Licence To Ceilidh is rapidly becoming the most sought-after ceilidh function band in the south east of England. Re-defining the dowdy image of social dance, the charismatic Licence To Ceilidh is in constant demand from well known beautiful wedding venues to private members' clubs in London.
Licence To Ceilidh is the perfect compliment to any stylish, modern wedding, and with traditional twist, it guarantees to be a fantastic evening for all to remember. It is also the ideal evening's entertainment to round off your corporate event, team-building day or office party. The band travels all over the country playing at events and giving public performances at venues such as The South Bank Centre, Cecil Sharp House, Battersea Arts Centre and at prestigious classical festivals.
Licence To Ceilidh now perform at around 135 weddings and private functions a year, and their callers specialize in ceilidhs for people who have had little or no previous experience of social dance. For wedding engagements they specifically choose dances that are easy to learn, that don't take ages to teach and are a lot of fun! Licence To Ceilidh can offer you a choice of first dance if you would like one, from an easy Gay Gordons to a waltz or tune of your choosing.
The band normally play for 3 hours including a break in the middle (usually for food). During the break they always play CDs/ipod (yours or ours) through the PA system so that there is no break in atmosphere.
Music
The music is arranged into 'sets' of three, four or more tunes. Some of these tunes are as old as the hills, others are our own compositions. The line up of fiddle, flute, guitar, mandolin, drums, bagpipes, bodhran and double bass in various combinations gives the music an infectious appeal that will get you dancing in no time! If you have ever listened to a traditional session in a pub, you will have heard how one tune will lead naturally to another. The tempo and feel of these tunes are ideal for dancing, and have been used in ceilidhs for centuries.
Dancing
From the word go, to take part in a ceilidh with Licence To Ceilidh is easy and a lot of fun. Their range of dances is very diverse, with influences from all over the UK, Ireland and North America.
The caller usually starts with the Gay Gordons or another simple dance like the Circassian Circle, and makes sure as many guests who are capable of standing get involved. After this initial icebreaker, it's often difficult to get even the most reluctant punters to sit down again!
Other dances include the famous Strip the Willow, a raucous affair with lines of people stretching all the way down the room, the Virginia Reel for 4-5 couples in a set, the Pat-A-Cake-Polka for those who like to slap the thighs of other guests as well as their own, the OXO Reel, the Cumberland Square Eight, Flying Scotsman, Canadian Barndance and many more. A favourite with the gentlemen is the Dashing White Sergeant, in which a guy can dance with two ladies at once. If you have a dance that you are particularly fond of, you can always request it in advance.
Band Options
The band always functions as a five piece, the usual line up being; Double Bass, Guitar, Violin/Caller, Flute and drums, although for an extra fee they can augment the band with more fiddles, Keyboard and Pipes. They are happy to mix the evening between background music to dine to, and music to dance to and can provide a Jazz pianist, classical Harpist or acoustic guitarist to enhance your meal.
As highly trained classical musicians, they also provide the Bespoke Classical Package; an exciting evening's ceilidh dancing, guaranteed to be the focal point of any function, combined with the sophistication and elegance of a classical string quartet for an afternoon reception. They are also able to provide pipers, jazz pianists, harpists, classical guitarists, traditional dancers, and even an entire orchestra if you so wish. There is now an option to provide an excellent disco after your ceilidh, saving you a significant amount of money compared with booking a separate DJ.
Licence To Ceilidh wear smart black suits. As they are one of the only professional ceilidh bands in the south east, all members having trained at the London music colleges, they have invested heavily in equipment and can offer several different sized, high quality PA systems, depending on your venue and an array of different lighting to add atmosphere, however big or small.
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Hottest Day MP3 (888k Stereo at 96kbps) Philippe's Reels MP3 (2.8MB Stereo at 96kbps) Paddy Whack MP3 (1.7MB Stereo at 96kbps)Back to index | Contact Fantasia Music