SOAS CEILIDH BAND - OFFICIAL WEBSITE

* joining the band

* booking the band

* join our mailing list

* explanation

– DANCING DOWN THE BADNESS – FIDDLING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE –

Welcome to the website for

THE SOAS

CEILIDH BAND

SOAS Ceilidh Band dance for Kurdistan – Lucas Lecture Theatre, SOAS – 2016

We are a band that was formed at the School of Oriental and African Studies [SOAS] in London in 2005.

We play the traditional dance musics of the British Isles, Scotland and Ireland.

We welcome new members, both SOAS students and staff,

and members from the wider community.

This is a non-audition band. We have members of all levels of skill. In some cases we can provide instruments for members who wish to learn.

We play at ceilidh dances, weddings, funerals, house parties,

protest movements and strike pickets. Fiddling for social justice.

The SOAS Ceilidh Band is available for BOOKINGS [contact the band’s organiser at the address below].

We also tour internationally (Calais, Venice, Paris, Istanbul, Lebanon and Iraqi Kurdistan in recent years). Particularly to make music with refugees and migrants. These solidarity tours are open to all our members.

In 2026 we shall be touring to Calais (20-22 February), Paris for St Patrick’s Night (17 March) and Istanbul (date tbc). Musicians who would like to join us on these trips are welcome to contact us.

We like to play Full Moon Ceilidh Sessions on the night of the full moon through the year.

And during the course of 2026, as part of our commitment to music research, we shall be organising occasional seminars about the musics that we play.

*** You will find our SOAS Ceilidh Band Tune Book ***

as a downloadable PDF file HERE.

Full of lovely tunes!

We can also provide Midi files to play along with.

We are now preparing for the coming year of 2026-27.

If you would like to join the band (all levels of skill welcome), or if you would like to book us, text us at 07542 151 220

or write to the Band’s organiser at:

[email protected]

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SOME THINGS THAT THE BAND