Hire John Carver Reels & Ceilidh Calling | Ceilidh band in Aylesbury

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From£600

1 hour

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Milly's 18th birthday ceilidh

Adam & Yvonne Wedding Ceilidh in Tetbury (July 2023)

Wedding Ceilidh for Phil & Hannah (April 2023)

About John Carver Reels & Ceilidh Calling

One of the most experienced callers in the UK, running large reeling/ceilidh events as well as 'calling' at private events of all kinds.

3 of 22 photos

Ceilidh band

Aylesbury

Public liability insurance of £5 million

John is a highly experienced ceilidh caller with over 350 successful events to his name, and he is capable of delivering an unforgettable Scottish dance experience for your guests. From intimate weddings to large Burns Night Suppers, private parties, and even a royal engagement at Buckingham Palace, he has a proven track record of success. John's calling skills are unparalleled and his carefully curated playlist of the best ceilidh tunes will have your guests dancing the night away. His streamlined setup eliminates the need for an additional band, and he has experience of entertaining groups from 40-400 in size, regardless of age or experience. With his upbeat, inclusive, and relaxed style, John guarantees to get everyone involved and having a great time. He will expertly guide your guests through the most popular ceilidh dances and end the evening on a high note with a rousing Strip the Willow that's sure to be remembered. John would be honoured to bring his skills and experience to your event. Please don't hesitate to contact him to discuss how he can make your ceilidh an unforgettable experience.

John Carver Reels & Ceilidh Calling

5 out of 5

12 verified reviews

Satisfaction

5.0

Professionalism

5.0

Communication

5.0

Punctuality

5.0

John Carver Reels & Ceilidh Calling's Reviews

5 out of 5

Everyone loved John's ceilidh, from the 87 year old grandfather to the 3 year old nephew! His calling was clear and comprehensible even to the uninitiated, he was very flexible with what we wanted for the event - and most importantly everyone had great fun! I would definitely recommend him to others.

Reply from John Carver Reels & Ceilidh Calling

7 hours ago

Thanks Arry - it was a pleasure! :-)

5 out of 5

We struck gold with John for our daughter’s 21st! Book him quickly and thank your lucky stars! The ceilidh was huge fun and everyone could follow his instructions. His experience comes through in his relaxed manner and perfect pacing of dances and breaks to go and have a drink and a chat. We thought it worked well to have a set before supper and one after, segueing later in the evening into a disco. John is incredibly well organised and delightful company.

Reply from John Carver Reels & Ceilidh Calling

10 months ago

Thanks so much Janet, it was my pleasure to help you out on Alice's big day :-)

5 out of 5

When you book through a platform like Encore and don’t know exactly what you are booking it’s a bit unnerving - but I found John’s videos helpful and he was super responsive and a great communicator, which was immediately reassuring. John was outstanding on the night, he arrived in perfect and agreed time and set himself up subtly, working around us as we were eating where the dancing was going to happen. His instruction/calling was great and he combined easy with a bit of challenge - we had a fantastic evening and good laugh and everyone thought he was brilliant, as well as completely charming. He also gave us appropriate breaks to grab drinks, cake etc! Couldn’t recommend him highly enough.

Reply from John Carver Reels & Ceilidh Calling

1 year ago

Your friends were all so much fun and it was a pleasure to help you out with a ceilidh-to-end-all-ceilidhs on your special day. Let's do it again in 10 years time 🥳💃🕺

5 out of 5

John, was fantastic. Super friendly and energetic. Gauged the skill level of the wedding perfectly and got everyone involved straight away. Also was able to tweak what he was doing to fit in better with the timing and food in the evening. Couldn't recommend more!

Read all 12 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

7th Anniversary

This act has been working with Encore for over 7 years

John Carver Reels & Ceilidh Calling'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 Reels & Ceilidh Calling's Prices

Last updated: 2025

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

Performance duration	Price
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?

What do people like about my calling? Super clear instructions, my ability to select the right dances to fit the audience. My ability to make the whole experience fun, fun, fun, I never get stressed or angry or frustrated. And my playlist, which is the best music for ceilidhs ever recorded, is hugely enjoyable to dance to

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

I have run over 350 ceilidhs but most notable venues include: Buckingham Palace Houses of Parliament Hurlingham Club Royal Caledonian Club Battersea Arts Centre St Columba's Church, Pont Street Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and many more

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

In the world of calling for ceilidhs and reels, I've had to forge my own path. I'm always learning and tweaking my performance to make it better and better as a result

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

The Reel Thing, a Scottish dancing event for 500 guests at the Battersea Arts Centre in London

Can you perform covers?

N/A

Do you have different line-up options?

N/A

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

No problem at all, just let me know and I'm likely to be able to help as long as it's not a major change

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

Yes I bring my own PA system with excellent quality speakers and have all the adaptors to connect to android phones or iPhones.

How much time do you need to set up?

30 minutes as long as I can park close to the venue. I need to make 3 trips to and from my car to move everything, that's the most time-consuming bit

Do you provide a caller?

Yes, I'm the caller! And which ever band you book, it's worth noting that getting a good caller is your most important decision. As the saying goes "combine a mediocre band with an excellent caller and you can have a very successful evening, but combine a superb band with a poor caller and the evening can be a disaster"

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

If you want to choose a dance from those I normally include, that's absolutely fine. If you want me to call a new dance that I've not called before, please give me plenty of advance warning

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

Yes, my PA system with top of the range speakers, amp and mixer, all my music, and all calling is all included

Can you learn song requests before the event?

N/A

Musicianship

Genres:

Ceilidh, Traditional Scottish folk

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Types:

Ceilidh band

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Event types:

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

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