FAQ

What instruments do you play?

I (Brenda) play pennywhistles and sing, and Jim plays guitar, Irish button accordion, concertina, and bodhran. When we play for wedding ceremonies, we often emphasize the sounds of pennywhistle and guitar, because they sound familiar to people who enjoy flute and guitar duos and are not quite so "ethnic." For parties, receptions, concerts, and dances, we play more of the accordion and concertina along with pennywhistle and guitar, so that we can perform lots of the boisterous Irish dance music that we love.

How much do you charge?

It depends somewhat on what you would like us to do, but in general we charge a flat hourly rate for receptions, concerts, and dances, a fee which our customers tell us is very reasonable. For wedding ceremonies, we charge a separate fee, which includes a half-hour of music before the ceremony, the Irish processional of your choice (we can help you choose), music during the ceremony if you'd like it (unity candle, etc.), Irish recessional, and then 15 minutes more of music to give everyone a chance to graciously greet you and then exit. We do not charge any extra fee for use of our PA system or for the time we spend together beforehand to meet and consult together. The only thing we do charge extra for is travel--if we need to drive more than 25 miles from Portland, then we charged roughly one dollar per mile. Please give us a call to find out exactly what our charges would be for you.

Can you sing a song we both love that's not Irish?

Maybe! It depends on how adaptable the song is to our instrumentation. We love learning new material, but we have to be careful about music from other genres. We have to be sure that the song's essence will come through using the instruments we play.

Do you ever work with other musicians to make a bigger band?

Yes! And it's fun. Just let us know in advance if you are interested in more instruments and we'll find out if our friends are available and what they charge.

How many weddings have you played?

Roughly 500, all of them great fun. We've been doing this since 1989.

Where have you played for weddings?

The Oregon Zoo; various sites within the zoo
Oaks Pioneer Church
The Old Church
Baker Pioneer Cabin
McMenamin's at Edgefield; various sites inside and outside there
The Academy, Vancouver, WA
Grey Gables, Milwaukie
Marshall House, Ft. Vancouver, WA
Hostess House, Vancouver, WA
Many, many churches
Backyards, front yards, side yards, living rooms of private homes
Out in the woods
Leach Botanical Gardens
Washington Park; several sites within it
Timberline Lodge; several sites inside and outside
Stonehenge Gardens, Hood River, OR
Columbia Gorge Hotel, Hood River, OR
Bridal Veil Lakes, Corbett, OR
Lewisville Park, Battle Ground, WA
Albertina Kerr Center
Lakeside Gardens
McLain House, West Linn
Governor Hotel
Overlook House
Carver Pioneer Church
Broetje House, Milwaukie
Wittenburg Inn, Keizer
Crystal Springs Rhododendren Gardens, Portland
Flanagan Chapel, Lewis and Clark College
Jenkins Estate, Aloha; several sites there
Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach, OR
Kell's Irish Restaurant
Heritage House Farm and Garden, Aurora, OR
Fanno House, Beaverton, OR
Portland Art Museum, Ballroom
Captain Ainsworth House, Oregon City, OR
McMenamin's Crystal Ballroom
Chief Obie Lodge, Clackamas, OR
Tiffany Center, Portland
Oxbow Park, Troutdale, OR; various sites there
McMenamin's Cornelius Pass Roadhouse, North Plains, OR

The Grotto
Canterbury Falls, Molalla, OR
McMenamin's Kennedy School
Burdoin Mansion, Battle Ground, WA
Sweetbriar Inn, Tualatin, OR
Elk Cove Winery, Gaston, OR
Heathman Lodge, Vancouver, WA
SMILE Center, Sellwood, OR
Hoyt Arboretum
Shakespeare Rose Garden, Washington Park
Tallina's Garden, Clackamas, OR
Queen Anne Victorian Mansion
University of Portland Chapel
The Wedding House
Laurelhurst Park
Historic Oysterville Church, Long Beach, WA
Benjamin Young Inn, Astoria, OR
The Inn at Otter Crest, Newport, OR
Hagg Lake, Forest Grove, OR
Covington House, Vancouver, WA
Willamette Valley Vineyards, Turner, OR
Charbonneau Country Club, Wilsonville, OR
Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens, Woodland, WA
Mount Tabor Park
Rex Hill Winery, Newburg, OR
Amadeus at Fernwood, Milwaukie, OR
Portland Yacht Club
Mallory Hotel
Monarch Hotel
Peavy Arboretum, OSU, Corvallis, OR
Bridgeport Brew Pub
Portland Golf Club
Blue Lake Park, Gresham, OR
The White House Bed and Breakfast, Portland, OR
Bybee Howell House, Sauvie Island, OR
Guy Webster Talbott Park, Columbia Gorge, Crown Point, OR
River Queen Ship, Willamette River, OR
Spirit of Portland, Willamette River, OR
OHSU Chapel
Adrianna Hill Ballroom
Settlemeier Mansion, Woodburn, OR
Multnomah Athletic Club

Could you please send us a sample of your music?

Certainly. Please call us and tell us your address, and we'll be glad to oblige. And check out our calendar page to find where and when you can see us play live. We highly recommend that you come to see us play if you can, because there is no better way to find out if we are the musicians for you.