The Cornish Ceilidh Band

We draw largely from the social dance traditions of Scotland, Ireland and our native Cornwall but we also include dances from the Isle of Man, Wales and Brittany as well as wider Europe and America.

View our list of the UK's best ceilidh bands ➡️

Two of our most popular dances are the Newlyn Reel and the Cornish Serpent dance.These were the dances used for the Village dances in the BBC's Poldark series.

We play a variety of instruments but find that the guitar, tenor banjo, sax and flute give us the bass rhythm, middle range and melody lead that drives the music for Ceilidhs/Barn Dances.

To give people a chance to catch their breaths we normally mix in a few instrumental sets amongst the dances. To maintain the atmosphere when the band has a break part way through the evening we play recorded music over the PA system.

Alison is an experienced caller who will tailor the dance programme to suit the audience whether that be accomplished dancers or the absolute beginners.

We use a radio microphone with a head set so that Alison can join the dancers on the floor and help people through the dances without the formality of instructions from the stage.

We are a family outfit and have been doing this kind of thing for several generations. Merv’s great granny played for Troyls – Barn Dances, in the fish cellars at Newquay in the 1880s!

Cas and Jojo work as a duo and have performed at Glastonbury and Cambridge festivals as well their home circuit of Celtic festivals.

Organising a Barn Dance

• What sort of dances will suit your audience and will you encourage people on to the floor if this is a new experience for them?
• Think about the finish time – an evening of barn dancing is quite energetic! Are there things you would like to plan in such as a cutting a birthday cake, the first dance for newly married couple, a raffle, the arrival of pasties.
• We normally find that two spots of an hour each with a half an hour break in the middle works well.
• Book a venue with a suitable floor for dancing and sufficient room for the dancers.
• Set aside enough space for the band if there is no stage in the room – ensure there is a convenient power point.
• If it is in a marquee make sure that the dance floor and electric supply are safe.
• Will you have a bar or invite people to bring their own refreshments? Remember to tell the band if it is bring your own refreshments!