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Grand Union: traditional English dance music at it's best! Grand Union: brilliant to dance to! Grand Union: firmly rooted in their native tradition. Grand Union: playing with lift, improvisation, and fun! Grand Union: enjoying what they do - and doing what they do well!

Fran Wade         fiddle

Martin Brinsford percussion & mouth organs (and bed pan)

Roger Grimes melodeons

Kevin Bown double bass

Tim Normanton banjo

Taz Tarry fiddle

Click here to read what people have said about Grand Union and their Union Specific CD

If you want a band that play exceptionally danceable music for your event, be it a ceilidh, barn dance, wedding celebration, birthday, or anniversary, then look no further than Grand Union. Renowned for the lift in their playing, with cracking tunes based in their native English tradition, a Grand night out will be guaranteed.

Grand Union have played for ceilidhs at Bridgnorth, Bromyard, Cheltenham and Chippenham, Stroud and Upton Folk Festivals, and at Sidmouth International Folk Festival,and Towersey Village Festival, as well as 'Reeling in Ealing', Bristol, Stroud, and Ryburn Three Step public ceilidhs. Public bookings in 2004 so far include a 'Knees-Up' ceilidh at Cecil Sharp House, London and a Bideford ceilidh in Barnstaple, Devon, with bookings for 2005 already including a Wroughton Dance House and an OxFolk ceilidh - see our Gigs page for details.

Along with all this, Grand Union still maintain a busy program of private dances for wedding celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries, and dances just for the fun of it, bringing top quality English dance music to everyone.

What people have said about Grand Union and their Union Specific CD:

‘Grand Union are definitely one of my favourite bands to call with. They have a wide repertoire of great English tunes which they play with skill and verve. The excellent twin fiddle and melodeon lead is backed by some terrific banjo and double bass...all driven along by precise and powerful percussion. They are wonderful to dance to and a genuine pleasure to work with. Very highly recommended.’ - Dave Hunt

'Grand Union and their CD, Union Specific, are simply superb. They push the edges of English traditional music just enough to make it fresh. Judging from their CD, they must be absolutely great live.' -- Cat Eldridge, Editor-in-Chief, Green Man Review.

'If this band were a horse the blood-line would probably read " ....out of Old Swan by Flowers and Frolics." -- Carly Rose, Shreds and Patches

'Go [to their dance] if you possibly can - Grand Union with Baz Parkes did an absolutely wonderful night for us at Brighouse last week - everybody is still buzzing with enjoyment from that night!' -- Pete Coe Ryburn 3 Step

'Packed hall enjoyed the perfect English Country Band Dance. There wasn't much sitting down done.' -- Folkwrite