Dedicated to high quality traditional dance music with a party attitude, they place the emphasis on audience enjoyment and participation.
The Ceilidh Allstars specialise in Irish, Scottish and English Ceilidh dances where a ‘caller’ explains simple, group folk dances.
Ceilidhs are an ideal way to break the ice at weddings, conferences or functions where people may be meeting for the first time; no previous experience is necessary and all ages can join in the easy dance steps!
Equally at home in a barn or a ballroom, from a solo Irish fiddle to full Ceilidh or Cajun band, The Ceilidh Allstars will provide punctual, polite and professional musicians to suit all occasions and budgets.
GENERAL INFO:
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| Ceilidh Dancing | Live background music | Singers |
| Pricing | Quotes | Requests |
| Volume | Discos | Background recorded music |
| Lighting | Image | Seeing the band perform |
TECHNICAL DETAILS & REQUIREMENTS
| Stage | Dancefloor | Safety |
| Outdoor events | Refreshments | Timing & setup |
| Performance lengths | Payment | Weddings; 1st dance |
| Last dance | Repertoire of dances | Repertoire of tunes |
LIVE BACKGROUND MUSIC: We are also happy to take bookings to play traditional background music to suit all budgets, from solo fiddler to 4 or 5 piece band. The standard lineup is fiddle, guitar and bodhran, which we believe provides a good variety of textures while remaining very affordable. This lineup can also play acoustically where amplification is not possible, although we find the balance of instruments is usually slightly better with at least some amplification. For a bigger band, we can add accordion or Uilleann pipes.
SINGERS: We do not currently work with any singers.
PRICING: Unfortunately there are too many variables to be able to give prices on this page; distance from Cambridge, length and time of performance, number of musicians, waiting time and equipment requirements all affect the price. However, we believe that our usual 3 piece band can produce as big a sound as many larger professional bands making us comparatively inexpensive - although please do listen to our music and decide for yourself!
QUOTES: Email Hazel with the date, location of the venue, and whether you want a ceilidh, or just background music, and we will email you an all inclusive quote for your event – usually within 24 hours. Our normal quote will be for 3 musicians (plus caller if it’s a ceilidh) for a maximum of 4 hours on site before midnight, however we are flexible and will quote for any requirement, so do get in touch with Hazel to discuss your options if you like!
REQUESTS: We are happy to consider special requests, however we need to receive an MP3 or CD at least 3 weeks in advance of the booking to learn a tune, and must reserve the right not to play requests which we judge will not be successful or up to a professional standard with the band line up and style. Similarly, if you have a favourite dance not listed below, with enough notice we may be able to oblige.
VOLUME: Ceilidhs are normally quieter than discos, though we will be happy to turn our amplifers either up or down, depending on your preference. Noise limiters can be a problem however, as sometimes the combination of music and dancers clapping can operate the power cut off switch at a level where the music cannot be heard at the back of the venue. We will restrict our volume accordingly in venues that still use these devices however, as long as you are aware of the potential drawbacks.
DISCOS: We regularly work with discos, but from experience, events have only been successful where the disco follows the ceilidh band. Alternating the two, or having the disco before the ceilidh has never worked because discos tend to be much louder with a heavier sound. However, a ceilidh followed by a disco can be an excellent finale to your event if you want to have both – it’s a good build up and caters for all tastes.
BACKGROUND RECORDED MUSIC: We play live instrumental tunes in breaks between dances, and we normally play our own CD of quiet traditional music through the PA when the band take a break themselves, but you can provide a CD or iPod if you prefer. Please let us know in advance if you are providing your own player for background music (or to play your favourite track for the first dance - see ‘Dances’ below) so we can be sure to bring the right leads to plug it in. Please note that our PA is not designed for disco music though.
LIGHTING: We now provide coloured stage lighting for the band to add to the atmosphere of your event. We also recommend that you give some thought to the lighting of the venue – it is surprisingly hard to create a good atmosphere with just strip lighting!
IMAGE: The band wear standard smart/casual black clothing as featured in the home page photo; the caller sometimes wears brighter clothes.
SEEING THE BAND PERFORM: Most of the bookings we have are private parties and weddings where we are unfortunately not normally at liberty to invite our own guests, however the demo tracks on the website are recorded live, and the quotes page has some clients’ feedback on our performances.
DANCEFLOOR: Must be reasonably level and free of trip hazards, eg edges of rugs etc. Allow about 1 square metre per person dancing.
SAFETY: All our electrical equipment is PAT tested annually and we have ‘on site’ Public Liability Insurance. Venues that require copies can download them from our agents page; www.acallstars.com/agents.
OUTDOOR EVENTS: Please ensure that the band & equipment are completely under cover, (regardless of weather forecast!) and that there is a safe electricity supply. The electrical equipment is not safe or insured for use otherwise.
REFRESHMENTS: We request food and soft drinks for 4 people including 2 vegetarians. Please advise if this will not be possible.
TIMING & SETUP: We use a small PA system which is normally essential to amplify the band. This takes about 25 minutes to set up and 5 minutes to ‘sound check’ the instruments before we start, then about 30 minutes to pack up and leave when we have finished.
PERFORMANCE LENGTHS: Standard sets are 2 * 60-90 minutes with one 20-30 minute break in between. If the booking is shorter than 2 hours, we can do one long set. Although we are very happy to play for longer, we often find that 2-21/2 hours (including breaks from dancing filled with background music) is ideal for many guests at weddings or social functions, particularly after food and drink.
PAYMENT: We normally require a 10% deposit, with the remainder paid on the night. Cash on the night is preferred. For BACS payment transfers, please contact Hazel for our bank details. If being paid by cheque, please make out to Maha Music Services.
The First Dance:
o A traditional waltz played by the band and led by the bride and groom – eg ‘my love is like a red red rose’, which can be heard on the website.
o A ceilidh dance where the bride and groom lead the first set.
o A tune provided by the client on ipod or cd, which we can play through our PA before the ceilidh starts if you like. If providing your own music player, please let us know in advance so we can bring the right leads to plug it into our P.A. system.
o See ‘general info’ above for special requests played for you by the band.
The Last Dance:
o Most ceilidhs traditionally finish with the 'Circassian Circle'; a very simple dance that we encourage everyone to join in with.
o Finally, there are a number of very simple traditional arch and circle activities where the bride and groom can ‘say farewell’ to each of the guests, with accompanying background music. This might be appropriate if the bride and groom are leaving directly after the ceilidh. Just let the caller know on the night if you want to do one of these, or get in touch if you want to know more.
Scottish
o Gay Gordons
o Strip the Willow
o Canadian Barn Dance
o Eightsome Reel
o Dashing White Sergeant
o The Military Twostep
o The St Bernard's Waltz
o The Swedish Masquerade
o The Foula Reel
o Orcadian Strip the Willow
Irish
o The Pride of Erin Waltz
o The Siege of Ennis
o Waves of Tory
o Walls of Limerick
o Pride of Dingle
o Bridge of Athlone
English
o Dorset Ring Dance
o Goathland Square
o Galopede
o Cumberland Square 8
o Clopton Bridge
o Quorndon Hill
o Circassian Circle
o Boston Tea Party
o 12 Meet
o Morpeth Rant
o Stoke Golding Country Dance
Irish
o Boys of Malin
o Sí Beag, Sí Mór
o Maid at the Spinning Wheel
o The Handsome Young Maids
o The Smiling Bride
o Mist Covered Mountain
o Loch Erin’s Shore
o Connaughtman’s Rambles
o The Irish Washerwoman
o The Silver Spear
o The Mason’s Apron
o The Earl’s Chair
Scottish
o Atholl Highlanders
o Dark Island
o My Love is like a Red Red Rose
o Scotland The Brave
o 100 pipers
o Cock of the North
o Flowers of Edinburgh
o The Fairy Dance
o Marie’s Wedding
o St Anne’s Reel
o The New Rigged Ship
o Ship in Full Sail