquinho, timple, braguinha and the raj?o, taken to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants, many from the Macaronesian Islands. It gained great popularity elsewhere in the United States during the early 20th century, and from there spread internationally.

The tone and volume of the instrument varies with size and construction. Ukuleles commonly come in four sizes: soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone.

The ukulele is commonly associated with music from Hawaii where the name roughly translates as "jumping flea," perhaps because of the movement of the player's fingers. Legend attributes it to the nickname of the Englishman Edward William Purvis, one of King Kala?kaua's officers, because of his small size, fidgety manner, and playing expertise. According to Queen Lili?uokalani, the last Hawaiian monarch, the name means "the gift that came here," from the Hawaiian words uku (gift or reward) and lele (to come).

Did You Know? - The orchestra has had varying line-ups over the past two decades, but since 2005 has performed as an octet, with seven ukulele players and one bassist. The members wear traditional orchestra dress for performances, with the men in black tie and the women in smart evening wear.