HotScotch Ceilidh Band are one of the top ceilidh bands in Scotland and offer a vibrant blend of traditional and contemporary Scottish dance music for wedding reception entertainment, highland balls, corporate functions and many other events.
This Edinburgh ceilidh band produce an exciting mix of accordion, fiddle, and drums providing just the right atmosphere for a cracking night!
HotScotch Ceilidh Band at Loch Lomond
The band caters for all audiences and can include a Disco & Lighting package to compliment the Ceilidh.
Based in Edinburgh, they travel all over Scotland and the North of England as well as performing regularly overseas.
So if you need a ceilidh band in Glasgow, a ceilidh band in Edinburgh or a ceilidh band in England, look no further. Their lively style of playing and rapport with the audience will have the dancers up on the floor all evening.
All of the ceilidh dances can be called by the band to ensure all can join in whatever their experience.
All of the band members are outstanding musicians in their own right and have played at events all over the world.
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HotScotch Ceilidh Band had a busy weekend, playing for two Student Balls in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Edinburgh Veterinary Student Society Burns Night Ceilidh was held at the Summerhall buildings in Edinburgh – part of the Dick Vet School, and was a great evening. The traditional meal of Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, was followed by rousing renditions of some of Robert Burns’ best known works such as Tam o’ Shanter.
Robert Burns was born on the 25th of January 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire and he was one of the pioneers of the Romantic Movement. His songs, and poetry are well known across the world and people celebrate his birth each year by reminiscing and giving renditions of his works at Burns Suppers.
Saturday evening saw the ceilidh band play for another Student Ball in one of Glasgow’s best city centre venues – the Thistle Hotel. The Thistle has a beautiful big ballroom and with over 400 in attendance the floor was filled all evening. The band was delighted to have Andrew Gifford joining them on fiddle for the evening. Andrew is one of Scotland’s best Shetland Fiddlers and one of the members of the group Fiddler’s Bid.
The evening finished off with a couple of hours of Disco from the band’s resident DJ Paul Chamberlain. HotScotch Ceilidh Band Edinburgh have a sound and lighting system capable of handling all sizes of venues, with additional speakers that can be brought in where required for larger or outdoor venues.
Posted in Ceilidh Dances Edinburgh Ceilidh Band Scottish Music Scottish Societies by .
HotScotch Ceilidh Band have been busy over the last few weeks and after hectic festive season, the band is looking forward to another successful year of playing for ceilidh dancing in 2011.
Dalhousie Castle & Spa
They recently played for events in Edinburgh University’s Teviot Row for a sports society, the spectacular Dalhousie Castle, just outside Edinburgh, Bathgate’s newest venue, the Vu, as well as regular venues in central Edinburgh, the George Hotel and the Balmoral Hotel.
Kenmore Hotel near Aberfeldy
Accordionist Paul Chamberlain, was invited to play for a splendid Hogmanay ceilidh at the Kenmore Hotel near Aberfeldy. There was a great crowd of ceilidh dancers who were on the floor all evening. Just before midnight, everybody went outside where a spectacular fireworks display took place in the centre of the village. After that, it was back to the ballroom to begin the New Year with a Gay Gordons.
2011 looks to be another eventful year for Paul and the band, so if you are looking for a dynamic, professional Scottish Ceilidh Band for your function, please contact Paul either by phone or email to discuss how HotScotch Ceilidh Band can make yours a successful, enjoyable night to remember. This first class Scottish Ceilidh Band travel all over Scotland and the UK, with regular appearances abroad.
Scottish Ceilidh Bands Around the World
At this time of year, many Scottish Ceilidh Bands travel overseas to play for St. Andrew’s Day events. These are often coupled with other ceilidhs or Scottish Country Dance teaching and dancing sessions. Ceilidh Bands in Glasgow, Ceilidh Bands in Edinburgh and those from all over Scotland, are regularly invited out to play for these events around the world.
Due to the vast number of Scottish Expatriates around the world, there are a great many Scottish societies which hold events for their members. Bringing traditional Scottish music to them provides a highlight to the calendar, and also helps to show the Scottish culture to their friends and colleagues
Scottish Societies
The St Andrew Society has a comprehensive list of organisations around the world dedicated to Scottish music and culture.
Many of these St Andrew’s Societies, Caledonian Societies and other Scottish clubs do a great amount of fundraising and charity work in their respective countries.
Paul Chamberlain, accordionist of HotScotch Ceilidh Band had been invited out play at many such events and has been out to play for festivals in Russia several times.
Historical Links between Scotland and Russia
Russia and Scotland have had long historical links from the Middle Ages onwards. Hundreds of Scottish names have become renowned in Russian history, industrial development and culture.
Many Russians can claim Scottish ancestry dating back to 16th-century immigrants and retain an interest in the country. Indeed there is a wide following in Russia for Robert Burns. The former Soviet Union even issued a commemorative stamp featuring the bard and them cherished as a working class hero.
The Bard is so popular in Russia that fans there claim to have more Burns clubs than Scotland. All of his poetry has been translated into Russian and it is taught in the country’s schools.
Russia also has a thriving Caledonian Society, based in a Scottish cultural centre in Moscow, and a network of St Andrew’s societies organising social and cultural events.
With Russia’s economy enjoying rapid growth in recent years and the plan by the Scottish government to establish a Tartan Week in Moscow, would bring substantial economic opportunities for Scotland.
Accordion Festivals in St. Petersburg
Accordionist Paul Chamberlain was invited out to play at both the Baltica Harmonica Festival and the International Festival of Music for Accordion. His Scottish music was given a great reception by the Russian audiences and this resulted in a subsequent return to Moscow to take part in a two-week festival of Scottish Culture.
Festival of Scottish Culture in Moscow
During this festival Paul took part in performances in Gorky Park, The Central House of Artists, Arbat Street, Vermel Club, Toshka Nightclub, as well as a three-day visit to the city of Lipetsk to perform concerts there.
HotScotch Ceilidh Band from Edinburgh are one of the many Scottish Ceilidh Bands who are invited out to play for events abroad in countries such as Bahrain, Greece, Monaco and Russia.
Accordionist, Paul Chamberlain, leads a very successful ceilidh band in Edinburgh. HotScotch Ceilidh Band – an inspired, dynamic trio, are in high demand for functions around the UK and abroad.
HotScotch Ceilidh Band offer a vibrant blend of traditional and contemporary Scottish dance music. An exciting mix of accordion, fiddle, and drums providing just the right atmosphere for a cracking night!
The band caters for all audiences and can include a Disco & Lighting package to compliment the Ceilidh. Based in Edinburgh, they travel all over Scotland and the North of England.
Their lively style of playing and rapport with the audience will have the dancers up on the floor all evening.
Paul Chamberlain is also an accomplished professional classical accordionist. The classical accordion is truly an amazing instrument and here in the UK, Paul Chamberlain is one of a very select group of talented young musicians working to increase the instrument’s profile, a profile that was established through the pioneering work of accordionist Professor Owen Murray.
Born in Scotland in 1981, Paul Chamberlain was immersed in a wealth of music from a very early age. At 17 he was invited out to St. Petersburg to perform in the Baltica Harmonica Festival and it was performances by artists there such as Yuri Shishkin and Oleg Sharov which inspired his change of focus to the greater possibilities of the free-bass button instrument. Over the last ten years Paul has developed his performance technique on the accordion with his inspiring teacher Djordje Gajic and also through master-classes with experts such as Owen Murray, Peter Soave and Jean-Louis Norton.
Paul is a highly accomplished player and his current title of UK Virtuoso Accordion Champion is testimony to his breadth of skills across many competitions in both classical and Scottish music styles. With appearances at music festivals around Europe and live television performances in Russia and Finland, Paul has also performed in France, Italy, Greece and Bahrain.
Currently Paul is studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow, under the tutelage of Dr Djordje Gajic. In 2010 he was Highly Commended for his performance in the Tony and Tania Webster Prize for rare Russian music, and he was winner of the acclaimed Governors Recital Prize.
Paul is an active concert performer and is also one quarter of “The Scottish Tango Ensemble”.
He has adjudicated at competitions such as the NAAFC Musselburgh Festival and the NAO UK Accordion Championships, and teaches accordion at Fettes College in Edinburgh, as well as giving private accordion lessons in Edinburgh.
HotScotch recently performed at two fantastic functions in Teviot Row, Edinburgh and Crieff Hydro. The ceilidh in Edinburgh was organised by the Edinburgh University Hare & Hounds Running Club who had a race weekend involving teams from around the UK. It was fantastic to have such an enthusiasic and energetic crowd of youg people in the Debating Hall of Teviot Row, and the floor was full of dancers throughout the ceilidh.
The Ceilidh at Crieff Hydro was a corporate function for a medical conference and HotScotch Ceilidh Band provided the after-dinner entertainment. The dancing took place in the Ferntower Suite which has a super function room complete with a stage at one end. Crieff Hydro is a venue where this Scottish Ceilidh Band play regularly and is also a great place to hold weddings and other functions.
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Hogmanay Celebrations
Hogmanay, or Auld Year’s Night is one of the busiest dates in the calendar for all kinds of venues and entertainers. In Scotland, it is traditional to have a Scottish Ceilidh Band to play for the evening and then often a piper to pipe in the New Year.
Hotels all over Scotland arrange functions for their guests which include a special dinner menu prior to the traditional ceilidh dancing which follows.
Auld Lang Syne
A very popular Hogmanay custom is to sing “Auld Lang Syne” and this has become popular in many countries. This traditional poem was reinterpreted by Robert Burns and then later set to music.
The traditional practice in Scotland is to start off holding hands in a circle and then to cross arms for the last verse.
The words for Auld Lang Syne are
“Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup o kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”
Festivities around the world
Cities all over the world from Sydney, to New York, London and Paris also host large outdoor parties. However probably the most famous annual event, is the Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party. This vast celebration welcomes over eighty thousand revellers to Princes Street and a huge outdoor ceilidh in Edinburgh as well as many bands and a spectacular fireworks display high above the castle.
People come from all over the world to enjoy the festivities and many have never been to a Scottish ceilidh before, but they all join in the fun and have a great evening.
Many people hold their own house parties or hire local village halls to celebrate the event. Ceilidh dancing is very popular and all of the ceilidh bands in Scotland will be booked on this evening. The city of Glasgow also holds a large outdoor celebration in George Square.
Hogmanay is also a very special, memorable day to hold a wedding, although the costs will be somewhat higher than normal due to the demand for venues, caterers and entertainment.
The bells of Big Ben in London are broadcast around the country so that everybody can enjoy the countdown to midnight and the start of the New Year.
First Footing
One of the traditions at New Year is that before midnight on the 31st of December, the house should be cleaned (including taking out the ashes from the fire in the days when coal fires were common). There is also the superstition to clear all your debts before “the bells” at midnight.
Another tradition is “first footing”. This is still common in Scotland and is believed to bring good luck for the year ahead.
Ceilidh bands in Scotland and many other musicians, are always booked up long in advance for this date and all of the ceilidh bands in Glasgow, the ceilidh bands in Edinburgh, and other parts of the country enjoy making Hogmanay a fun, exciting and memorable evening for all.
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On Tuesday 9th November, the ceilidh band are guests of the Ceilidh Club at The Lot in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket.
The ceilidh club at the Lot runs every Tuesday evening from 8pm in one of Edinburgh’s finest acoustic music venues, holding up to 80 people.
If you are looking at the options of choosing one of the finest Ceilidh Bands in Scotland for your wedding or corporate function, then this is an ideal opportunity to come along to hear the band play and join in the dancing yourself to one of the best Ceilidh Bands in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh’s top ceilidh bands play at the lot. Each band has a caller who will teach the dances, so the event is great for everyone from complete beginners to experienced ceilidh dancers. Accordionist, Paul Chamberlain will lead everybody through the dances to ensure a great night for all.
Tickets £6 on the door and reserved by calling The Lot on 0131 225 9922
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On Saturday 14th August, Scottish Ceilidh Band HotScotch, were playing for a wedding at Abden House, Edinburgh. The function took place in a marquee in the grounds of Abden House, part of the Pollock House Edinburgh University complex. The guests were all very enthusiastic about the ceilidh dancing and kept the floor filled throughout the night. The final dance was the Orcadian Strip the Willow, which ran the whole length of the marquee with around 40 couples dancing which was very impressive!
The ceilidh band also recieved a lovely email from the bride’s parents to say how much they had enjoyed the evening.
My husband and I wish to say a big thank you for your excellent music and calling at our daughter’s wedding celebration at Abden House last Saturday, 14th August. The great atmosphere of fun and happiness said it all. All those guests from south of the border and many other countries just loved it and were up there dancing away the whole evening, many having thought it would be too dificult for them!
We’ll certainly recommend you.
Sincerely
Ewan and Pauline Walker
It was an honour to have been chosen from amongst the many ceilidh bands in Scotland, to play for this wedding and we wish them all the best for their future together.
Posted in Ceilidh Dances Edinburgh Ceilidh Band Wedding Reception Ceilidh by .
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The most popular ceilidh dances
Accordionist Paul Chamberlain, is also the caller for HotScotch Ceilidh Band. Most ceilidh bands will have a caller, who will ensure that if some guests are not sure what to do, need a reminder or have never done ceilidh dancing before, then they’ll be able to join in without any problems and have a great night. He has many years of experience of dance calling and therefore will enable all ceilidh novices to join in with the dancing.
He will talk the guests through the dances and may also do a walk-through prior to beginning each dance. Some of the most popular dances covered by ceilidh bands in Scotland are The Gay Gordons, Strip the Willow, The Dashing White Sergeant, The Flying Scotsman, Military Two-Step, The Eightsome Reel, Canadian Barn Dance, The Virginia Reel, The Cumberland Square Eight, and The Orcadian Strip the Willow.
This video is “The Dashing White Sargeant” recorded at The Hub in Edinburgh and features top Edinburgh ceilidh band HotScotch.
How large does the dance floor need to be for Ceildh Dancing?
All hotels and wedding venues will either have a dance floor built into the room, or will put one down prior to the evening function commencing. These vary greatly in size, but the generally, the larger the dancing area, the better.
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As anybody who has organised a wedding will know, planning and preparation is key to ensuring a successful day. As important as the actually marriage ceremony, is the evening reception and arranging the best entertainment for your guests, to ensure an enjoyable, fun evening.
There are many options to choose from but the increasing demand for high quality live music has helped to raise the popularity of Ceilidh dancing as a choice of entertainment for wedding receptions. There are many aspects to consider when deciding on a band. There are a large number of ceilidh bands in Scotland and if you are looking for a ceilidh band in Edinburgh, HotScotch can provide a first-class entertainment package for your wedding reception.
Ceildih bands come in all sorts of sizes and line-ups, and it is often down to personal preference which style of playing one prefers. The traditional line-up of Accordion, Fiddle and Drums can be augmented to include other instruments such as bagpipes, guitars, keyboard and double bass.
One should also be satisfied when deciding on a ceilidh band, that they use high quality, professional audio equipment capable of providing crystal clear sound, which as a professional ceilidh band who are playing very regularly, HotScotch do ensure that their equipment is well maintained. HotScotch is proud to be one of the most popular and busiest ceilidh bands in Scotland.
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