What instruments are played in a Barn Dance or Ceilidh Band and do Ceilidh Bands sing any songs as well as playing music for the dancing?

My own band JIGABIT has a varied instrumental line-up including piano accordion, fiddle, bass guitar, banjo, mandolin, rhythm guitar, drums / percussion and multi-vocals for songs.
Other instruments played by bands include melodeon, concertina, button accordion, keyboard, flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, recorder, trumpet, tuba and other brass, bagpipes and other pipes, hurdy gurdy, cello, viola, ocarina, hammer dulcimer, Appalachian dulcimer . . . . . the list is endless.

If you want a Band which does songs as well as playing music for ceilidh dancing, do please make it clear on your initial enquiry, and check that a band sings – not all do! This will clearly determine which band will be most suitable for your function. Some bands play and sing some traditional Irish and Scottish songs, and a few of the more professional Ceilidh bands do excellent covers of 50s, 60s and 70s country and rock ‘n’ roll numbers, but many Ceilidh and Barn Dance bands just play music for the ceilidh dances. None of the bands I know do any very modern music as frankly, it would sound quite bizarre played on traditional acoustic instruments!

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