SKYLARK
Contra & Ceilidh Band
A website for one of England's leading Contra Dance Bands.
Music Samples Band Profiles
Video Samples
SKYLARK's official photo for 2010.
SKYLARK at the Whitby Folk Week 2009 playing for the Contra Ceilidh - caller John Meechan.
Kathryn taking a break and playing with SKYLARK at her own wedding!
SKYLARK's New CD - SPREADING OUR WINGS
is now available.Order your copy right here.
Whether you’re looking for superb music to dance to, or simply want to get your feet tapping at home, you’ll find something here to move you. There are slinky sets to lull you into the “dance trance” and vibrant rhythms to snap you back out of it again. Skylark spreads its wings with a beautiful arrangement of Brian Stone's tune "Emma's Waltz" to accompany Colin Hume's Dance and the tune "Key to the Cellar" for a dance written by Jenny Beer.
Track List
(© Dave Brown)
Reviews of Skylark's Original CD
If this CD doesn’t get you leaping around the dance floor (or the kitchen), nothing will! Overseas review from Kentucky! “…..for making such a good CD. The tunes are just wonderful and they won’t leave my head. I keep waking up with them playing in endless loops, I hum them doing laundry, I catch myself whistling them in meetings (oops). It’s a real triumph for the dance world, but driving me crazy just at the moment. Congrats to Skylark. A+!”Kent Gilbert, Berea Kentucky, USA
“I've just listened to the whole of the Skylark CD again and I want to tell you again how terrific it is. There's so much life and vitality, and the final tune is so much fun. Afterwards, I listened to Mozart's Piano Concertos number 20 in D minor and 21 in C major which were also terrific, but I couldn't email him to tell him so!”
Colin Hume, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom
SKYLARK's original CD:
"Spreading Our Wings"
Release date May 2010
Reviews:
SKYLARK........is a now soaring - bringing the modern sound of Contra Dance to the UK.
The musicians are - Dave Brown (Fiddle), Elaine Meechan (Keyboards), Kathryn Dunphy (flute), and Mark Brown (Bass).
"The bright new sound of Skylark starts the week with their crisp, new arrangements, performed with excellence and great enthusiasm." “Quite probably the best Contra Dance Band in England!” (Quoted at the Leeds Contra – September 2006).
Festival organisers, clubs, Contra Dance Organisers please contact Dave Brown and book the band now.
- "incredible energy, superb musicianship and incredible dancebility." John Meechan.
(Sidmouth Festival programme August 2006)
Dave Brown: 
has played in many bands over the years including, Wild Thyme, Contradition, The Dave Brown Band, Grumbling Old Men and Square Root. In Skylark Dave is able to use all his skills of arrangement and composition to help the band create its live and exciting sound. Click Here to see Dave’s Website.
has also grown up with Folk Dance music. She works as a Primary School teacher in Manchester. Kathryn mainly plays the Flute in Skylark but can often be seen playing the Alto Sax and even, occasionally, the Piccolo.
Click here to see
SKYLARK on Facebook
See Skylark on
Elaine Meechan: 
has played accordion mostly in her other musical incarnations, notably with Glorishears Band. Elaine has worked as a musician with Folk Camps an has a wide experience of Folk Music and dance. In Skylark she provides the rhythmic harmonic structure for the rhythm section of the band.
has grown up with Folk Dance music. He plays Bass in Skylark. Mark provides a solid rhythmic foundation to the rhythm texture. Look out for a Bongos solo on the new CD. Mark is a professional photographer – to check out his work at Click here.