Hire John Carver Ceilidh Caller | Ceilidh caller in Aylesbury

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From£600

1 hour

Like John Carver Ceilidh Caller?

Watch & Listen

1-3 of 8 videos

Milly's 18th birthday ceilidh

Adam & Yvonne Wedding Ceilidh in Tetbury (July 2023)

Wedding Ceilidh for Phil & Hannah (April 2023)

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

14 verified reviews

Satisfaction

5.0

Professionalism

5.0

Communication

5.0

Punctuality

5.0

John Carver Ceilidh Caller's Reviews

5 out of 5

We loved having Jonh Carver at our wedding celebration. He was efficient setting up and communicated amazingly well with our guests. Great music and clear instructions. Everyone had a great time. We had so many compliments afterwards. Thank you John! We will never forget you.

Reply from John Carver Ceilidh Caller

6 months ago

Thanks Alma for your lovely review 🙏 It was a pleasure to look after you and your wonderful guests, happy memories!

5 out of 5

John was our caller for our wedding in August. He was so patient with things running late and did an absolutely amazing job! Our guests had so much fun and everyone still raves about it. Tailored it to the right level of difficulty too. Thank you so so much for a fabulous evening!

5 out of 5

We can highly recommend the Ceilidh with John. It was absolutely fantastic and John is a very charming and patient man! All our guests had so much fun and it certainly kept the party together and was an excellent way for all to mingle! I would certainly book again without hesitation. Thank you John for being part of our wedding day celebrations - we will not forget it!

5 out of 5

John attended my wedding in July this year (2024). He was absolutely amazing. He knew how to read the room and how to encourage people onto the dance floor. The atmosphere created was truly amazing. I would highly recommend, and will likely be booking John again for family events in the future!

Read all 13 reviews

5 out of 5

Where do I even begin to describe how fabulous John is? We found him by a chance internet search and he came to my daughter's wedding last year. We loved him so much that I was determined to have him come to my birthday party this year. I would have changed the date if he'd not been available!!... We had a lot of people who had never been to a ceilidh, we even had a rhino and a unicorn... John took it all in his stride and everyone had a ball. He really is wonderful. Do yourself a favour and book him. You won't regret it!

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!

Read all 9 reviews

Encore badges

10 gigs

Experienced: 10 bookings through Encore

Saved the day!

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

2nd Anniversary

This act has been working with Encore for over 2 years

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

Last updated: 2025

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

Performance duration	Price
Short performance (up to 15 min)	£600
Up to 1 hour	£600
Up to 2 hours	£600
Up to 3 hours	£600

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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