Celtic folk band

CELTIC FRIENDS

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About CELTIC FRIENDS

Celtic Friends folk are Corporate event specialists. They have over 25 years success in Celtic Folk Music. Book from solo to 5 pc band
Celtic folk band
Scotland, UK
Public liability insurance of £10 million

Celtic Friends are musicians who have performed in various bands at a high level. The members have performed at thousands of corporate events in such venues as Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Gleneagles Hotel, St Andrews Golf Course, Balmoral Hotel, SECC and many more. They have all performed Scottish and Irish music to all types of clientele and in almost every type of venue you can imagine. Theatres, Festivals, Weddings, Folk Clubs, Corporate events and many more. The music is always fun and up-tempo although they often perform background and softer music too. They come together as Celtic Friends for bookings requiring any line up from solo to 5 piece band to suit the clients needs. The musicians involved have or still do perform in the following bands Celtic Horizon band, Beggars Row, Other Roads, and many others.

CELTIC FRIENDS
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5 out of 5
3 verified reviews

CELTIC FRIENDS's Reviews

From customers:

LC
Laura C
1 month ago, for a Wedding in EH30 9SP
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5 out of 5

Hi Bob, Hope you are well! I just wanted to reach out to thank you, Lisbeth and the Celtic Friends once again for an amazing performance. You were all so incredible and made our wedding day all the more special. You were all so funny and had amazing banter too, exactly like our sense of humor so we absolutely loved it! You asked people to form a circle and when nobody moved you said "if you don't come over here you're minging" and honestly that lives rent free in my head, I say it all the time to Sean and the cat lol.

KB
Ken B
10 months ago, for a Hotel / Restaurant event in Glencoe
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5 out of 5

Bob/Craig are true professionals and have hired them on many occasions within our hotel portfolio in the North West Highlands of Scotland. Bob/Craig are not only good singers/entertainers, they are great characters to have around, witty and humours and clearly passionate. They played to a lot of guests as part of our festive package and were excellent, just didn't want them to stop and kept the guests going to the wee small hours so enjoyable to see! Would recommend Bob/Craig to anybody for a good enjoyable night, unfortunately you better hurray up as have already rebooked several times this year. You will not be disappointed.

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CELTIC FRIENDS's Song list

SCOTTISH FOLK SONGS
Ally Bally bee - traditional
Aye Waukin o - traditional
Ca the ewes - traditional
Caledonia – Dougie McLean
Dark island - traditional
Every river (Runrig)
Flower of Scotland – Roy Williamson The Corries
Gallawa hills - traditional
Green grow the rashes o - traditional
Greenfields of France – Eric Bogle
I am sailing – Rod Stewart
I’m a rover – traditional
Jock o Hazeldean - traditional
Leezie Lindsay - traditional
Loch Lomond – traditional
Loch tay boat song - Traditional
Macpherson’s rant - traditional
Mingulay boat song - traditional
Misty mountain lady – Gordon Menzies - Gaberlunzie
Mormond braes - traditional
Mull of kintyre -Paul McCartney
My bonnie lies over the ocean - traditional
Northern lights of old Aberdeen - traditional
Parting glass - traditional
Peggy Gordon - traditional
Rattling bog - traditional
Roving journeyman - traditional
The Portree kid – Bill Hill/Corries
Roses of prince Charlie - traditional
Under the Scotsman’s kilt – Bryan Bowers
Waltzing Matilda – Eric Bogle
Westlin winds – Dick Gaughan
Willies gane tae Melville castle - traditional
Auld lang syne - traditional
Ye jacobines by name - traditional
Ready for the storm – Dougie McLean
This love will carry – Dougie McLean
Leaving of Liverpool - traditional
All around my hat – Steeleye Span
Bonnie Bessie logan – traditional
Both sides the tweed – Gaughan/ Traditional
Broom o the cowdenknowes – traditional
Catch the wind - Donovan
Colliers’s way - Ceolbeg
Dirty old town – Ewan McColl
Drunken sailor (Half parody version-funny) – Traditional + Bob Ferguson
Ettrick lady - traditional
Farewell tae the haven – Davy Steele
Feal so near – Dougie McLean
Final trawl – Archie Fisher
Freedom come all ye – Ewan McColl
Gypsy rover - traditional
Haul away joe – traditional sea shanty
Highland widows lament
Jamie Raeburn - traditional
Killiecrankie - traditional
Leave her Johny leave her – Stan Rogers
Massacre of Glencoe – Jim Mclean
Mhairies wedding - traditional
Nancy whisky - traditional
Queen of all Argyle – Andy M Stewart
Reconciliation – Ron Kavanna
Schooldays over – Ewan McColl
Scots wha hae - traditional
Shoals of herring – Ewan McColl
Skye boat song - traditional
Smuggler – Ian McCalman - McCalmans
Parcel of rogues - traditional
Flowers of the forest - traditional
The Kings shilling – Ian Sinclair
The rose of Allendale - traditional
The water is wide – traditional
A mans a man – traditional
Tramps and Hawkers – Traditional
Sound the Pibroch – Traditional/The Corries
Wild mountain thyme – McPeake Family/ Traditional
IRISH SONGS LIST
Athenrye – Pete St. John
Avondale - traditional
Boston rose – Liam Reilly
Carrickfergus - traditional
Fairytale of New York -The Pogues
Red Rose café – Pierre Kartner
Galway girl – Steve Earl
Galway shawl - traditional
Irish rover - traditional
Isn’t it grand boys - traditional
Maids when your young - traditional
Moonshiner - traditional
Poor paddy on the railway - traditional
Raglan road - Peter Kavanagh – The Dubliners
Rocky road to Dublin - traditional
Seven drunken nights - traditional
She moved through the fair – traditional – Sinead O’Connor
Song for Ireland – Phil and John Colclough – Mary Black-Dubliners
The Holy Ground - traditional
Rare ould times – Pete St John – Dublin City Ramblers
Town I loved so well – Phil Coulter
When you were sweet sixteen – James Thornton - traditional
Whisky in the jar - traditional
Leaving of Liverpool - traditional
All for me grog - traditional
As I roved out - traditional
Back home in Derry – Bobby Sands – Christ Moore
Banks of the roses - traditional
Biddy Reilly - traditional
Black velvet band - traditional
Bold o Donahue - traditional
Bunch of Thyme - traditional
Cliffs of Doneen - traditional
Curragh o Kildare - traditional
Danny Boy - traditional
Fiddlers green - traditional
Flight of Earls – Liam Reilly
Four green fields – Tommy Makem – The Clancy Brothers
Hand me down my bible – Bill Martin/Phil Coulter - Dubliners
Hills of Isle Au Haut – Gordon Bok – Tommy Maken
Home boys home - traditional
Isle of Hope – Brendan graham – Mary Duff
Sally gardens - traditional
It’s a long way to Tipperary - traditional
Lakes of Coolfin - traditional
MacAlpines Fusiliers - traditional
Mary of Dungloe - traditional
Molly Maguire’s - traditional
Monto - traditional
Muirshin Duirkin - traditional
My lovely Rose of Clare - traditional
Nancy Whisky - traditional
New York Girls - traditional
Only our rivers – Micky MacConnel - Dubliners
Quare bungle rye - traditional
Red haired Mary - traditional
Rising of the moon - traditional
Rosin the bow - traditional
Some say the devil is dead
Spancil hill - traditional
Spanish lady - traditional
Star of the County Down - traditional
The Mermaid - traditional
Waxies Dargle - traditional
Weila Wiela - traditional
Wild colonial boy - traditional
Wild rover - traditional
Green and red of mayo – Saw Doctors
MIXED FOLK SONGS
Annie’s song – John Denver
April - Simon and Garfunkel
Black is the colour - Traditional
Blowing in the wind – Bob Dylan
Bright eyes – Simon and Garfunkel
By the time I get to phoenix – Jimmy Webb – Glen Campbell
Catch the wind - Donovan
City of New Orleans – Steve Goodman – Willie Nelson
Are you going to San Fransisco – John Philips – Scott McKenzie
From Clare to hear – Ralph McTell
Closest thing to crazy – Katie Melua
Early morning rain – Gordon Lightfoot – John Denver
Fennario – traditional -Joan Baez – Simon and Garfunkel
Fields of gold - Sting
First of May – Bee Gees
First time ever I saw your face – Ewan McColl
Fog on the Tyne - Lindisfarne
Galveston – Jimmy Webb – Glen Campbell
I am Australian – Bruce Woodley (Seekers) Dosh Woodman(Bushwackers)
I will wait – Mumford and sons
If I had a hammer – Pete Seeger/Lee Hayes
I’ll fly away – Albert E. Brumley – Alan Jackson
Working man – Rita McNeil
Its good to see you – Allan Taylor
John o dreams – Bill Caddick – Christy Moore
Jolene – Dolly Parton
Jug of punch – James McPeake/Peter Kennedy – Clancy Brothers
Leaving on a jet plane (my funny parody version) Denver - Ferguson
Liverpool Lou – Dominic Behan
lord of the dance - Traditional
meet me on the corner - Lindisfarne
Michael row the boat ashore – Tony Saleten – Peter. Paul, and Mary.
He’s got the whole world – Alan W. Livingston
Oh Susanna – Stephen Foster – Allan Taylor
Pay me my money down – traditional – Bruce Springsteen
Peaceful easy feeling – Jack Tempchin - Eagles
Roll on the day – Allan Taylor
Not a matter of pride – Mike Silver
Ruby Tuesday – Rolling Stones
Saved by the bell – Bee Gees
Scarborough fair – Traditional – Simon and Garfunkel
May it be - Enya
Seems it never rains in Southern California – Albert Hammond
Songdance – Alan Taylor
Sound of silence – Simon and Garfunkel
South Australia - Traditional
Steal away – Phil Coulter
Streets of London – Ralph McTell
Summertime - Traditional
The Boxer – Simon and Garfunkel
The carnival is over – The Seekers
Day of the jackal - Lindisfarne
The Dutchman – John Prine
The Gambler – Kenny Rodgers
The hanging tree – Suzanne Collins/Lumineers
The lady came from Baltimore – Tim Hardin – Johny Cash
The times they are a changing – Bob Dylan
There’s another train – Pete Morten
Those were the days – melody traditional Russian/ Lyrics Gene Rashkin
Absent friends – Keith Hancock
Where have all the flowers gone – Bob Dylan
Whisky on a Sunday - Traditional
Wild goose – Kate Rusby
Windmills – Alan Bell – Tommy Makem
Yellow is the colour - Donovan
Bricklayer song – Pat Cooksey – Corries - Dubliners
This is the life – Amy MacDonald
Greensleeves – Traditional

CELTIC FRIENDS's Prices

Last updated: 2024

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

Standard Prices
Performance durationPrice
Up to 1 hour£1000
Up to 2 hours£1125
Up to 3 hours£1312.50
Customer questions

Do you have different line-up options?

Celtic Friends can add other musicians up to a 6 piece band

What if my timings change after I've booked you?

We are flexible to timings on the day of your event and it has never been a problem before.

Can you provide an iPod/DJ service before and between your sets?

We can provide recorded music during breaks.

How much time do you need to set up?

90 minutes preferably at the minimum for a duo. larger bands may need 2 hours.

Can you roam around while you perform?

The main lead singer can roam around while plugged into PA system via wireless. The duo can also roam around acoustically without PA.

Can I pick the songs you play from the set list?

Yes, we can discuss this. Generally not a problem. It's your event.

Is all of the equipment (e.g. PA & lighting) included in your quote?

Our price includes everything.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

if it is a song we don't know and given at least 30 days notice, we can often learn special songs.

What do your clients love most about your performances?

They love the fact that we sing songs everyone can easily join in even if they haven't heard the song before. We also always make sure the atmosphere is fun and happy.

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

We have performed at most of the top Wedding and corporate venues in Central |Scotland. Such as Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Balmoral Hotel, St Andrews Golf course hotel, Balmoral Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, Crieff Hydro and many more...

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

The Corries The Dubliners, The Clancy Brothers, The McCalmans, Runrig.

What is the most high profile gig you've performed?

Edinburgh Castle.
Musicianship
Genres:
Folk, Folk rock, Traditional Irish folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Originals, Scottish music
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Event types:
Private event, Wedding, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Theatre / Show, Burns night, Birthday party, New Year's Eve, Funeral / Memorial service, Recording session, Christmas party
See all event types