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Function & Wedding Bands

Norman MacKay's Ceilidh Experience

As well as the standard trio we also offer a variety of line ups and instruments, including guitar, piano, twin fiddles or second accordion in trio, 4 piece or duo lineups all available with disco combination.

Norman Mackay: (Accordion)

 

The Versions

Originally from Nairn in the Highlands of Scotland, Norman has been playing button accordion since early childhood. Shortly after moving to Edinburgh in 2002 he turned fully professional. Norman was the all Scotland button accordion champion 2004.

His compositions have received air play on both local and national radio stations and are becoming increasingly popular in folk music circles with musicians such as Sandy Brechin, Kevin McLeod, Mike and Ali Vass, Busk Till Dawn and German band Dan due to record some of the tunes on their forthcoming albums. He is also working on his own album which is planned for release early 2006.

He was recently approached by Friday Harbour radio in Argentina and asked to present a Scottish folk music special, The fifty minute show came live from Edinburgh fringe festival and featured some of Scotland's top musicians and bands. The show proved to be so popular that it was recently re-aired.

Carrie Thomas: (Fiddle/Caller)
Carrie's first introduction to the folk music scene was through the youth gaitherin out of which she formed the ceilidh band 'Cuchulain's Raven' which became notorious in Edinburgh for its unpronounceable name and half hour long strip the willow sets!

She originally trained in classical music before taking up folk and receiving tuition from some of Scotland's finest fiddlers including Alasdair Fraser and Gavin Marwick. She also performs with 'Busk Till Dawn' as part of a duo with well known harpist and singer Rosie Morton.

Billy Oke: (Drums)
When Billy joined the band his rock/funk drum grooves brought the sound right into the 21st century and his obligatory drum solo spot has become a legendary part of the bands performance.

Billy was a pupil at Broughton High music school Edinburgh where he studied both percussion and bass guitar. He is also in much demand as a bass guitarist and plays with several groups including The Sensational Jimi Shandrix Experience and funk/jazz band TEWOR (The Enchanting Wizards of Rhythm).

One of the highlights of Billy's musical career to date was being asked to perform at the opening of the Scottish parliament where he played percussion in a piece called Mackay's memoirs which was composed by Martyn Bennett


Listen to Norman MacKay's Ceilidh Experience - Ceilidh Track - Legend Set
 

Conglass

Conglass are a modern Aberdeenshire based ceilidh band that has been playing together since 2002. The twin fiddle and flute melody section rides on a rhythm of guitar and bass that is solid enough to drive the keenest dancers. Our caller is skilled enough to teach the most complete novices.

  Conglass

Whether you're an experienced dancer or a newcomer to the ceilidh, Conglass can provide you with an enjoyable evening of brisk dancing and, when you tire, the band can entertain with a mixture of moving Scottish airs and exciting new music in a traditional idiom.

Ceilidh dances are ideal for parties, functions and weddings because they can be gamely performed by young and old, by skilled dancers and by people with two left feet, and because as the teams of dancers move through the routines, they mix and strangers become friends. We call and play for all the well-known dances:

  • The Gay Gordons
  • Dashing White Sergeant
  • Strip the Willow
  • Britannia Two-Step
  • Boston Two-Step
  • Circassian Circle
  • St Bernard's Waltz
  • Eightsome Reel
We can also call and play less well-known but no less enjoyable dances such as the Waves of Torry, the Foula Reel, Nottingham Swing, and the Tifty Hornpipe Listen to Conglass:
Britannia Two-Step [Ben Gullion; Sgian Dubh]
(2.30Mb)
Waltz [Si Beag Si Mhor] (4.31Mb)
Circassian Circle [Circassian Circle; Ballydesmond; Frosty Morning; Sweeney’s Polka] (5.09Mb)
Dashing White Sergeant [Dashing White Sergeant; June Apples; Round the Rockers; Clog de Pariseau; The Breakdown; Dashing White Sergeant] (4.42Mb)
Foula Reel [Da Full Rigged Ship; The Blackbird; Trip to Brittany (Michael McGoldrick)] (5.24Mb)
Virginia Reel [La Bastringue; Maple Sugar; Good Night and Joy; Scotland; Nova Scotia] (2.88Mb)
 

For further details and availability of function and weddings bands, please contact Elite by e-mail or call us on 01224 636363



1A Thistle Place, Aberdeen, Scotland AB10 1UZ
Telephone: 01224 636363   Fax: 01224 652980  e-mail: info@elitepromotions.net

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