English Barn Dance Bands - for your Event
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About English Barn Dance Bands
The English Barn Dance Band pages list bands that are available in your area. People often get confused by what is different about a Ceilidh dance, Barn dance or Hoedown. Barn Dance or Country Dance is the English terminology for basically the same kind of event, but with some specifically English tunes and dances, though many tunes and dances are claimed by a number of countries. If you are unsure, identify what kind of dance band would be suitable for your wedding day or celebration in your area, click on the link below:
An English Barn Dance Band can be considered a specialist band if they
only play English tunes and call English dances. There are many styles of
English folk music:
Thomas Hardy Period
Jane Austen Period
Pleyford
Then there is the more usual mix of English music of the last 100 years to the
present day, some of which are genuinely ancient, but performed in a more
contemporary mode
etc.
It is important that you listen to the music samples, watch the videos and read
the text for each band. Some bands specialise in a period of English music and
dance, but most play a substantial amount of English mixed with music and dance
of other nationalities. So be sure to think what you are wanting and find a band
that suits you.
The most common style of English Barn Dance uses tunes that are mostly a mixture
of the traditional music that has been handed down and is current today, with a
caller organising the kind of dances that anyone, expert or non expert can do
and enjoy. However, as explained there are specialist bands who play for example
Jane Austen, or Thomas Hardy, or Playford music together with the authentic
dances of the period. If you are looking for a specialist band, please send us
an enquiry letting us know what you are looking for so we can check which
specialist bands cover your area.
Some people are unclear about the difference between a Ceilidh Band and a
Barn Dance Band. The fact is they are fundamentally the same. They both include
a caller who guides the dancers. The music is folk music of various
nationalities.
Ceilidh is the Celtic term, so this includes Scottish Ceilidh Bands and Irish
Ceili Bands. (Notice the alternative spelling. Other versions are Caleigh, Kaley,
kaylee, kayleigh etc. so you can't really get it wrong!) The bands would tend to
play Celtic folk tunes. Many tunes are claimed by the Irish, Scotts, English and
Americans, but the style of playing them would vary.
Barn Dance is usually the English and American name, where English or American
folk tunes would be played. However, many of the dances are the same for both a
Ceilidh dance or a Barn dance.
Many bands play a range of music and do dance that spans that are appropriate.
This is particularly suitable for a wedding ceilidh or birthday barn dance,
where styles need to be catered for. For an evening such as a Irish St Patricks
night, or a Scottish Burns night, then a specialist band would be more
appropriate.
An English Barn Dance Band can provide one of the best evening for Parties, Birthdays, Weddings and other events. It gets people who may never have met before to get to know each other and the volume level is such that people can still talk to each other speaking - (Unlike when there's a DJ in full swing!)
The musicians generally get the dance going by playing some instrumental
music to get people 'in the mood'.
For a Wedding Barn Dance a English Barn Dance Band would generally start with a first
dance that included the Bride, Groom and friends and relatives. The Caller would
invite absolutely everyone onto the floor to join the Bride and Groom. (No one
can not do so, since it would be impolite). The Caller will make the first dance
really easy so that even those people who were nervous of dancing find they can
manage it. This gets the Ceilidh off to a good start. (Some couples prefer to do
a first dance on their own, then ask guests to join them, or alternatively do a
prepared dance to music provided by them on a CD. This also works.)
For a birthday Barn Dance or corporate event, it is very similar. The first
dance is usually simple, so that the Caller can determine whether dancers are
first timers, or experienced, how quick on the uptake they are, and how active
they appear to be. The guests become more sure of themselves, and the caller can
judge the appropriate difficulty of dances that would suit for the rest of the
evening.
Barn Dance Bands always have a Caller who explains the dances, so even people
who have never been to a Barn Dance before can manage the dances. The Caller
asks guests to get into sets, often not being certain what dance to do until
they know how many people have come up. They will explain the dance, running the
dancers through the moves slowly. They may go through some of the dance a second
time, depending on how difficult it is and how much the dancers already know.
Then the band play a brief introduction and the dancers are off. The caller
watches what is happening, perhaps calling directions and sorting out dancers
who have got muddled up or got lost. It can be very exciting and is always good
fun.
Generally there is be a break half way through the Ceilidh for a food, so that
people can have a rest and stump up some more energy for the second half. If
there are some proficient dancers, the Caller {might do a few tougher dances for
them, but all in all they will make sure that everyone is involved and {having a
good time.