 If you are looking for a general ceilidh band or English barn dance band, not specifically Scottish, then please see our other line-up at www.secondfront.co.uk. If you want an authentic Scottish ceilidh, please read on. Innistor covers all of Surrey and well into neighbouring counties (but not Central London) - see Area of South East England we cover Lively,
authentic Scottish dance
music for Scottish ceilidh dancing Available
for weddings,
parties, anniversaries, birthdays, Burns
suppers, Experienced
caller to explain the
dances
and ensure enjoyment
What people have said about us - Testimonials Enquiring Further (+ guidance on fee) Links - to English barn dance band, Scottish piper, ... First, please be aware of Dates
for which we not available
Information that would help us confirm availability and provide a (provisional) fee:
The figures provided below are for guidance only, and could be modified by dates, timings, distances, etc. We would be happy to discuss your particular requirements before finalising the fee. For a relaxed, informal party for
around 50-100 people, typically between 8:00-11:00/11:30pm, and where
the ceilidh is the main focus of the event, then our fee would start
from around £480 (including travel if within 45 minutes of Guildford).
For more formal events such as weddings, black tie events, formal Burns Suppers, etc, and/or for a larger number of people, our fee would typically start from around £550 (including travel if within 45 minutes of Guildford). New
Year's Eve - by negotiation.
You may well find local barn dance bands willing to take on a Scottish ceilidh and charging a lower fee, but bands such as Innistor, offering the authentic Scottish sound, tunes and dances, are scarcer in the South East and hence cost that bit more. A deposit of around £60-£80 (part of the quoted fee) is required to confirm the booking. Agreement Form Details of bookings get captured in our Agreement Form (see Agreement Form Template), signed copies of which we exchange when everyone is finally happy. Attached to the form are some guidelines on dance area, band area, and other venue aspects which you may find useful in your planning. Second Front - sister band for English ceilidh / barn dance  Scottish bagpiper - we can recommend our friend Rob  Area of South East England we cover Our main
working area
covers all of Surrey, and well into Hampshire, Sussex, Middlesex,
Berkshire,
west Kent and south Buckinghamshire. We are also happy to work in the
adjacent
south and west districts of London, but choose not to work
in
Central London because of the travel time and problems with traffic and
parking.
Typical dances at a Scottish ceilidh are the Gay Gordons,
Dashing
White Sergeant, Strip The Willow, Scottish Welcome, Canadian Barn
Dance, Military Two
Step,
Virginia Reel, Cumberland Reel, St Bernard's Waltz, and many more. They
are all fairly
straightforward
and good fun to do. Each dance is explained at the outset by our
caller,
who will judge the mix of skills on the night, and tailor the initial
instructions,
and guidance once started, to suit - so no previous experience
necessary. We occasionally get
asked
at ceilidhs for more complicated Scottish
Reels. If
especially requested, we are happy to call and play for the Eightsome
Reel. However, for other Reels - Reel of the 51st
Division, Hamilton House, Duke of Perth or Mairi's Wedding - we are happy to
provide the music and, if needed, a walk-through as a refresher for
those who have danced them before, but would not undertake to teach
them from scratch. Experienced caller to explain
the
dances and ensure enjoyment Innistor's
regular callers are Bridget and Lynn (left and right in the
band photograph at top).
Both are
experienced folk dancers themselves, but well used to matching
instructions to general
capability. Above all, their aim, and the band's, is to ensure that the
ceilidh
is an enjoyable event. Samples
Of Calling provides extracts of Lynn and Bridget calling (the
Gay Gordons and Canadian Barn Dance, respectively).
Bridget and Lynn often choose to share an evening's calling (you only pay for one caller of course). This has the benefit that, where needed, while one is explaining a dance from the stage, the other can help any uncertain groups on the floor, or help demonstrate particular figures. Growing
up in Orkney, band leader Sandy Flett had plenty of exposure to
Scottish dance music.
Innistor's
authentic Scottish sound is based on his characteristic accordion lead
and
piano/bass accompaniment (live via midi from the left hand
buttons). Fiddle is most
regularly provided by Ken, and guitar accompaniment by Dave. Following are two sound samples of the
band and an "action" photo:
  Testimonials A few examples
of the testimonials we have received:
(Wedding) "Thank you not only for the music and calling but the whole service you have provided from the start. More than happy to provide a reference for you anytime"........Brian, Egham. (Charity fund raising ceilidh) "You were absolutely brilliant - thank you. We had a wonderful evening, raised a lot of money, had great fun and are keen to do it again with you. Many thanks to you all".......Amanda, Haslemere. (Burns Supper) "Innistor have now played for us three times in the last couple of years and we look forward to having them back again in the future"......Jim, RAF Officers Mess. (For a wedding) "When we called in to see your band performing last Saturday we immediately liked the Scottish sound of the music and how your callers interacted with the crowd, and would like to finally confirm booking you for our wedding".........Alan and Alison, Berkshire. (50th birthday party) "Great music. We really enjoyed you. Please do use me as a referee. We will book you again".... Christine, Wimbledon. |
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