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.

Other types of music

All Female String QuartetsCovid or Lockdown MusiciansNew Year Party Bands
American Barn Dance BandsFolk Solos And DuosParty Bands
Barn Dance BandsFunction BandsPop Bands
Ceili and Barn DancesHarpsScottish Ceilidh Bands
Ceilidh BandsHire Local Live BandsString Quartets
Ceremony Music For WeddingsIrish Ceilidh BandsWedding Ceremony Songs
Classical DuosJazz BandsWedding Entertainers
Classical GuitaristsJazz DuosWedding Music Bands
Classical Music For WeddingsJazz GuitaristsWedding Songs
Classical PianistsJazz PianistsWedding String Quartets
Classical SingersJazz QuartetsWind Ensembles
Classical Solos Duos And TriosJazz Solos And Duos
Covers BandsJazz Trios

Locations where our musicians play:

English Barn Dance Bands: AldridgeEnglish Barn Dance Bands: HerefordshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Staffordshire
English Barn Dance Bands: BedfordshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: HertfordshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Suffolk
English Barn Dance Bands: BerkshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: HuntingdonshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Surrey
English Barn Dance Bands: BerwickshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: KentEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Sussex
English Barn Dance Bands: BuckinghamshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: LancashireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: the East Midlands
English Barn Dance Bands: CambridgeshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: LeicestershireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: the East of England
English Barn Dance Bands: Central ScotlandEnglish Barn Dance Bands: LincolnshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: the North East
English Barn Dance Bands: Central WalesEnglish Barn Dance Bands: LondonEnglish Barn Dance Bands: the North West
English Barn Dance Bands: CheshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Mid WalesEnglish Barn Dance Bands: the Scottish Borders
English Barn Dance Bands: CornwallEnglish Barn Dance Bands: NorfolkEnglish Barn Dance Bands: the Scottish Highlands
English Barn Dance Bands: County DurhamEnglish Barn Dance Bands: North WalesEnglish Barn Dance Bands: the South East
English Barn Dance Bands: CumbriaEnglish Barn Dance Bands: NorthamptonshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: the South West
English Barn Dance Bands: DerbyshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: NorthumberlandEnglish Barn Dance Bands: the West Midlands
English Barn Dance Bands: DevonEnglish Barn Dance Bands: NottinghamshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Wales
English Barn Dance Bands: DorsetEnglish Barn Dance Bands: OxfordshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Warwickshire
English Barn Dance Bands: EnglandEnglish Barn Dance Bands: ScotlandEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Wiltshire
English Barn Dance Bands: EssexEnglish Barn Dance Bands: ShropshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Worcestershire
English Barn Dance Bands: GloucestershireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: SomersetEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Yorkshire
English Barn Dance Bands: HampshireEnglish Barn Dance Bands: South WalesEnglish Barn Dance Bands: Yorkshire and the Humber