Private occasions
Weddings.
Four or five dances, played properly,
within an evening where they belong.
The tradition at a wedding.
In families where the country dance tradition runs deep, dancing is a natural part of a wedding evening. It is not entertainment imported for the occasion. It is something the guests already do, and the wedding is one of the occasions on which they do it together.
The dancing typically takes its place after dinner, when the tables have been cleared and the room opens. The Band plays four or five dances. The guests know the forms. The evening moves through the programme and the dancing becomes one of the things people remember about the night.
The Band is not the entertainment of the evening.
The wedding is the occasion. The Band serves it.
The programme.
The dance programme is agreed in advance between the couple, or their representatives, and the Band. The dances are selected to suit the guests, the space, and the shape of the evening. Hamilton House, The Duke of Perth, The Foursome Reel, The Eightsome Reel, and others from the canon are available.
The dances have fixed lengths determined by the form itself. The Band does not adjust the programme on the night; the evening is planned to a shape and the shape holds.
For couples wishing to open the dancing, a waltz or a suitable country dance can be arranged. This is discussed at the time of booking.
There is no caller. Guests are expected to know the dances. If your wedding guests include people who do not know the country dance tradition, the common enquiries page has more on what that means in practice.
A private occasion.
The Band does not photograph your guests. Nothing from the wedding appears on the internet: no images, no names, no location. What takes place at the wedding remains entirely your own.
There is no social media presence. No photograph of your occasion will be used for promotional purposes. The Band has no Instagram. The evening exists only in the memory of those present.
This is simply how the Band operates. It has always operated this way.
Enquiries for wedding engagements are welcomed. The Band books well in advance for summer and autumn dates.