The Sweets of May Barn Dance and Ceilidh Band

Irish Ceilidh Band and American Hoedown

The Sweets of May Ceilidh Band provide music for your whole event – as well as great dance sets, aimed at everyone from complete beginners to old hands, they take great pleasure in making sure there’s always something wonderful to listen to, from uplifting welcome music as guests arrive, relaxing interval music or something to send your guests away happy. The main performance is, of course, the dancing – they focus on one thing: everyone has a great time.

The Sweets of May Ceilidh Band perform tunes and dances from all over the British Isles, USA, France, Quebec, Sweden and beyond – they can also tailor the evening to suit your event – be that for example, Burns Night supper, Irish Céilí or American Hoedown or a total mix.

So, if you want a Jane Austen style welcome set, a couple of hours of full-on Irish céilí dancing, and a romantic French style send off, they’ll be delighted to oblige you. Rick their caller is highly adept at pitching the dance to the audience so whether your guests are experienced, reluctant or mad keen, rest assured we’ll get them up and they’ll be glad they did!

The Sweets of May Ceilidh Band are all highly proficient and experienced musicians with at least ten years’ experience of playing professionally for dancing. They regularly perform as a quartet to provide the best musical and dancing experience for your venue or event.

Audio Samples

Repertoire List

Dances

• Bridge of Athlone
• Circassian Circle
• Cumberland Square Eight
• Lucky 7
• Nine Pins
• Patacake Polka
• Quebecois reel
• Slipjig
• Square Dance
• Strathspey
• Strip the Willow
• Swedish Masquerade
• Thread the needle
• Virginia Reel
• Waltzes
• Yarmouth Long Dance
• Canadian Barndance
• Highland Schottische
• Sweets of May
• Hornpipes
• Dashing White Sergeant
• Gay Gordons

Popular dance tunes

• Allexander- The Orcadia Jig – Paddy Carey’s Jig
• Balquhidder Lasses – Flowers of Edinburgh – Iron Legs
• Banish misfortune – Dusty Windowsills – Behind the Haystack
• Banks and Braes- Arran Boat Song-The Dark Isle- Miss Rowan Davies
• Blackberry Quadrille – Oyster Girl – Major Mackie’s
• Blackthorn Stick – Shandon Bells – The Hundred Pipers
• Boston Tea Party Set – Newmarket – Ballydesmond- Road to Boston – Goodbye Girls
• I’m Going to Boston
• Buttered Peas – Spanish Ladies – Girl with the blue dress on
• Callum Beg – Reel of the 51st Division – St Anne’s Reel
• Circassian set: Circassian Circle – Mason’s Apron -Inside Oot Fish Eater -Irish
• Washerwoman
• Dashing White Sergeant Set – Snouts and Ears -Staten Island – Highland Laddie
• Devil Among the Tailors – Soldiers Joy – Rakes of Mallow
• Irish Slipjig set: Drops of Brandy – The Butterfly – Rocky Road to Dublin – Foxhunters
• Slipjig
• Eightsome Reel Set: Duke of Perth Reel – Fairy Dance-Big John McNeill-Staten
• Island – Devil Among the Taylors
• Father Kelly’s Reel – Silver Spire – Sally Gardens
• Galop de Malbaie-Grande Chaine-Gaspe Reel
• Gay Gordons Set: Scotland the Brave-Campbells Farewell-Gay Gordons-Barren
• Rocks of Aden -Cock of the North
• General Blakeney – I hope to Marry Charlie – Sir Roger de Coverley
• Gooseberry Bush- The- Pleasures of Salisbury- Country Bumpkin
• Hardiman the Fiddler – Peacock followed the Hen – Bishop of Chester’s
• Harvest Home Hornpipe – Gypsy Hornpipe – Gilderoy
• Haste to the Wedding – A Health to the Ladies – The Fiery Clock Face
• I want to be near you
• In a continental mood – Flatworld
• Jenny Lind – Orlando’s Return -Polka De L’Aveyron
• Juniper Hill – Queen of Hearts in D – La Perrier
• Three Kerry Polkas
• The Kesh Jig – Lannigan’s Ball- Calliope House
• Lass O’ Patie’s Mill- The -Mrs Macleod’s Reel – Seventy Second’s Farewell to
• Aberdeen
• Strathspey set: Linnea’s -Miss Lyall’s -Jessie Smith
• Merrily Kiss the Quaker’s Wife – Cook in the Kitchen – Blarney Pilgrim
• Mrs Huddledee – Keel Row – Orange and Blue
• My love she’s but a lassie-Duke of Perth Reel – Atholl highlanders
• Nancy Clough’s Reel – Atholl Highlanders
• Oak Tree – Over the Moor to Maggie
• Rakes of Kildare – Smash the Windows – Morrison’s jig
• Recovery -Redowa- Polka du Pere Plumet
• Roman Wall – Buxton Assembly – The Favourite Jigg
• Saddle the pony – Tobins favourite – Stool of Repentence
• Scottish Waltz Medley: Westphalia- Margaret’s Waltz-Southwest Wind)
• The ship in Full Sail- The – Sixpenny Money – Mug of Brown Ale
• Siege of Ennis- The – I’ll Tell me Ma – La Russe
• Sliabh Luachra polkas – Maggie in the Wood- Dennis Murphy’s – John Ryan’s
• Waltz set: Soraidh – South Winds – The Ruby
• Sprig of Ivy-Will Atkinson-Flett from Flotta
• Swedish Masquerade
• Sweets of May- Dingle Regatta – Monaghan Jig
• Three Sea Captains – Moon and Seven Stars – The Coleraine Jig
• Tip Top Polka – Beatrice Hill’s Three Handed reel- Jack Robinson
• Turkey in the Straw -Over the Waterfall – Waiting for the Federals
• Une Autre Fois – Le Canal en Octobre
• Upton on Severn Stick Dance- Off she Goes- Lilliburlero
• Valiant – The – Morgan Rattler – A trip to the Lakes
• Valse Clog from Quebec- Two
• Westering Home – Margaret’s – Dancing in Kyle
• Virginia reel set: Leather Britches- Cluck old Hen- Arkansas Traveller- Kitchen Girl

Testimonials

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