Acoustic Roots

The Continental Céili Band (CCB) consists of a group of young enthusiastic musicians who play Irish dance music. Originally, in Ireland, a céili is a social gathering. There, and also in Scotland, the céili still is an important part of their culture, but as a festive gathering with traditional dance and music. In fact, it is the forerunner of the modern disco!

Group dancing is central in a céili: figures are danced together, in row or circles, and dance partners are frequently changed in the process, just like in Balfolk, which resembles it a bit.

Céilis have a flexible degree of difficulty: they are easy to learn for young and old, but they can also be a great challenge for the experienced dancers.

The fun thing is that céilis aren’t only found in Ireland and Scotland, but also in Utrecht! Dancing school ‘Keltisch Dansje’ organizes public céilis. The group dances are instructed on the spot and danced on live music by the Continental Céili Band. The latter came into existence during the Irish jam sessions at O’Leary’s Irish pub in Utrecht in 2017. The band’s line-up varies from five to twenty experienced Irish musicians playing acoustic instruments such as violin, guitar, flute, accordion, banjo, bodhrán (hand drum) and uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes). And this means that after the dancing, you’ll be able to enjoy live Irish music!

Besides playing in the CCB, some musicians also play in various other Irish bands: Wrong Direction, Four of a Kind and one new, yet unnamed, band we will call Work in Progress for now. Those bands will all play one song, the rest will be performed by the CCB.