Book The Gold Ring, Celtic folk band in Bolton

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From£350

1 hour

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Ben Walker & Chris Knowles- The Stone in the Field

Ben Walker and Chris Knowles Wimborne 2012 Throw the Beetle at her

About The Gold Ring

Instrumental duo specialising in traditional Celtic music, playing uilleann pipes, flute, Celtic harp, bouzouki, whistle & low D whistle.

Celtic folk band

Bolton

Public liability insurance of £10 million

Verified profile

Chris and Ben have played together for over 18 years professionally as a duo, as well as in a couple of bands, and they also both play solo. They have played at numerous festivals, concerts, and also for very many private events such as weddings and corporate events. The Gold Ring is an instrumental duo playing traditional Celtic music, particularly Irish, but also Scottish, Welsh, Breton, Cornish & Manx music. Their music ranges from beautiful evocative, haunting slow airs, through toe- tapping jigs, to fast exhilarating reels. In this duo Chris plays Celtic harp and bouzouki, and Ben plays uilleann (Irish) pipes, flutes, whistles and cittern.

Performance details

We can perform outdoors

We have vehicles we can use to travel to gigs

We require car parking close to venues

Our equipment is PAT tested

We own a PA system

Encore awards

4th Encoreversary

Musicianship

Genres:

Traditional Irish folk, Folk, Traditional Scottish folk, Ceilidh, Scottish music, Welsh folk

See all genres

Types:

Celtic folk band

See all types

Event types:

Wedding, Wedding proposal, Funeral / Memorial service, Hotel / Restaurant event, Bar / Club / Venue event, Private event, Corporate event, Charity event, Concert, Recording session, Burns night, Birthday party

See all event types

Song list

Hundreds of traditional Jigs

Hundreds of traditional Reels

A large number of traditional Hornpipes

A large number of Slip Jigs

A large number of Slow airs

Also many Irish Polkas

Also many Kerry Slides

Many Carolan pieces

Approx. 120 traditional Scottish tunes

A number of popular tunes including:

Theme from 'Braveheart'

Theme from 'Titanic'

Carrickfergus

Down by the Sally Gardens

South Wind

Danny Boy

Mountains of Mourne (Carrickdhoun)

Dawning of the Day (Raglan Road)

Star of the County Down

My Lagan Love

The Rose of Allendale

My love is like a red red rose (Rabbie Burns)

Myfanwy

The Dark Island

Curragh of Kildare

Skye boat song

Men of Harlech

She moved through the Fair

May Morning Dew

The Galway Shawl

Lakes of Pontchartraine

When you were Sweet Sixteen (Fureys)

I Will Love You Every time (Fureys)

The Lonesome Boatman (Fureys)

The Coulin

Roisin Ddu

Wild Mountain Thyme

The Rocks of Bawn

The Last Rose of Summer

Bright Blue Rose

Ride On

Women of Ireland

A Woman's Heart

Tammy

Customer questions

Do you have different line-up options?

We normally play as a duo, but we also have a trio option, with the addition of a bodhran (Irish drum) player.

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

We always try to be flexible regarding timing changes, and can usually accommodate small timing changes of 30 minutes or so- but please let us know as soon as possible if there is any greater change to the planned timing for the event, as with longer distance travel we may need to alter our travel & accommodation plans accordingly.

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

We are willing to provide background music during our breaks if required, from our mp3 player through our PA; or the client may provide their own Ipod with their own playlist which we can play through our PA (client must provide suitable connection lead!). However we do not offer DJ service, or background music after our live performance has ended.

How much time do you need to set up?

We usually require approximately a minimum of 45 minutes to set up our equipment and tune the instruments. We require 2 armless chairs and a mains power point to be provided at the set up location, and these need to be in place at BEFORE we start setting up.

Can you roam around while you perform?

No. Our instruments both require the player to be seated.

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

We have our own (very large- too long to list here) repertoire of traditional Celtic music, and in any given year we have a main performance set taken from this. However, do let us know in advance if you have any special requests, and if they are in our repertoire we'll include them in our set.

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

We provide our own compact but high quality PA system, and all our instruments. We require the client or venue to provide 2 armless chairs (3 for the trio), and a mains power point at the perfomance location.

Can you learn song requests before the event?

For Weddings, Anniversaries or similar special occasions, we are willing to learn 2 or 3 specially requested songs, if we don't already play them- as long as they are suitable for our instruments. We usually include this service for no extra charge.

What do your clients love most about your performances?

Ben and I play intricate, fast Irish dance music and evocative beautiful airs to a high standard, and are often complimented on the skill, precision, flair and musicality of our performances.

Which venues have you performed at in the past?

Glastonbury Festival Wimborne Folk Festival Music over the Dee- open air concert on Wirral. Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham De Coste Centre, Pictou, Nova Scotia. Hay on Wye Festival Manchester Town Hall Tower Bridge, London Shepperton Studios, Middx. Lulworth Castle, Dorset Wedderburn Castle, Scotland Numerous other castles and Country Houses in UK

Which artists have you been most influenced by?

Paddy Keenan Davy Spillane Liam O'Flynn Matt Molloy Mary Bergin Planxty Bothy Band The Gloaming

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

Sole support act to the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, at open air concert 'Music over the Dee' on the Wirral, to audience of 4,500 people.

Prices

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

Performance duration	Price
Up to 1 hour	£350
Up to 2 hours	£370
Up to 3 hours	£400

Reviews

J.Ridler, 5 years ago

I just wanted to send you a quick email to say thank you for the beautiful music at the wedding....many people commented on how good the music you played was, so it was enjoyed by many

J.Haggan, 5 years ago

A quick note to thank you both for a great performance in Northumberland on Saturday. The music was a perfect accompaniment to the ceremony and drinks and we were both really happy.