Midsummer Music
Irish Folk Bands in The UK :- About the music
Have a great evening with one of our The UK Irish Folk Bands
Select The UK Irish Folk Bands using the drop down box
Below is a random selection of our irish folk bands. You can find all the irish folk bands in The UK by select your county from the drop down box.
 | What kind of situations and venues can they play in?We hold dances in anything from small village halls, and hotels, to large stately homes, ball rooms and marquees - even outdoors sometimes. All you need is a flat area for the dancers, normally surrounded by tables and chairs for them to collapse on between dances, and you are ready to go.
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What is a Barn Dance Band?
A Barn Dance Band plays folk music for group dancing - Ceilidh / Barn Dance / Traditional Folk Dances {really all the same thing}, under the guidance of a Caller, who guides the dancers through the dances.
A Barn Dance Band can comprise anything from 2 players up to the old fashioned bands of 15 or more. The modern Barn Dance Band typically comprises 4 or 5 musicians and a caller, to guide the dancers. There have always been small music groups for small occasions, but prior to modern amplification, bands for large dances tended to be small orchestras, just to get sufficient sound level. Economics, and a dearth of really good musicians, has shrunk these small orchestras to the amplified smaller group that we know today.
What is the difference between a Ceilidh & a Barn Dance?
There is really little difference beyond the origin of the word. The word 'ceilidh' is gaelic for 'come-ye-all'. The term Barn Dance [obvious derivation], is more the English and American description of the same thing.
We can have many sub divisions of this, Irish or Scottish Ceilidh, English or American Barn Dance. The difference would be the origins of the music that would be played, and some of the dances. There is certainly folk music and dance that can clearly be d
The common thing theme throughout all Ceilidh / Barn Dances, is that they are both events at which 'live', mostly traditional type, music is provided by musicians, with brief, but very simple instruction given just before and during the actual dance by th
What is it like to have a barn dance band playing for you
Great fun!