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Bowstring

Bowstring at Hop Festival, Faversham

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About Bowstring

Bringing everyone together for a fun filled evening of dance and feisty music, Bowstring will make your special event a night to remember

3 of 6 photos

Ceilidh band

Herne Bay

Public liability insurance of £10 million

Verified profile

Bowstring Barndance and Ceilidh Band, formed in 2007, is a traditional Irish/Scottish and English ceilidh and barn dance folk band based in Kent and South East England that performs regularly throughout the UK. Perfect for weddings, parties, and all occasions. Bringing together some of the most skilled and experienced performers in their field, Bowstring offers a full evening’s entertainment ideal for corporate functions, weddings, barn dances, ceilidhs, concerts, and festivals. Individually, the band members have worked all over the world, singing and playing for concerts and ceilidhs plus on Radio, TV, and Films (e.g. Chris Taylor, Top of the Pops/ Never Mind The Buzzcocks). Our caller uses humour to put the dancers at their ease whilst the band, with their astonishing array of instruments, has a full and exciting sound that drives the dancers on. Between dances, Bowstring has an excellent repertoire of songs and tunes for listening. The emphasis is very much on ENTERTAINMENT!

Bowstring

4.9 out of 5

34 verified reviews

Satisfaction

5.0

Professionalism

5.0

Communication

5.0

Punctuality

4.8

Bowstring's Reviews

5 out of 5

We highly recommend Bowstring! They were our band of choice for our wedding celebration and were fantastic! Chris the caller was perfect and had the dance floor full to overflowing and the band - Chris, Ramona and her sister were excellent. If you want a good time with a band that caters for a wide range of ceilidh abilities then this is the band to choose. Friendly, engaging and perfect for the evening - Thank you❤️xx

Reply from Bowstring

30 days ago

Dear Marion and Charles it means so much to us to know that we were able to help you create your very special evening. Thank you for inviting us to share such a wonderful night at your stunning venue and even going to the trouble of building a special dance floor which, through our combined estimations, worked out to be the perfect size. We loved meeting you and it was great to see everyone picking up the dances so quickly and enthusiastically. Thank you so much for looking after us so well ❤️ Xx

5 out of 5

Bowstring were the perfect ceilidh band for our wedding. Enthusiastically leading a crowd with mixed experience levels, Bowstring made sure everyone had the best time and was a highlight of our wedding. I can’t praise them enough.

Reply from Bowstring

3 months ago

Thank you so much for your lovely review, it means a lot to know we were a “highlight” of your wedding. We thoroughly enjoyed playing for your wedding ceilidh and thank you for all the energetic dancing, such a great night.

5 out of 5

Very happy with Bowstring, they provided 2 terrific sets and kept the party moving throughout the night. Would happily book them again.

5 out of 5

Bowstring did an amazing ceilidh at our wedding! We asked them to do a performance to accompany our first dance, which was beautiful. Our guests enjoyed the ceilidh and were up on the dance floor. Bowstring were so professional to work with, I couldn’t recommend them any more highly! Thank you again!

Read all 33 reviews

5 out of 5

Great night, they got everyone up and dancing, well done and thank you Bowstring

Hi Martin Just a quick line to say a huge thank you for a wonderful evenings entertainment last night. Everyone had such a great evening and it was certainly a night to remember with much fun and laughter. Wit thanks Kind regards Georgina

Read all 3 reviews

Encore badges

Top 10 booked musician of 2023

Lightning fast responses

Average response time under 2 hours

50 gigs

Veteran: 50 bookings through Encore

Saved the day!

Booked for an Encore gig with less than 24 hours’ notice

8th Anniversary

This act has been working with Encore for over 8 years

Member of the Encore community forum

Bowstring's Song list

Bowstring Ceilidh / Barn Dance Band will lead you through fun dances and entertain you with their varied repertoire of songs and tunes to make your special event especially memorable.

Popular dances, suitable for complete beginners through to the more adventurous, include::The Virginia Reel, Gay Gordon's, Dashing White Sergeant, Cumberland Square Eight, Seige of Ennis, Waves of Tory, Bridge of Athlone, Strip the Willow and The Eightsome Reel.

Bowstring's selection of tunes drive the dances. From Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, America and beyond, they include:

The Walls of Liscarroll / Banish Misfortune

Jig of Slurs / Atholl Highlanders

Calliope House / Kesh Jig / Rakes of Kildare

Balquidder Lasses / Mairi's Wedding / The Highland Laddie

Spootaskerry / The Silver Spear / The Sally Gardens / Miss McLeod's Reel

The Dashing White Sergeant / Far From Home / The Hut On Staffin Island

The White Cockade / The Rose Tree / Salmon Tails

Merrily Kissed The Quaker's Wife / The Dingle Regatta

The Connaughtman's Rambles / Pay The Reckoning / My Darling Asleep

Redwing /June Apple / Waiting For The Federals

Mountain Road / Joe Cooley's

Hardiman The Fiddler / Fig For A Kiss / The Foxhunter's Jig

Da Greenland Man / Schaals O' Foula / Christmas Day In The Morning

Haste to The Wedding / Sixpenny Money / Morrison's Jig

Flatbush Waltz

Midnight On The Water

The Dark Island / Ye Banks And Braes

La Bastringue

Cock Of The North / Hundred Pipers

Harvest Home / Boys Of Bluehill / Soldiers Joy

Sir Roger De Coverley

John Ryan's Polka / Dennis Murphy's

Newmarket Polka's / Ballydesmond Polka

Rocky Road to Dublin / Kid On The Mountain

The Bear Dance

The Horses' Brawl

Horizonto

Plus a varied range of songs to entertain the dancer's when they need to catch their breath:

Galway Girl

Caledonia

Country Roads

Black Is The Colour

Fields Of Athenry

Ride On

Wagon Wheel

Runaway

Both Sides Of The Tweed

Molly Mallone

When You Were Sweet Sixteen

I'll Tell Me Ma

Star Of The County Down

Wild Rover

Black Velvet Band

Fisherman's Blues

Loch Lomond

Wild Mountain Thyme

Bowstring's Prices

Last updated: 2024

Note: prices may vary based on travel distance. For an exact quote, click “Check availability”.

Duration	Price
Up to 1 hour	£675
Up to 2 hours	£675
Up to 3 hours	£875

Musicianship

Genres:

Folk, Bluegrass, Ceilidh, Country, Folk rock, Irish rock, Rockabilly, Traditional English folk, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional Scottish folk

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Types:

Ceilidh band

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Event types:

Wedding, Bar / Club / Venue event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve

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