Quotes "You've got to smile at that kind of music, haven't you?" Verity Sharp, BBC Radio 3 "The party was a hit from start to finish. The organisation was impeccable and the calling professional and concise. To have such young and incredibly talented, thoroughly glossy musicians hosting the evening was a real treat! A party run by such a group couldn't fail to be a roaring good evening!" Jeremy Heal, Tax Lawyer Partner Howes Percival and Chairman Eastern Opera "Phenomenal New 'Trad' Band... Licence to Ceilidh features five absolutely phenomenal musicians, all classically trained, but totally dedicated to Irish traditional music. Recently featured on BBC Radio 3, they blasted the airwaves with their fast and furious driving rhythms and invigorating foot stomping tunes. A great night of musical entertainment is guaranteed!" Hammersmith Irish Centre "We were fortunate enough to have Licence to Ceilidh playing at our wedding. I found the whole evening fantastic and danced all night. The guests clearly had an amazing time too and still speak about the ceilidh two months after the event. The advantage of having a ceilidh is that everyone is able to join in the dancing; my grandmother was on the dance floor as often as my friends. Some of the teenagers were quite sceptical as they had never been to a ceilidh before, but they also had a great time and seemed surprised at how enjoyable the dances were. Licence to Ceilidh are all excellent musicians and Alexis is a clear, professional caller. I would not hesitate in recommending them." Kate Butler "Having Licence to Ceilidh at our wedding was a wonderful experience. Right from the outset the calm, unfussy way in which the band rigged and set up made us confident we were working with professionals. Their relaxed manner and experience in judging when was the right time to start the dances was invaluable - guests don't like to be rushed! In the meantime I was amazed and delighted to see the band allowing the children to touch and try the instruments - we had a veritable education workshop going! It's not often you see that kind of genuine, enthusiastic rapport, but all the performers were absolute stars with the young 'uns. The instructions and calling were top rate - not patronising, not too fast, not too complex but not too easy. There was a real sense of satisfaction (with the exception perhaps of the drunk old ladies who had fallen flat on their arses) at the end of each dance. The music was energetic yet refined, and there were plenty of recognisable tunes 'dropped in' to the catches and reels to entertain the more classically oriented. All in all everyone had a great evening. Thank you Licence to Ceilidh for an unforgettable experience!" Alex Osiatynski "I am writing to thank you for Licence to Ceilidh's wonderful performance in this year's Windsor Festival. I was such a pity that I was unable to hear you all perform but I have heard wonderful reports of the concert from my colleagues and we have had much positive feedback. Please pass on my thanks to the other members of the group." Fiona Murphy, Events Director, Windsor Festival "Exhilarating. This band of talented and energetic young musicians drove visitors at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show to exhaustion. They had toddlers and grandparents cavorting about with a delightful mix of music and expertly called dances. It was impossible to remain seated. Handsome and humorous, they are the best generation gap busters in the country." Stephen Bennett, Shows Director, Royal Horticultural Society "It seemed a natural choice to have a ceilidh for our wedding, as all the best wedding receptions we have been to involve much swirling around the dance floor to the sound of fiddles and flutes. We were keen to find a band who were modern and who could be adaptable to our 'crowd', as although a number of guests were Scottish, we didn't think we could necessarily rely on everyone knowing the dances. We booked Licence to Ceilidh directly after hearing them play at the foyer of the Royal Festival Hall. Their music was fantastic and when some members of the audience spontaneously got to their feet to dance we were convinced. The band played an enormous part in making our wedding the truly memorable day it was. Thanks to such patient and clear calling the dance floor remained full throughout the evening. In fact, it was so full for the first round of the Gay Gordons that nobody noticed when the bride and groom were forced to abandon the floor and retreat to the bar! Strip the Willow was repeated a couple of times due to popular demand, and although on our video it was hard to tell who exactly was spinning around at 100 mph, it was clear that everybody was grinning a lot! It was also a lovely surprise to have Auld Lang Syne played at the end of the evening, when everyone joined in and then encouraged us to take the floor, causing a few sentimental souls to shed a tear or two. "We would certainly highly recommend Licence to Ceilidh. In fact, we're trying to think how we can justify hiring them for another event as we had such fun. Definitely the best ceilidh band we've danced with so far." Joanna and Gordon Hutchinson "This is an excellent band of dedicated young musicians. They have great energy and commitment to their music. They provide great atmosphere, direction and music for dancing, or just listening." Julia Price Back to details