www.aberdeenstrathspey.org.uk

'We have been performing traditional Scottish music in concert since 1928. New orchestra members are always welcome at our rehearsals. The orchestras are available for booking for public and private performances in and around Aberdeen. Our recordings of traditional Scottish music on CD can be bought online.'

fiddleorchestra.com

'Membership is free and is open to all string and percussion players and the principle is that you learn “on the job”. Beginners are not expected to be able to fiddle at a fast and furious pace when they join – but it is amazing how they soon pick it up! The self-confidence that these young players acquire over a short period of months is incredible and they are soon seamlessly merging with the older players ... The Orchestra has several regular concerts and a large number of invitational performances throughout the year.'

blackfordfiddlegroup.org.uk

‘A community music group with members of all ages and abilities. We meet ... in Blackford, Perthshire to learn and play traditional music on fiddles and other instruments. BFG provides support to people as they learn and members are encouraged to help each other. We offer some basic tuition and sometimes hire tutors to help us. BFG plays to entertain others at ceilidhs, concerts and other events. Most people enjoy playing music no matter when they start learning. We try to make learning easy and good fun. Previous experience is not required; there are no tests or auditions. We teach people to play by ear but can also provide music books if you want one. We can even lend you a fiddle.’

www.bollywoodbrassband.co.uk

‘The UK’s pioneering Indian-style wedding band, playing the great tunes and compulsively danceable rhythms of Bollywood. Twice nominated for Songlines World Music Awards, the band has performed all over the world – in venues, at festivals, and for Indian weddings in the UK, Norway, India, Thailand and South Africa. The BBB is versatile, playing both amplified stage sets and in a street formation, and they are equally at home headlining a festival or delivering exciting workshops in schools. Repertoire covers classics from the Golden Age of Bollywood up to current hits and stage shows can feature Bollywood film clips or a dancer to get your audience up and dancing. With brass, saxophone, dhol drums and a colossal sousaphone, the BBB is one of the most colourful, joyful and exhilarating acts around.’

bordersfiddlegroup.wordpress.com

'Available to perform across the Scottish Borders at: Ceilidhs; Functions; Parties; Festivals. BFG comprises a core group of experienced fiddlers, supported by guitar, double bass and bhodran players with a dance caller for events. We currently have a mixed repertoire of dance sets and also play a variety of quieter sets for listening during breaks in dancing ... BFG welcomes beginner fiddle players – come along to a practice.'

brigstowevillageband.com

‘We are modelled on the village bands of Thomas Hardy’s day when local musicians played for all the local gatherings and celebrations. We play lively upbeat traditional tunes of the British Isles and include songs, words and dances to reflect the origins of the music. We perform at events such as fairs, street parties, harvest festivals and concerts ... We are a friendly and inclusive group welcoming all acoustic instruments, there are no auditions and music is provided online – reading music is an advantage but some members play by ear.’

celticfiddlers.webs.com

Formed in 2008: ‘A Cornish group of string players who play Celtic music from around the world ... As the years have gone by our membership has changed from being comprised mainly of children to being a largely adult group, but our philosophy remains the same: to welcome String players of all ages and all stages to play traditional Celtic music in a friendly and supportive environment’.

www.chilliroadband.co.uk

‘We are a dynamic, vibrant community band consisting of adults and children playing an eclectic mix of Latin, jazz and rock on an array of instruments: steel pans, percussion, drums, brass and woodwind. We are a community band, and have performed at various events including festivals, school fairs, private parties, and other social and cultural events throughout the North East.’

clitheroeukuleleclub.com

The Group arose out of a Workshop at the 2013 Ribble Valley Jazz Festival. Now gives performances under the name of The Clitheroe Ukulele Orchestra: ‘Beginners are always welcome and you don’t even need a ukulele as we can lend you one to try out before you buy your first ukulele. The sessions are lively and great fun and we now have our own song book with over 50 songs’.

www.ehrss.org.uk

‘EHRSS was founded in 1881 ...  by a group of people who wanted to foster the playing of traditional Scottish music ... and was the first of the strathspey and reel societies to be established ... To give us a reason to practise and to promote Scottish fiddle music, we have at least two concerts each session, one close to St Andrew's Night in November and our Annual Concert in March ... The EHRSS now has a Junior Section.’

www.wrenmusic.co.uk/en/Folk-Orchestra-of-Torbay-FOOT/

‘An open access instrumental group. We play a huge variety of folk music which is all taught by ear but sheet music is also available. There are no auditions and all acoustic instruments and abilities (14 and over) are welcome.’

fyldeukulele.bravesites.com

‘Mention the ukulele and people automatically think we sound like George Formby.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Fylde Ukulele Network (FUN) is a band of musicians who sing and play an eclectic variety of songs from folk to pop, rock 'n roll and dance numbers ... Based on Fylde coast of Lancashire, England, we are committed to sharing our own brand of happiness and music to make your event a great success.’

grandunion.org.uk

‘The acknowledged pioneer of cross-cultural music-making in Britain, bringing together world-class musicians and singers drawn from across the whole jazz and world music spectrum to tour nationally and internationally. Founded in 1982 long before the term world-jazz was even invented and led by visionary composer and pianist Tony Haynes, the music of Grand Union draws on many diverse musical cultures and is based around the experience of the performers themselves – many of whom have been or are descended from migrants or refugees ... As well as the full 18-20 strong Orchestra, Grand Union tours with smaller bands whose repertoire is based on traditional music from the musicians’ own countries of origin ... In 2006 it established its own youth orchestra (GUYO) which is open to young musicians playing any instrument from any culture.’

www.hornsofplenty.co.uk

‘A twelve to twenty strong street band playing a lively mix of township, jazz, New Orleans & east-european music ... Formed in 2007 for the Cowley Road Carnival in East Oxford, we comprise brass, saxophones, clarinets, and percussion.‘

www.invernessfiddlers.org

‘Since our inception in 1977 Inverness Fiddlers have always been part of the local scene, playing for public events and for charities, retirement homes and other good causes. We also play for concerts and ceilidhs throughout the Highlands, and have close links with other fiddle societies in Scotland.’ The Inverness Fiddlers’ Rally is an annual event usually held Mid March.

www.kennetaccordionorchestra.com

'Based within the valley of the River Kennet , the orchestra is supported by an enthusiastic group of accordionists from the surrounding towns of Marlborough, Hungerford, Newbury and Swindon. We share a common passion for playing the accordion and as a collective, perform concerts, support charitable organisations and participate in music festivals throughout the local region and beyond.'

leedsfolkfiddlegroup.yolasite.com

'The Group is primarily a fiddle class for violinists of all ages and abilities who would like to learn to play folk, with various accompanying folk instruments (double bass, guitars, banjo). The repertoire mainly consists of traditional folk and folk of all kinds, Klezmer, Sevdah, Gypsy and a bit of bluegrass and traditional old time American tunes. We play at festivals, folk clubs, private events and functions, charity balls and fairs and we are available for private parties or weddings. The players are all learners with some beginners and we aim to enjoy ourselves and welcome anyone who would like to play with us. No previous experience with folk music necessary.'

www.lincolnukuleleband.co.uk

‘Tuesdays are oriented towards complete beginners - up to improver level and you’ll get help and on – the – spot guidance from more experienced players with time to help you. We can lend you a ukulele each and get you started even if you have never played any musical instrument or sung before. You do not need to be able to read music at all for these sessions. Thursdays are for improvers & intermediates and are great fun but the pace is a little more brisk and geared towards rehearsing arrangements and the original aim of the band – which is to bring live music performances to the community ... We do not use any pre-recorded backing tracks, voice modulators or any other electrickery / karaoke – type stuff, we are 100% live and unplugged proper traditional style musicians. Only the bass is amplified.’

linlithgowreedband.wordpress.com

'One of very few civilian bands in Scotland which has a military configuration, in that it includes reed, brass and percussion instruments. We undertake a wide variety of marching jobs across central Scotland and have two concerts a year in March/April and December. We have also undertaken a number of other jobs to help local and national charities raise money.'

www.londonao.co.uk

‘The London Accordion Orchestra (previously the Morley Accordion Orchestra) came to life in 1999 with the aim of promoting and performing compositions for accordion orchestra, as well as to develop players of the instrument. The main orchestra focuses on playing original repertoire and commissions composers to write new works specifically for the London Accordion Orchestra ... We perform live all over Europe. LAO have 50 members and we love what we do.’

www.thelondontangoorchestra.com

‘The largest professional tango group in the country, a real "orquesta tipica" uniting leading UK tango musicians with players from Argentina. The orchestra was founded in 2009 by Caroline Pearsall and is the first of its kind in the UK. The orchestra performs music from the rich repertoire of tango, old and new, sharing its love of tango music through concerts, milongas and workshops and cultural exchanges between musicians from Europe, USA and Argentina.’

www.melodiansuk.co.uk

‘We are a well-established steel orchestra formed in 1987. We perform in groups of 7 to 30 players, both nationally and internationally ... The Melodians Steel Orchestra range in age from 12 to over 60 and are drawn from all walks of life ... and promote involvement in Steelpan music regardless of age, sex, race or social background.‘

www.muchtymusicmakers.co.uk

‘A wonderful, friendly group of local musicians of all ages mainly from North Fife who get together to play music simply for fun ... The Muchty Musicmakers run Music Workshops on Sundays offering tuition in Guitar, Fiddle, Whistle, Mouth Organ, Accordion and Keyboard ... We play regularly at community and other events. Please get in touch if you'd like us to take part in your event.‘

www.northtynesidesteelband.org.uk

'The North East of England's top steelband performing nationally since 1992 at official, corporate and private functions.'

otleyukuleleorchestra.wordpress.com

'We have been playing together since 14th May 2012 ... We meet every Monday night ... We do not meet during August and have some weeks off around Easter and Christmas ... People of all abilities are welcome to attend either (or both!) sessions. Beginners are welcome and we can lend you a uke for your first session.'

www.palmyukeband.com

‘Our business is to share Ukulele love, joy and happiness by putting our spin on popular sing along, foot stomping tunes, many from the 60's, 70's & 80's.’

sites.google.com/site/raundsukulele/

‘A friendly group of people who meet once a fortnight to play the Uke and have some fun. Sessions are informal and last for an hour and a half. Ideally you should have some experience playing the instrument before attending. If you would like to learn, you can put your name on the waiting list for the next block of Saturday courses.’

sfo.org.uk

‘One of Scotland’s foremost traditional music organisations. The Orchestra was formed in 1980, deriving its origins from Fiddlers’ Rallies which were – and are – held throughout the country. After one of these Rallies, a group of enthusiasts met to consider the formation of an orchestra which would draw its members from a’ the airts and would form a cohesive, vigorously rehearsed group of musicians. The aim was to have a group of approximately 150 keen and interested musicians who would play together consistently, provide a series of concerts in the main Scottish cities and work together to create the finest possible standard of orchestral fiddle playing without detracting from the strong traditional strains of our music.‘

www.shekoyokh.co.uk

'She’Koyokh is a Yiddish word meaning “nice one!”. Hailed as “one of the finest and most entertaining British-based exponents of global music” (The Guardian), She’Koyokh have spent fifteen years absorbing the rich folk music traditions of Jewish Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Balkans.'

www.sleafordukuleleorchestra.co.uk

‘Formed in late 2007 ... playing a variety of instruments from the ukulele family. We may be an “orchestra” but do not expect an evening of instrumentals. We play an eclectic selection of music, modern and not so modern, and we may throw in the odd jazz number!’

s335571041.websitehome.co.uk/selfolk/orchestra.asp

‘Do you fancy playing some fantastic tunes and making music with others? The South East London Folk Orchestra repertoire ranges from traditional English folk to tunes and songs from a little further afield (e.g. France, Sweden, USA). We welcome all players of acoustic instruments.’

stockportukulele.blogspot.co.uk

‘We are a group of ukulele enthusiasts who gather to sing and play together ... From 7 to 8pm is a Beginners/Easy Song session, then from 8 to 9pm we have an Improvers session where we may work on new songs or to improve existing ones. What happens after 9pm will depend on who remains after the break ... We are predominantly a wooden ukulele club, although we welcome banjo-ukes as long as they are sensitively played. Sorry but we cannot accommodate other instruments ... We play mainly for our own entertainment but we are available for bookings and we will consider charitable events.‘

www.sussexfolkorch.co.uk

‘We are a group of muscians who meet to play traditional and contemporary folk music from around the world. The instruments we play include guitars, mandolins, bouzouki, fiddles, accordians, melodians, concertinas, recorders, flutes, whistles, bodhrans and cellos. We meet regularly to play and at garden parties and other events over the summer ... Following a successful inaugural concert at the Tenterden Folk Festival in 2014, Sussex Folk Orchestra now regularly play alongside the Yardarm Folk Orchestra as the United Folk Orchestra.’

facebook.com/TheUkuleleOrchestraofSpalding/

‘Came into being in September 2008. Initially the group consisted of 18 absolute beginners, who owned 11 ukuleles between them, none of which had been tuned, let alone played! The group has evolved and improved continuously ... and currently [2016] has 70 members aged between 10 and 83, most of whom now have at least 2 ukuleles each. We play for a wide range of audiences in an equally wide range of venues, performing a repertoire of over 200 songs. The Ukulele Orchestra of Spalding plays for its own, and the audience’s enjoyment; we also manage to raise at least £2,000 each year for local charities, all of which comes from audience donations. We do not charge a fee to perform.’ ALERT Website inaccessible at Review; replaced Website Link with one to Facebook Page.

weavervalleyaccordionband.vpweb.co.uk

'The music is arranged for the Band in 4 parts and practised with great enthusiasm by our players at our weekly band practices ... The Band is available for a variety of events including concerts, bandstands, fetes, private functions, garden centres etc. Our varied range of music includes Easy Listening, Classical pieces, Souza Marches, Latin and Christmas music. Feel free to contact us and pop along to a band practice if you would like to hear us or are interested in joining the Band.'

yardarm.btck.co.uk

'A community-oriented organisation in south Essex, UK, playing British and international folk music throughout the region, often at community, charity or other fundraising events ... We want to bring folk music to as many people as possible, either as audience members or by involving them as participants. We welcome new players and encourage beginners and all levels of skill. There is a place for everyone who can play an instrument to some degree and who is prepared to join in and have some fun developing their potential.'