Helsinki Cèilidh Band are Finland’s premier function band catering for Scottish, Irish and English ceilidh dance music. Whether you’re a ceilidh native, or you’ve never ‘Stripped the Willow’ before, Helsinki Cèilidh Band will soon have you swept up in a unique atmosphere for any occasion.
The band was formed in 2013 by a collective of musicians from the UK and Finland while students at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Their infectious, dynamic sound has been in great demand for functions and events throughout Finland ever since.
From high-energy driving jigs and reels to beautiful Finnish waltzes, the band will expertly guide you through the steps in English and Finnish language and quickly have everyone up on the dance floor!
The Band
Our core team consists of Robbie Sherratt, Tommie Black-Roff, Michael Ferrie, and Oskari Lehtonen. Occasionally, we feature guests who fill-in should one of us be unavailable. Our standard line-up includes two melody players and two rhythm players.
Robbie Sherratt
Fiddle, Caller (dance instructor)
Robbie was introduced to the violin at an early age and was soon invited by local folk fiddlers to music sessions at the pub. It was there that the older musicians patiently passed down their tradition to a fledgling fiddler. Though at first too shy to dance he found a gateway through cèilidh dancing with friends and these days is first on the dance floor and the last to leave, taking every opportunity to dance or encourage others to strut their stuff.
Brought up in the Staffordshire Moorlands in England, he like others in the band moved to Helsinki to study folk music at Sibelius Academy where as well as the cèilidh band he plays in duo Eva Väljaots & Robbie Sherratt and teaches traditional music.
Tommie Black-Roff
Piano accordion, Piano
Tommie Black-Roff is an accordionist, pianist, singer and composer. Originally from the very tip of Cornwall in the south-west of the UK, he grew up amongst the local Cornish folk scene.
Michael Ferrie
Guitar
The band’s founder from Callander, Scotland. Michael is an award-winning guitarist and composer who’s toured extensively, most recently with The Outside Track. He’s a former student of Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd (National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music), the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Sibelius Academy.
After arriving in Helsinki, Michael was soon asked put a cèilidh band together for a wedding, over the years the band has evolved until it settled on it’s current line-up and gained the name Helsinki Cèilidh Band in 2019.
Oskari Lehtonen
Percussion & Drums
Oskari Lehtonen is a percussionist and drummer from Helsinki whose playing has been heard in many bands and projects over the years. At the moment he’s performing as a solo artist and in ensembles such as Okra Playground, Tanhu Facka and Kasvu. Lehtonen is a versatile player who uses his instruments inventively. One of his main interests for the past years has been Nordic folk music in which Lehtonen has become respected as a groovy and melodic percussion player.
Oskari Lehtonen has worked as a drummer and a percussionist with styles ranging from Nordic, Celtic and Balkan folk music to progressive rock, electronic music and hip hop. He’s work in the music field ranges also to theatre productions and teaching and he has performed at various festivals and venues in both Finland and abroad.
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Hugh Sheehan
Button accordion, Piano
Hugh Sheehan is a button accordion player from Birmingham, England, now based in Helsinki, Finland. He hails from an Irish family and grew up immersed in Irish traditional music. Hugh’s footing in traditional music is complimented by his formal training as a contemporary composer and the coalescence of these two worlds defines his current practice.
Hugh’s taking a break from the band to focus on his theatre work and composition commissions along with his soon to be released debut album but he’ll still return for the occasion gig.
Photographer: Klaus Elfving