Hire John Carver Ceilidh Caller | Ceilidh caller in Aylesbury

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From£350

1 hour

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Watch & Listen

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Wedding Ceilidh for Phil & Hannah (April 2023)

Ceilidh in Hampshire (Dec 2022)

Ceilidh in Cambridge, Aug 2022

About John Carver Ceilidh Caller

One of the best known callers in the UK, running large reeling/ceilidh events and regularly calling for private events of all kinds.

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Ceilidh caller

Aylesbury

Public liability insurance of £5 million

John is one of the best ceilidh / reels callers on the circuit, with over 15 years experience calling alongside the top bands in the country and also offering solo calling engagements for private events/weddings etc. He regularly runs ceilidh and reeling events for 250-400 guests, ensuring a fantastic time is had by all. His style as a caller is very relaxed, upbeat, entertaining and inclusive, with a focus on maximum enjoyment at all times. Have a look at the videos to see him in action - more videos will follow soon!

John Carver Ceilidh Caller

5 out of 5

9 verified reviews

Satisfaction

5.0

Professionalism

5.0

Communication

5.0

Punctuality

5.0

John Carver Ceilidh Caller's Reviews

5 out of 5

John was the caller for our recent wedding. Communication was excellent beforehand and put us at ease. All the guests loved the ceilidh, getting everyone on the dancefloor, despite it being the hottest day of the year! An unexpected bonus was receiving a short video after the wedding that John had kindly captured to cherish the memories. Would highly recommend!

Reply from John Carver Ceilidh Caller

7 months ago

Thank you Nathan, was an honour and pleasure to entertain all your guests on your special day 🙏

5 out of 5

John was perfect for our wedding ceilidh, and very willing to help in anyway he could. He was a fab caller and made sure that everyone could participate. I would definitely book him again.

Reply from John Carver Ceilidh Caller

7 months ago

Thanks so much Evan, it was a pleasure to call alongside the band at your wedding. What a fantastic evening, so glad you enjoyed it :-)

5 out of 5

John rana ceilidh at our wedding and it was great, he got everyone on the dancefloor! He was professional and worked well with the small space we had, would recommend!

Reply from John Carver Ceilidh Caller

8 months ago

Thanks Seb, it was a pleasure to get all of your wedding guests dancing with the broadest of smiles! Remember me for your 10th wedding anniversary ceilidh, I'll be there :-) Very best wishes to both of you and thanks again🙏

5 out of 5

Absolutely loved the whole experience, wouldn't hesitate to book John again!! Also sharing a review here from one of the guest.. This was one of the best Ceilidhs i've been to!!" Lindi Masters

Read all 9 reviews

John has been the 'caller' at a number of major London ceilidh & reeling events I've hosted for the "We're here for the Dance" group in recent years, and has been instrumental to their success. Making an evening so much fun whilst transforming complete beginners into seasoned reeling pros is no easy challenge, but he achieves it every time. If you're planning a ceilidh or evening of reels, get John on board!

John was our first choice of caller for our school's annual Caledonian Ball, as we knew we could rely on him to guide our enthusiastic (but inexperienced) pupils and parents through an evening of ceilidh and reeling dances. It was huge fun, and he delivered above and beyond our wildest expectations. Our guests are already queueing up for next year, so we will be sure to ask him to MC again. Great job!

Read all 8 reviews

Encore badges

10 gigs

Experienced: 10 bookings through Encore

Saved the day!

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

1st Anniversary

This act has been working with Encore for over a year

John Carver Ceilidh Caller's Song list

John has a tried & tested repertoire of dances that he 'calls' for events, depending on the age/ability/experience of his guests. Typical examples include the following, but he has many more dances up his sleeve too!

CEILIDH DANCES

Circassian Circle

Dashing White Sergeant

Virginia Reel

Flying Scotsman

Gay Gordons

Canadian Barn Dance

Dunedin Festival Jig

Cumberland Reel

Strip the Willow

REELING DANCES

Dashing White Sergeant

Eightsome Reel

Foursome Reel

Hamilton House

Duke of Perth

Duke & Duchess of Edinburgh

Inverness Country Dance

Speed The Plough

Mairi's Wedding

Posties Jig

Machine without Horses

Reel of the 51st

OTHERS

Johnnie Walker

Hurlingham Quadrangle

Cumberland Square Eight

John Carver Ceilidh Caller's Prices

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

Performance duration	Price
Short performance (up to 15 min)	£350
Up to 1 hour	£350
Up to 2 hours	£350
Up to 3 hours	£350

Customer questions

What do your clients love most about your performances?

My ability to get hundreds of people dancing enthusiastically just by means of some clear instruction and a great choice of music, all without any need for a band

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

I've performed at hundreds of venues, some of them huge halls in London, but I've also performed in hundreds of village halls across the country. Large venues include: Battersea Arts Centre Grand Hall Buckingham Palace Kensington Palace Hammersmith Town Hall Devizes Town Hall Marlborough Town Hall Oxford Town Hall etc

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

A variety of other reeling and ceilidh bands and callers

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

The Reel Thing, for 500 guests at the Battersea Arts Centre in London

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

No problem at all, within reason. Just make sure you tell me enough in advance so that I can be there on time

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

Yes very happy to do this and have all the equipment for Android/iPhone connection to my PA system

How much time do you need to set up?

30 minutes if I can park close to the venue. I need to make 3 separate trips to and from my car

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

Yes you can choose the dances but as I have experience of knowing which dances work best with different age groups and levels of experience, personally I would leave this to me

Do you bring all the equipment you need to perform?

Yes I bring everything. All you need to provide is a dance floor, a single power socket, and a group of willing ceilidh enthusiasts :-)

Can you learn specific pieces before the event?

You may want me to teach everyone a dance I'm not sure about, in which case just ask and I'll be happy to help

Musicianship

Genres:

Ceilidh, Traditional Scottish folk

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Instruments:

Ceilidh caller

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Event types:

Wedding, Wedding proposal, Church service, Charity event, Private event, Corporate event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Hotel / Restaurant event, Recording session, Burns night, Birthday party, Christmas party, New Year's Eve

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Other skills:

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