Uplifting moment 100 ukulele players join in beautiful rendition of Beatles hit

This video shows the moment more than 100 ukulele players gathered outside John Lewis to raise money for charity on World Ukulele Day. Crowds gathered in the city centre to take part and watch the event, which was part of the “Mega Busk” organised by Wirral-based festival, Summer Strum, in order to raise money for both Summer Strum and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Trust.

The many ukulele players, along with a cajón drummer, a saxophonist and people with kazoos, began their set at 3pm today, Sunday, February 2. Crowds gathered on the steps opposite John Lewis to watch the performance, which contained many familiar favourites on the set list.

Opening with Eight Days a Week by The Beatles, the group also performed another classic hit, Delilah by Tom Jones, along with 500 Miles by The Proclaimers, Angels by Robbie Williams and Valerie by The Zutons. In video captured by the ECHO, you can see the musicians as they perform their opening number, accompanied by people with cash buckets so that passers-by could put any money in to help support Alder Hey.

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It was an uplifting moment when they began to play, and crowd-members joined in for the energetic set. People on the ECHO's live video also heaped praise on the performers, calling it "brilliant". You can watch the moment the one hundred ukulele players started to perform in the video above, or watch the entire performance on the Liverpool ECHO Facebook page.

The performance was just one of a number of events taking part in Liverpool city centre today, as crowds gathered in Chinatown for the Chinese New Year festivities.

Liverpool's Lunar New Year celebrations hit a high note with a vibrant celebration in Chinatown and the surrounding areas. Hundreds of people enjoyed the day's festivities, which included parades, firecracker displays, martial arts demonstrations and live music.

The family-friendly event began at 11am with the popular Dragon and Lion parade. Crowds lined the streets and residents peered from upstairs windows, hoping to catch a view of the dancing symbols of good luck and prosperity for the coming year. Children could be seen on their parents' shoulders as families flocked to the city centre for the cultural celebration.

Ukulele players gathered to raise money for a good cause
Ukulele players gathered to raise money for a good cause -Credit:Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo

Some local businesses dangled bunches of cabbages to grab the mythical creature's attention, as cabbage is often offered to mythical creatures during Chinese New Year celebrations. Cabbage is a symbol of wealth and abundance in Chinese culture. The Mandarin word for cabbage, bai cai, sounds like bai kuai, which means "100 wealth". Further into Chinatown, people gathered in Great George Square on Sunday, January 2, to watch a host of lively performances.

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A number of performances were organised as part of the festivities, including Tai Chi demonstrations, Chinese dance, a Pagoda Arts drumming ensemble, Liverpool Hung Gar Kung Fu Friendship Association, and In Harmony Chamber Stars, who all took centre stage at some point throughout the afternoon.

There were also several workshops that attracted large crowds, including lantern and candle making sessions and dragon shadow puppetry. The day's energetic programme ended with a special finale by performers Bring the Fire.