Marr Hall Ceilidh

Saturday was undeniably a unique ceilidh…

We were playing at a wedding reception at Marr Hall, near Erskine. The wedding was held in their marquee which was huge (it would hold more guests than most venues we are used to playing in).

The bride was Scottish and the groom was French…this mix led to a fascinating evening. Evidently, participation is a key feature of French wedding culture. The French guests were keen to live ut up.

Every French guy had hired a kilt. This proved a bit confusing as I found myself giving instructions in English to people who turned out to be French (je suis desolee- je ne comprends pas) and then trying to be smart by giving instructions in typical broken Standard-Grade French to guests who turned out to be Scottish (whit ye talkin aboot mate?). The French guests were brilliant at getting up to try out the dances even though the literal translations of “Gay Gordons”, “Eightsome Reel” and “Strip the Willow” must have made a ceilidh sound even weirder than it actually is!!

Every French guest joined in a huge sing-song. Just before the ceilidh kicked off, all the visitors from across the channel came up to the front and performed a musical piece in their native tongue, bringing a big smile and a heap of confusion to the rest of us!

Some guests formed a Jiggered tribute band. During our break, a few guests (and even the bride) grabbed our instruments and microphones and accompanied the disco music.

We had a great time and so did our client (here’s us with the father of the bride at the end of the night!).