...are fiddles,
bagpipes and cello, plus caller and PA.
Please listen to this short YouTube clip of
our playing:
Chris Partington - fiddle
Paul Roberts - fiddle and Border bagpipes
Alison Roberts - Cello
A fully experienced caller from our small panel of
callers is included, depending on who is available.
Who it is will be confirmed with you before the
booking is taken.
Individually we have decades of experience, and
together we have played in various line-ups and
styles for over twenty years. Between us we
have played at many of the major Folk Festivals,
including Broadstairs, Cambridge, Sidmouth, Whitby,
and the National at Loughborough.
WHAT
DO WE DO?
We play traditional English
dance music,
for English Ceilidh, also known as Barn Dance, Country Dance, Hoedown
etc.
Our repertoire of tunes and dances is mainly
Northern English, partly of our own researching from
antique fiddler’s manuscripts.We can draw on a good
number of other tunes when required.
The twin fiddle, or fiddle and bellows-blown
'half-long' bagpipe, and cello lineup is typical of
the old English village bands, as is the driving and
rhythmic style of playing, which owes nothing to
classical technique.
WHO FOR?
…for your special event,
party, wedding, parents association, club social,
fundraiser, festival, historical re-enactment,
etc.etc… We play mainly for
private functions, perhaps like yours, where most of
our audience have never even seen English Country
Dancing, let alone done it. You don’t need to
be an expert, our dance-caller is there to
show you what to do during the dance. The dances are
not difficult, and everyone has fun. We guarantee
that you won’t be the only person on the floor with
two left feet!
You can have a good
evening with as few as twenty people - as long as
they are keen and energetic! ...but the more the
merrier. It is suitable for all age groups and
levels of ability.
It is not necessary to have a DJ for when we are not
playing. Indeed we advise against this as it can
interrupt the flow of the evening. But it’s your
party!
TERMS
We are typically
available to play for up to four hours, finishing no
later than midnight, and including a half hour
break. Plus we need an hour to set up the PA and
sound-check, and half an hour to take the PA down
again. (Our PA is PAT tested) We need a space at least
4m by 1m for the band and equipment, four chairs,
access to a 3-pin socket, and somewhere suitable for
a speaker-stand at either side of the room. You ideally need enough
clear space for at least a couple of sets of
energetic dancers; we suggest a minimum of 4m by 4m
per set of eight people. And please bear in mind
that it’s very hard to dance in high heels!
We are based in West
Yorkshire, and regard Manchester, Leeds, Bradford,
Huddersfield, Wakefield, Sheffield and Halifax as
local, but we can travel further afield into
Lancashire, Derbyshire and other neighbouring
counties.
CONTACT
Chris via email:
christhefiddlerpartington@hotmail(insert a d*t)com
TESTIMONIALS
''It was a splendid gig,
with lots of good comments about the band - many
thanks.' - P.H.
'I just wanted to
express my thanks once again to you all for a
wonderful evening of music and dance.I have had many
comments from friends and family saying that they
really enjoyed the evening.'
- S.S.
Didn't
get a chance to chat at the ceilidh on Saturday but
wanted to say howmuch we enjoyed it - brilliant sound from
such a small band. Great atmosphere.' -
R.B.
'I'm surprised I was able to dance at all, having
spent the whole day in Lancashire learning North-West
and rapper at a workshop. It just goes to show. All the
best. -RB.
'As a caller, it's great
to work with Tenterhooks. Really unusual tunes,
perfect understanding of dance rhythms and requirements
and a lovely "country dance band" feel together with
excellent musicianship. Who could want for
more?!'
- T.E. caller
'Many
thanks to the Tenterhooks String Band for playing
at our golden wedding celebration last Saturday.
Everyone
has said how much they enjoyed the evening and how
much fun they had doing the various
dances.
A ceilidh
really creates a great atmosphere and your band
certainly kept the party on its feet all night,
thanks again.'